Dutch Games Monitor 2024 is out now!
The new Dutch Games Monitor of 2024 has just been released by the Dutch Games Association. This monitor reports the facts, trends, and developments in the Dutch games industry over the past few years.
Dutch Games Association: Generative AI and Video Games Event @Utrecht University
Everyone seems to have an opinion on generative AI — or at least 99% of Dutch developers do. And for better or worse, it’s clear that GenAI will impact this industry. That’s why Matthijs Dierckx and the Dutch Games Association organized an event about adoption, stance, and the general past, present and future of this
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!
Research Projects
>> All Research ProjectsANTICIPLAY
Making Game Studies’ Research Practical with Discursive Game Design
Co-creation of games, participatory design, open dialogue, and social perspective-taking currently lie at the centre of game research at Utrecht University. All these practices are characteristic of Discursive Game Design (DGD), a method that highlights the processes underlying practice-based game research, rather than a final "fixed" product.
- Education, News:
Take a course, build a video game, change the world
- Insights, Longread:
“Change makers don’t understand games; game makers don’t understand change”
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
- Events, Insights, News:
Taking Perspectives with Game Design: Teachers wanted for pilot!
- Insights, Longread, News:
A new game that opens up your mind
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
Themes
>> All ThemesGame Design
Making Game Studies’ Research Practical with Discursive Game Design
Co-creation of games, participatory design, open dialogue, and social perspective-taking currently lie at the centre of game research at Utrecht University. All these practices are characteristic of Discursive Game Design (DGD), a method that highlights the processes underlying practice-based game research, rather than a final "fixed" product.
- In the media, News:
All Will Rise – crowdfunding campaign now live!
- Education, Events:
Hybrid Franchise Hacking Workshop (Gamelab x Man Met)
Games Beyond Entertainment
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.
- Education, Events:
Shape2gether: Sharing our knowledge about discursive game design
- Books, News, Publications:
New book on Historiographies of Game Studies
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.
Games and Sustainability
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, News:
Take a course, build a video game, change the world
- Education, Events:
Shape2gether: Sharing our knowledge about discursive game design
Disciplines
>> All DisciplinesMedia and Culture Studies
Making Game Studies’ Research Practical with Discursive Game Design
Co-creation of games, participatory design, open dialogue, and social perspective-taking currently lie at the centre of game research at Utrecht University. All these practices are characteristic of Discursive Game Design (DGD), a method that highlights the processes underlying practice-based game research, rather than a final "fixed" product.
- Education, Events, Interview:
Jamming for Climate Justice!
- Education, Events:
Shape2gether: Sharing our knowledge about discursive game design
Anthropology
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.
- Events, Insights, News:
Dutch DiGRA Symposium 2025: Futures for Game and Play Research.
- Books:
Book: Toys and Communication
History and Art History
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!
- News:
New digital escape room MedievalMe brings the Middle Ages to life
- Education, Events, Publications:
History of Game Research at Utrecht University
Geosciences
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