5. Monsters across the Metaverse

Collect XR projects, games, and immersive artworks that reimagine monsters and beasts across platforms and modalities. Focus on how these beings are brought to life through design choices, player interactions, and game mechanics that personify cultural lessons. Consider the ethical responsibilities of representing culturally rooted beings in digital spaces.


Examples of XR/VR/AR projects that feature monsters or cryptids.

Documentation of game mechanics tied to monster interaction (e.g., chase, concealment, negotiation, transformation, sacrifice, cooperation against a shared beast).

Notes on how mechanics mirror cultural meanings


(e.g., trickster mechanics in Indigenous games; labyrinth navigation in Greek-inspired designs).


Ethical reflections (Monsters in the Mirror)

    • Invite contributors to reflect on what monsters teach us when we look at them — about culture, about ourselves, and about the ethics of immersive design.

    • Starter prompts:

      • How do we avoid appropriation when adapting culturally rooted beings into XR?

      • What does cultural respect look like in monster/cryptid design?

      • When is it appropriate not to visualize a being?

      • How can monsters help us explore ethical dilemmas in learning?

    • Close with the framing: “The monsters in the mirror show us not only the worlds we fear, but the societies we aspire to build.”