Theme: Criticism and Analysis
Research and education within this theme concerns itself with understanding games as cultural productions by studying the way meaning is produced within and around them. Key perspectives are derived from often Humanities-based fields als media studies, cultural studies, gender studies, political economy studies, fan studies, production studies, and research through design.
Game Research @ DiGRA 2024
The yearly international confernce of the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) was held in Guadalajara, Mexico from 1-5 July, and members from the Utrecht Center for Game Research were present to present their current work.
“Hacking Board Games” Workshop at RMeS 2024 Summer School
Concluding the RMeS Summer School 2024: Environmental Media, Laura op de Beke and Stefan Werning of the Utrecht Game Lab organised a workshop for RMA students to facilitate ecological thinking by redesigning (or: ‘hacking’) board games.
In the media: René Glas in NPO Radio 1’s De Nacht van…
Game researcher René Glas was interviewed by presenter Benji Heerschop on Dutch national radio channel NPO Radio 1 to talk about games within our contemporary society.
“Beavers don’t walk on roads”: Beaver-play for more-than-human cartographies
In this paper, Laura op de Beke, Linas Kristupas Gabrielaitis, Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk,Velvet Spors, and Ferran Altarriba Bertran introduce the notion of beaver-play to understand play that challenges spatial conventions, transgresses boundaries, and redraws territories.
Book Launch: Four Ways of Hearing Video Game Music – Dr. Michiel Kamp
Please join us to celebrate the publication of Michiel Kamp’s Four ways of Hearing Video Game Music, published with Oxford University Press, 2024.
Book Launch: Videogame Formalism: On Form, Aesthetic Experience, and Methodology
Please join us to celebrate the publication of Alex Mitchell and Jasper van Vught’s book: Videogame Formalism: On Form, Aesthetic Experience, and Methodology, published open access with Amsterdam University Press, 2023. To mark this occasion, Alex and Jasper will give an (online) talk on:Friday, 22 March 2024, 7Am (2PM Singapore time).You can register for the
Dark seasonality in videogames
"Dark seasonality in videogames" is a chapter in the larger book Changing Seasonality: How Communities are Revising their Seasons, which explores the role of calendars, seasons, and the cultural reaffirmations (or choice not to) thereof.
Ecogames: Playful Perspectives on the Climate Crisis
Ecogames: Playful Perspectives on the Climate Crisis brings together authors who explore the aspects of ecocritical engagement in and through games.
Enhancing Effective Media and Digital Literacy through Digital Games – a Report
How we can improve media literacy skills through the use of digital games?
Climate Larps: Environmental Design in Nordic LARP
In an article published in the Journal of Analogue Game Studies Laura op de Beke discusses the role of LARP (Live Action Role Playing) games in understanding the climate crisis. Within the article she explores how the environment is considered and included within the Nordic LARP sphere.