Theme: Games Beyond Entertainment
Within this research theme, we situate all research on games and play where entertainment is not the main goal. Rather, games and play are studied in their capacity to persuade, steer, sell or in other ways influence the player through its design. This includes the many examples of serious games and gaming (educational, political, commercial) as well as the various forms and applications of gamification. We look both at the potential of, and provides critical reflection on these developments.
Shape2Gether: Experiencing the Trondheim Summer School
In May of 2024 five UU students went for a week to Trondheim, Norway, to participate in the first of three summer schools as part of the Erasmus+ project Shape2Gether. This is their report of the summer school.
Fostering an Open Mind – First Test of WP2
On June 7th 2024, the Fostering an open mind and open attitude in higher education using games and art-based educational activities (Open Mind) project ran an initial play test of the first two components of Work Packet 2 (WP2), a toolbox to aid students in building games that deal with often complex and polarizing topics in an approachable manner.
Playing the Hidden Curriculum
Playing the Hidden Curriculum: Exposing, materializing and questioning the unwritten rules of higher education is a research project that aims to adress the unwritten social and cultural rules in education, so that the UU will foster its education in a more social and inclusive way.
Meet the Makers: Daniela Tenenbaum and “In Touch”
Our colleagues from the Transmission in Motion hybrid research community are organizing another Meet the Makers session, this time focusing on the IMPACT exhibition In Touch. It’s an exhibition which should be interesting for those exploring the potential of playful media.
Franchise Hacking – Magic: the Gathering
'Franchise hacking’ within Magic: The Gathering (MtG) means to creatively alter game elements to embed urgent real-world ecological narratives into the game’s design.
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.
Spationomy 2.0- An Application of Discursive Game Design
In a time where it is difficult to engage with the increasingly fraught world around us, games scholars are continuing to search for new ways to approach difficult topics. One such example, is the application of Discursive Game Design(DGD) as seen in the Carbon Pearl game produced in 2021.
Fostering an open mind and open attitude in higher education using games and art-based educational activities
With the use of art and media tools such as dialogical art, game play, and game development, this project aims to foster a space wherein it is possible to discuss complex topics, and for students with diverging opinions to be able to civilly discuss while learning from one another and developing a greater understanding of those whose opinions may differ from their own.
Spationomy 2.0
The Spationomy 2.0 project was started in October of 2019, and concluded with a final conference held in November of 2022. The project was funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union.