“Change makers don’t understand games; game makers don’t understand change”
Read the Anticiplay blog post written by Joost Vervoort about why policy makers, activists and game developers should “enter each other’s worlds”.
In the media: René Glas in NPO Radio 1’s De Nacht van…
Game researcher René Glas was interviewed by presenter Benji Heerschop on Dutch national radio channel NPO Radio 1 to talk about games within our contemporary society.
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.
Research Projects
>> All Research ProjectsShoulder-to-Shoulder
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,
Comenius - Fostering an Open Mind
A new game that opens up your mind
Have you ever received a message from someone who’s number is not in your phone? We’ve all been in that situation before, trying to guess who the mystery sender is. This all-too-common situation is one of three starting points of Open Mind, a creative ‘whodonnit’-type educational game. Players have to talk to various characters –
- Insights, Longread, News:
Fostering an Open Mind – First Test of WP2
- Insights, Longread, News:
Fostering an open mind and open attitude in higher education using games and art-based educational activities
MedievalMe
New digital escape room MedievalMe brings the Middle Ages to life
How do you spark excitement for medieval history in secondary school students? Sanne Frequin, art historian and Assistant Professor at Utrecht University, has the answer: MedievalMe. This innovative Dutch serious game immerses students in the medieval worldview.
Shape2Gether - Erasmus+
Shape2Gether: Experiencing the Malta summer school
Hello again! We are five student from Utrecht University who for the past few months have been participating in the Erasmus+ Project Shape2Gether, an initiative to teach students how to communicate complex information relating to climate change using new media technologies. This piece is a retrospective of the second ‘summer school’ on the islands of Malta.
- Education, Events:
Shape2Gether: Experiencing the Trondheim Summer School
Themes
>> All ThemesPlayer Research and 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,
- In the media:
In the news: About the pleasures of blood and violence in games.
- Events, Insights:
Game Research @CHI PLAY 2024!
Play Research
Game Research @Dutch DiGRA 2024 Symposium
On November 21, game scholars from all over The Netherlands and well beyond gathered at Erasmus University for the Dutch DiGRA 2024 Symposium. Many researchers from Utrecht presented their projects.
- Insights:
Game Research @FDG 2024!
- Insights:
Europe’s prime ecosystem for applied games
Games Beyond Entertainment
A new game that opens up your mind
Have you ever received a message from someone who’s number is not in your phone? We’ve all been in that situation before, trying to guess who the mystery sender is. This all-too-common situation is one of three starting points of Open Mind, a creative ‘whodonnit’-type educational game. Players have to talk to various characters –
Game Technology and AI
PhD Position in Player-Centric Video Game AI
Apply now! Are you excited about the use of contemporary AI in video game play and development? Do you want to study novel, enhanced player experiences or integrate cutting-edge approaches to open new avenues in games? Then this PhD is for you! The Multimedia group at Utrecht University offers a four-year PhD position in Player-Centric
- Events, Insights:
Game Research @CHI PLAY 2024!
- Insights:
Game Research @FDG 2024!
Disciplines
>> All DisciplinesComputer Sciences
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,
- Insights, Longread, News:
A new game that opens up your mind
- Jobs, News:
PhD Position in Player-Centric Video Game AI
Human-computer Interaction
PhD Position in Player-Centric Video Game AI
Apply now! Are you excited about the use of contemporary AI in video game play and development? Do you want to study novel, enhanced player experiences or integrate cutting-edge approaches to open new avenues in games? Then this PhD is for you! The Multimedia group at Utrecht University offers a four-year PhD position in Player-Centric
- Events:
Game Research @Dutch DiGRA 2024 Symposium
- Events, Insights:
Game Research @CHI PLAY 2024!
Psychology
In the news: About the pleasures of blood and violence in games.
Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant has published a longread article investigating the pleasures of blood and violence in games with two Utrecht researchers reflecting on how violence has become part of the gameplay experience, and how it may affect players.
- Events, Insights:
Game Research @CHI PLAY 2024!
- Insights:
Game Research @FDG 2024!
Communication Studies
A new game that opens up your mind
Have you ever received a message from someone who’s number is not in your phone? We’ve all been in that situation before, trying to guess who the mystery sender is. This all-too-common situation is one of three starting points of Open Mind, a creative ‘whodonnit’-type educational game. Players have to talk to various characters –
- Publications:
Article: Digital literacy games: a systematic literature review
- Publications:
Game Research Magazine