Tamagotchis and Death in the Internet Age

Tamagotchis and Death in the Internet Age is an illustrated presentation on the global rise of digital pets and how we interact with these virtual entities. Looking at the history of children’s virtual pets, and the shift towards virtual worlds, this talk delves into what it means to lose something, and how we manifest grief for non-human creatures.

Recommended for ages 16+

This event is best suited for students in FE & HE institutions, those making games. Although the content is suitable for all, this talk deals with themes of death and dying.

Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Tickets £6

The Auditorium, The Forum

Nick Murray is a producer, game-maker and artist making socially-led narrative work focusing on loss, collective memory and digital cultures. They are particularly interested in how our digital lives can exist in closer balance with our physical lives; how we can reuse existing technologies, and how we can tend to our digital spaces to build a more community-focused future. What this looks like is games about Tamagotchis and essays about Wipeout 2097. But it also looks like walking games for families and poetic invitations to clean up your local river.

Formerly, Nick was lead producer for Now Play This at Somerset House, director of Playing Poetry and associate producer with Penned in the Margins. In 2023 Nick was selected as part of Film London’s Lodestars cohort, celebrating innovative fi fi lm and game-makers across the capital. Nick’s recent solo show Return to Dreamphone, exploring local archives and the tributaries of the River Brent, was exhibited at Barham Park Studios (March 2025).