Undisturbed

Undisturbed is a solo journaling game about human cadaveric dissection. 

Human cadaveric dissection, or the practice of studying the anatomy of human corpses, has a long and complex history. The earliest recorded instances of human dissection date back to ancient Greece, where it was performed by physicians such as Hippocrates and Galen. However, dissection was not a common practice at the time and was generally limited to the examination of animals. It was not until the Renaissance that dissection of human cadavers became more widespread. During this time, there was a renewed interest in anatomy and physiology, and dissection was seen as a way to gain a better understanding of the human body. Anatomists paved the way for modern scientific and medical knowledge and led to further treatments for disease. 

However, the study was not without controversy, as cadaveric dissection raises ethical and moral questions about the use of human remains for scientific purposes.  Important questions emerged surrounding the exoticization of the human form, the consent a deceased individual could have, and the usage of minority bodies such as BIPOC and women by white male medical practitioners. As such, the practice of cadaveric dissection has had to evolve to address these concerns and remain an integral part of medical education.  Today, dissection is a key part of medical training and is an essential tool for understanding the human body and how it functions.

Investigating the history of the constant reinvention of scientific norms and social implications of cadaveric dissection portrays current scientific issues through a unique lens and illuminates a constructed demarcation between science and pseudoscience. To juxtapose the gruesome and unjust acts of body snatching and human cadaveric dissection, in this game you will becomes the body snatcher and medical student.  

I hope to encourage players to consider the implication of body snatching, the inhumane treatment of oppressed groups in the medical field, and decide what they would do in similar situations.

Consider these questions throughout play: 

• What is the cost of scientific ‘progress?’ 

• Is there a victor in scientific discovery? 

• How does one contend with the dark history of science? 

• How do social norms and perspectives define science?