Busy Work is a fast-paced multiplayer game that makes a frantic and hilarious gameplay out of the monotonous aspects of office work. You and your colleagues (up to six players) compete to answer as many customer emails as possible before the morning meeting while constantly being interrupted with phone calls, pop-up calendar reminders, ‘urgent’ physical tasks, and more. Will you win the coveted employee-of-the-day bonus and lord it over your co-workers at happy hour? 

Busy Work was developed by Matt and Lisa Bethancourt and Danny Rankin in the Whaaat!? Lab of the ATLAS Institute. The game won the Media Choice Award at the 2017 IndieCade Festival and was featured at the 2018 XOXO Festival in Portland, Oregon.

Whaaat!? Lab

 

 

Associated Researchers

Matthew Bethancourt
Matthew Bethancourt
Teaching Associate Professor • Whaaat?! Lab • GAMES, EXPERIMENTAL SOUND
ATLAS Institute
Danny Rankin
Danny Rankin
Teaching Assistant Professor and Interim Associate Director of Undergrad Programs • Whaaat!? Lab • MATERIALS, GAMES, GRAPHIC DESIGN

In the news

Festival logo
New ATLAS games festival highlights experiences that make you say "Whaaat!?"

Sept. 14, 2018

"Whaaat!? A festival for games and experimental interactions" featured a large number of experimental tabletop and electronic games, and a large vintage arcade featuring games from the 1970s and 80s. Central to the event was a series of talks and workshops on the art form of game design.

Screenshot from ravine promo video of bitten hand playing cards
Two ATLAS faculty members show games at XOXO festival
“It’s crazy that two ATLAS games are going to be there,” says Matt Bethancourt, “It shows we are doing really good work.”

Husband-and-wife duo Lisa and Matt Bethancourt show their game, Busy Work.
TAM director's game wins Indiecade17 Media's Choice award

Oct. 24, 2017

Called "amazing" by PC Gamer magazine, Matt and Lisa Bethancourt's Busy Work game, where players compete to send the most email, is an Indiecade winner.