Desperate Fishwives: A study in applied game design John Hodgson Date: April 19, 2012 Time: 1530-1700 (3:30pm-5:00pm) Place: Swearingen 3C02 Abstract This thesis is a presentation of the design and development of a novel computational artifact: the educational videogame Desperate Fishwives, which harnesses the idea of procedural rhetoric to instruct players on aspects of early modern (cc. 17th century) English life. Herein is detailed the validity of using games as rhetorical and educational devices and the process of designing a game to reflect a particular client’s pedagogical style and interpretation of history. This thesis, using the ideas of procedural rhetoric, procedural literacy, and expressive processing, seeks to bridge the gaps between humanities, rhetoric, and software development.