Crowds deciphered: simulation and control of the masses
We have researched a model for simulating crowds in big infrastructures, at events, and in computer games.
Game Research Magazine
In 2017, a special issue titled Game Research – Games that Change your Mind was published about the research projects of the Utrecht Center for Game Research.
Symposium: Let’s play Dutch game history
On November 18 2016, Utrecht University and the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision organized a joint symposium on the challenges of creating an archive for the history of Dutch games and game development as national cultural heritage.
Research Projects
>> All Research ProjectsANTICIPLAY
Take a course, build a video game, change the world
Heads up UU students! Ever wondered what it would be like to build a video game to change the world? We have a few late registration spots left in our BSc course ‘The Sustainability Game’! This course is open to all 2nd and 3rd year Utrecht University students who have some previous interest and background
Shape2Gether - Erasmus+
Shape2gether: Sharing our knowledge about discursive game design
Last November Aengus, Isabel and Mick visited two conferences to share some of the outcomes of the Erasmus+ hape2gether project with a broader audience.
- Education, Events:
Shape2Gether: Experiencing the Bochum Summer School
- Events:
Shape2Gether – Time for Workshops
Virtual Reality as Empathy Machine
CFP: “VR as Empathy Machine: Media, Migration and the Humanitarian Predicament”
Book Title: Beyond the Empathy Machine: Critical Perspectives on Virtual Reality Editors: Professor Sandra Ponzanesi (s.ponzanesi@uu.nl), Dr. Jenny Andrine Madsen Evang (j.a.m.evang@uu.nl), Dr. Wouter Oomen (w.a.oomen@uu.nl), Laurence Herfs (l.l.herfs@uu.nl), and Lisa Burghardt (l.burghardt@uu.nl) Over the last decade or so, Virtual Reality (VR) has been honed as a new frontier in social tech. From Chris Milk and Gabo
- Events:
Week of the Game @ Utrecht University
- Education, Events, Publications:
History of Game Research at Utrecht University
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.
- Education, Events:
Hybrid Franchise Hacking Workshop (Gamelab x Man Met)
- Education, Events:
Franchise Hacking Workshop (Gamelab x WUR Games Hub)
Themes
>> All ThemesGame Design
All Will Rise – crowdfunding campaign now live!
The Kickstarter campaign for All Will Rise: a narrative courtroom deck-builder has gone live. This game, developed by the team of Speculative Agency, has our own Joost Vervoort as science and impact director. He leads the academic side of the project and focus on the societal impact of the game.
- Education, Events:
Hybrid Franchise Hacking Workshop (Gamelab x Man Met)
Games and Sustainability
Take a course, build a video game, change the world
Heads up UU students! Ever wondered what it would be like to build a video game to change the world? We have a few late registration spots left in our BSc course ‘The Sustainability Game’! This course is open to all 2nd and 3rd year Utrecht University students who have some previous interest and background
- Education, Events:
Shape2gether: Sharing our knowledge about discursive game design
- Insights:
Ecogame Playtesting Series 2025/26
Criticism and Analysis
Jamming for Climate Justice!
How do you simulate a climate crisis? How can you convey an ecocritical message that invites reflection and, perhaps, action? Participants of the Mzansi Game Jam (MGJ) developed games that addressed these questions from various angles.
- Books, News, Publications:
New book on Historiographies of Game Studies
- Education, Events:
Hybrid Franchise Hacking Workshop (Gamelab x Man Met)
Games Beyond Entertainment
Shape2gether: Sharing our knowledge about discursive game design
Last November Aengus, Isabel and Mick visited two conferences to share some of the outcomes of the Erasmus+ hape2gether project with a broader audience.
- Books, News, Publications:
New book on Historiographies of Game Studies
- Education, News:
Open Mind game challenges to look further
Disciplines
>> All DisciplinesHistory and Art History
Jamming for Climate Justice!
How do you simulate a climate crisis? How can you convey an ecocritical message that invites reflection and, perhaps, action? Participants of the Mzansi Game Jam (MGJ) developed games that addressed these questions from various angles.
Media and Culture Studies
Shape2gether: Sharing our knowledge about discursive game design
Last November Aengus, Isabel and Mick visited two conferences to share some of the outcomes of the Erasmus+ hape2gether project with a broader audience.
- Books:
CFP: “VR as Empathy Machine: Media, Migration and the Humanitarian Predicament”
- Books, News, Publications:
New book on Historiographies of Game Studies
Anthropology
Dutch DiGRA Symposium 2025: Futures for Game and Play Research.
Programme, sign-up sheet, and abstracts now available! This year the Dutch DiGRA is hosted by Utrecht University. The programme is filled with research about the future of game studies, gamification and play in contemporary society, and much more! All are welcome, so sign up using the Google Form in this post!
- Books:
Book: Toys and Communication
- Education, Events, Publications:
History of Game Research at Utrecht University
Geosciences
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.
- Events:
Shape2Gether – Time for Workshops
- Education, Events:
Shape2Gether: Experiencing the Malta summer school