Center for Game Research

Center for Game Research

The central hub for disseminating game research from Utrecht University

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  • Most recent

    • Ecogame Playtesting Series 2025/26
    • New book on Historiographies of Game Studies
    • Open Mind game challenges to look further
    • Dutch Games Monitor 2024 is out now!
    • Dutch Games Association: Generative AI and Video Games Event @Utrecht University
  • Most viewed

    • Dutch DiGRA Symposium 2025: Futures for Game Research.
    • Ecogame Playtesting Series 2025/26
    • PhD Position in Player-Centric Video Game AI
    • Funded PhD position: Playing the Hidden Curriculum
    • Open Mind game challenges to look further

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.

Amy Lycklama, Editorial Team
08-07-2023 // Education, Interview, Longread // Games and Sustainability, Games Beyond Entertainment

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.

Editorial Team
28-06-2023 // Insights, Longread, News // Games Beyond Entertainment, Multi theme

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.

Editorial Team
22-11-2022 // Events, Insights // Criticism and Analysis, Games Beyond Entertainment, Social Games and Play

Research Projects

>> All Research Projects

Crisis to Resilience

Ecogame Playtesting Series 2025/26

After a successful run last fall, Flora Roberts, Laura op de Beke, and Stefan Werning, representing the Network for Environmental Humanities (NEH) and the Utrecht Game Lab, are back with another series of ecogame play(testing) sessions. 

dr. Laura op de Beke
20-08-2025 // Insights // Games and Sustainability
  • Education, Events:

    Hybrid Franchise Hacking Workshop (Gamelab x Man Met)

  • Education, Events:

    Franchise Hacking Workshop (Gamelab x WUR Games Hub)

Comenius - Fostering an Open Mind

Open Mind game challenges to look further

From now on, the Open Mind game, a creative educational game in the style of “whodunit”, is available in the Apple App and Google Play store. Students play the game on their own smartphones and receive mysterious messages from an unknown sender. By talking to various characters about their traits, values and beliefs, they have

14-07-2025 // Education, News // Games Beyond Entertainment, Social Games and Play
  • Events, Insights, News:

    Taking Perspectives with Game Design: Teachers wanted for pilot!

  • Insights, Longread, News:

    A new game that opens up your mind

Toxic Behaviors in Multiplayer Games

Game Research @ CHI 2025

The latest installment of the ACM (Association of Computing Machinery) CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems took place in Yokohama, Japan from April 26 to May 01, 2025. CHI is the premier international conference of Human-Computer Interaction and had a record attendance with more than 5200 on-site attendees this year. Researchers from the

dr. Julian Frommel, dr. Johannes Pfau
14-05-2025 // Events, News // Ethics of Play, Game Technology and AI, Social Games and Play
  • Events:

    Game Research @Dutch DiGRA 2024 Symposium

  • Events, Insights:

    Game Research @CHI PLAY 2024!

Shape2Gether - Erasmus+

Shape2Gether: Experiencing the Bochum Summer School

This is a reflection of the third and final “summer” school of the Shape2Gether Erasmus+ project that took place a month ago in Bochum, Germany.

12-05-2025 // Education, Events // Games and Sustainability, Games Beyond Entertainment
  • Education, Events:

    Shape2Gether: Experiencing the Malta summer school

  • Education, Events:

    Shape2Gether: Experiencing the Trondheim Summer School

Themes

>> All Themes

Games and Sustainability

Ecogame Playtesting Series 2025/26

After a successful run last fall, Flora Roberts, Laura op de Beke, and Stefan Werning, representing the Network for Environmental Humanities (NEH) and the Utrecht Game Lab, are back with another series of ecogame play(testing) sessions. 

dr. Laura op de Beke
20-08-2025 // Insights // Games and Sustainability
  • In the media, News:

    Dutch Games Monitor 2024 is out now!

  • Education, Events:

    Shape2Gether: Experiencing the Bochum Summer School

Criticism and Analysis

New book on Historiographies of Game Studies

We would like to point you in the direction of a recently released edited volume titled Historiographies of Game Studies: What It Has Been, What It Could Be. The chapters in the book, two of which were authored by UU scholars, critically reflect on both the past and potential futures of game studies as a field.

Editorial Team
14-08-2025 // Books, News, Publications // Criticism and Analysis, Games Beyond Entertainment
  • Education, Events:

    Hybrid Franchise Hacking Workshop (Gamelab x Man Met)

  • Jobs:

    Funded PhD position: Playing the Hidden Curriculum

Games Beyond Entertainment

Open Mind game challenges to look further

From now on, the Open Mind game, a creative educational game in the style of “whodunit”, is available in the Apple App and Google Play store. Students play the game on their own smartphones and receive mysterious messages from an unknown sender. By talking to various characters about their traits, values and beliefs, they have

14-07-2025 // Education, News // Games Beyond Entertainment, Social Games and Play
  • Education, Events:

    Shape2Gether: Experiencing the Bochum Summer School

  • Jobs:

    Funded PhD position: Playing the Hidden Curriculum

Social Games and Play

Game Research @ CHI 2025

The latest installment of the ACM (Association of Computing Machinery) CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems took place in Yokohama, Japan from April 26 to May 01, 2025. CHI is the premier international conference of Human-Computer Interaction and had a record attendance with more than 5200 on-site attendees this year. Researchers from the

dr. Julian Frommel, dr. Johannes Pfau
14-05-2025 // Events, News // Ethics of Play, Game Technology and AI, Social Games and Play
  • Events, Insights:

    Game Research @CHI PLAY 2024!

  • Education, Insights, News:

    Playing the Hidden Curriculum

Disciplines

>> All Disciplines

Media and Culture Studies

New book on Historiographies of Game Studies

We would like to point you in the direction of a recently released edited volume titled Historiographies of Game Studies: What It Has Been, What It Could Be. The chapters in the book, two of which were authored by UU scholars, critically reflect on both the past and potential futures of game studies as a field.

Editorial Team
14-08-2025 // Books, News, Publications // Criticism and Analysis, Games Beyond Entertainment
  • Education, News:

    Open Mind game challenges to look further

  • In the media, News:

    Dutch Games Monitor 2024 is out now!

Computer Sciences

Open Mind game challenges to look further

From now on, the Open Mind game, a creative educational game in the style of “whodunit”, is available in the Apple App and Google Play store. Students play the game on their own smartphones and receive mysterious messages from an unknown sender. By talking to various characters about their traits, values and beliefs, they have

14-07-2025 // Education, News // Games Beyond Entertainment, Social Games and Play
  • Events, Insights, News:

    Dutch DiGRA Symposium 2025: Futures for Game Research.

  • Events, News:

    Game Research @ CHI 2025

Human-computer Interaction

Dutch DiGRA Symposium 2025: Futures for Game Research.

Update: the call is closed. Call for abstracts. This year the Dutch DiGRA is hosted by Utrecht University. Do you wish to attend and contribute to this symposium? We then invite you to submit an abstract of your (un)published research or project using the form in this post.

Marijn Benschop, dr. Laura op de Beke
21-05-2025 // Events, Insights, News // Multi theme
  • Events, News:

    Game Research @ CHI 2025

  • Insights, News:

    Pinball Research at School

Psychology

Pinball Research at School

Utrecht University performed play experiments at Basisschool De Odyssee (Utrecht) to understand the positive effects of playing for children. To what extent does playing together promote self-disclosure? Specifically, the researchers were interested in to what extent playing together creates feelings of safety and social connectedness for children, and to what extent those feelings promote self-disclosure,

dr. Sander Bakkes
14-02-2025 // Insights, News // Play Research, Player Research and Psychology
  • In the media:

    In the news: About the pleasures of blood and violence in games.

  • Events, Insights:

    Game Research @CHI PLAY 2024!

Center for Game Research

Central hub for disseminating high-quality game research from Utrecht University to a diverse audience that includes academics, students, game developers, and journalists.

Contact

Drift 10, 3512 BS Utrecht

The Netherlands

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