A secret heliotropism

Abstract

‘A Secret Heliotropism’ is a short choose-your-own-adventure game story loosely inspired by Walter Benjamin’s On the Concept of History, particularly theses 12, 13 and 14. Players choose the path of a series of revolutionary movements throughout a (very) abstract history of class struggle. The game is meant to evoke Benjamin’s criticism of the progressive politics (namely ‘Social Democratic theory’) facing down fascism in his time that saw historical progress as the boundless perfectibility of humankind moving unerringly through a ‘homogenous, empty time.’ For Benjamin, however, progress as understood from a historical materialist perspective focuses on the struggles of the oppressed class es in their attempts to interrupt the historical continuum. This is hopefully reflected in the player’s repeated struggles for liberation, which ultimately culminate in Benjamin’s reflections on the Paul Klee painting Angelus Novus. ‘A Secret Heliotropism’ can be played here https://bit.ly/3aHcCdG. To play, download the .html file and open it in your browser.