Ultrakill

Examining Jank as Design Through Challenge Runs

This paper argues that jank, defined as a player's perception that a game does not behave as it should, can be understood as a productive design space rather than merely a flaw.

• Jank is defined as a player's perception that a game does not behave as it should, and the paper argues it is a productive design space rather than merely a flaw.
• The author distinguishes glitches (system behaviors working as defined but unexpectedly) from jank, which occurs when such moments spontaneously recontextualize the game within its system, and critiques Schmalzer's definition for overlapping too heavily with 'glitch'.
• The central claim is that jank prompts reflection and shifts the player's role from player toward co-designer.