Center for Game Research

Center for Game Research

The central hub for disseminating game research from Utrecht University

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  • Most recent

    • Games-related treasures from De Schatkamer
    • Designing Social Interactions
    • Making Game Studies’ Research Practical with Discursive Game Design
    • All Will Rise – crowdfunding campaign now live!
    • Jamming for Climate Justice!
  • Most viewed

    • PhD Position in Player-Centric Video Game AI
    • Making Game Studies’ Research Practical with Discursive Game Design
    • Game Research Magazine
    • Designing Social Interactions
    • Dutch DiGRA Symposium 2025: Futures for Game and Play Research.

Games-related treasures from De Schatkamer

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

28-05-2026 // In the media, News // Criticism and Analysis, Games Beyond Entertainment

Designing Social Interactions

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.

Marijn Benschop
12-03-2026 // Insights // Criticism and Analysis, Games Beyond Entertainment

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.

Marijn Benschop
02-03-2026 // Insights // Criticism and Analysis, Game Design, Games Beyond Entertainment

Research Projects

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ANTICIPLAY

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.

Marijn Benschop
02-03-2026 // Insights // Criticism and Analysis, Game Design, Games Beyond Entertainment
  • 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

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

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.

Mick Raamsteeboers, Isabel Rump, Aengus Schulte
10-01-2026 // Education, Events // Games and Sustainability, Games Beyond Entertainment
  • 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

Editorial Team
07-01-2026 // Books // Extended Realities (AR/VR/XR)
  • Events:

    Week of the Game @ Utrecht University

  • Education, Events, Publications:

    History of Game Research at Utrecht University

Themes

>> All Themes

Games Beyond Entertainment

Games-related treasures from De Schatkamer

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

28-05-2026 // In the media, News // Criticism and Analysis, Games Beyond Entertainment
  • Insights:

    Designing Social Interactions

  • Insights:

    Making Game Studies’ Research Practical with Discursive Game Design

Criticism and Analysis

Designing Social Interactions

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.

Marijn Benschop
12-03-2026 // Insights // Criticism and Analysis, Games Beyond Entertainment
  • Insights:

    Making Game Studies’ Research Practical with Discursive Game Design

  • Education, Events, Interview:

    Jamming for Climate Justice!

Game 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.

Marijn Benschop
02-03-2026 // Insights // Criticism and Analysis, Game Design, Games Beyond Entertainment
  • In the media, News:

    All Will Rise – crowdfunding campaign now live!

  • Education, Events:

    Hybrid Franchise Hacking Workshop (Gamelab x Man Met)

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.

Editorial Team
19-02-2026 // In the media, News // Game Design, Games and Sustainability
  • Education, News:

    Take a course, build a video game, change the world

  • Education, Events:

    Shape2gether: Sharing our knowledge about discursive game design

Disciplines

>> All Disciplines

Media and Culture Studies

Games-related treasures from De Schatkamer

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

28-05-2026 // In the media, News // Criticism and Analysis, Games Beyond Entertainment
  • Insights:

    Designing Social Interactions

  • Insights:

    Making Game Studies’ Research Practical with 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.

Marijn Benschop
18-02-2026 // Education, Events, Interview // Criticism and Analysis, Games Beyond Entertainment
  • 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!

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

Mick Raamsteeboers, Isabel Rump, Aengus Schulte
10-01-2026 // Education, Events // Games and Sustainability, Games Beyond Entertainment
  • Education, Events:

    Shape2Gether: Experiencing the Bochum Summer School

  • Events:

    Shape2Gether – Time for Workshops

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.

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Drift 10, 3512 BS Utrecht

The Netherlands

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