Games and historic maps in Utrecht In February the international Shape2gether team headed over to Utrecht for an interdisciplinary staff workshop. We welcomed our colleagues on Monday morning at the Media and Culture Studies department at the Kromme Nieuwe gracht, in the historic center of Utrecht. As always, the meeting started with cordial greetings and
The participants of the Playing Perspectives workshop at the Onderwijsfestival at Utrecht University are fully engaged in conversation. The striking photo on the table is what they’re talking about. Because what do you see in this photo? What stands out and what is your interpretation? This turns out to be quite different for each participant.
On March 6th, 2025, as part of the annual Onderwijsfestival at Utrecht University, Flora Roberts, Larike Bronkhorst and Stefan Werning organized a workshop on how co-designing iconic (board) games like Monopoly can facilitate imagining sustainable futures and help mitigate negative and cultivate positive climate emotions.
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.
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
Last November Aengus, Isabel and Mick visited two conferences to share some of the outcomes of the Erasmus+ hape2gether project with a broader audience.
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
On May 26, the Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision launched On May 26, the Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision launched De Schatkamer (‘Treasure Room’), a massive archive of the history of public broadcasting. In it we find a wealth of material related to games. This includes one of the first long documentaries on
This article explores how game studies scholars may apply their findings with a focus on the design of social interactions. Specifically, Molleindustria’s Casual Games for Protesters is analysed, looking at the ways in which its playful design undermines dominant narratives and invites new perspectives.
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.
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.
On May 26, the Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision launched On May 26, the Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision launched De Schatkamer (‘Treasure Room’), a massive archive of the history of public broadcasting. In it we find a wealth of material related to games. This includes one of the first long documentaries on
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.
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!
Last November Aengus, Isabel and Mick visited two conferences to share some of the outcomes of the Erasmus+ hape2gether project with a broader audience.