Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) exemplifies “serious leisure,” a skill-based, immersive hobby that fosters creativity, problem-solving and strong social bonds. FIU researcher Emily Messina studies how D&D supports identity-building, offering players a safe space to explore new personas and express themselves without real-world consequences.
Read MoreThe Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at Sofia University held workshops in September and October to showcase the Media Masters educational game. More than 110 students and pupils tested the board game and its mobile app, culminating in a major workshop on recognizing fake news through realistic media scenarios.
Read More"FutureGuessr, a free online game launched in 2025, uses climate-based future imagery to engage players in guessing locations and learning about projected climate impacts by 2100. Inspired by GeoGuessr, it visualizes how familiar landscapes may change and contributes to a broader movement using games for climate communication.
Read MoreOut of Words is a handcrafted stop-motion adventure game built from clay, fabric, and glue. Inspired by The Neverhood, director Johan Oettinger blends filmmaking and animation techniques with Unreal Engine using custom scanners, photogrammetry, and puppet-animated cutscenes.
Read MoreA McGill University study of 92 adults ages 65+ found that 10 weeks of BrainHQ cognitive training increased acetylcholine production by 2.3% in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region tied to memory, attention, and learning. Using PET scans, researchers showed that the brain-training group improved while controls who played standard games did not.
Read MoreA University of Washington study found that 78% of surveyed gamers reported meaningful video-game experiences that had long-term impacts on their lives. These experiences often supported mental and physical health, especially during stressful periods like the pandemic, and provided narrative insights that aided identity formation.
Read MoreGamification uses game mechanics to create immersive, experiential learning that strengthens students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, communication, and collaboration skills.
Read MoreDiversity, Equality/Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a broad umbrella for interconnected concepts often expanded with terms like belonging, justice, and access. Equality ensures equal opportunity, diversity values differences, and inclusion fosters a sense of belonging.
Read MoreArchitects imagine both real and speculative structures, but video games allow these visionary designs to be experienced immersively. Games like Control, inspired by New York’s elusive 33 Thomas Street, transform mysterious or inaccessible architecture into interactive environments.
Read MoreExplore how poker teaches decision-making under uncertainty through risk management, probability, emotional control, adaptability, and long-term thinking. This article connects poker strategy to real-world choices in business, investing, leadership, and negotiation, showing why clear reasoning matters even when outcomes are unpredictable and perfect information is unavailable.
Read MoreUK researchers led by Professor Steven Furnell developed three gamified cybersecurity training tools to make awareness education more engaging. Their main prototype, Cyber Defence Dice, uses custom attack-and-defence dice to teach threat concepts through strategic play.
Read MoreA new global study celebrating Asmodee’s 30th anniversary shows that tabletop games are surging in popularity, with 26% of people playing weekly—nearly matching video games and podcasts. Millennials are especially engaged, using board games as much as reading or following the news.
Read MoreThis text explains what community is, how it forms, and why online communities—especially in games—are powerful modern gathering spaces. It describes how culture, socialization, and “third spaces” shape interactions, and how avatars and anonymity influence identity and communication.
Read MoreThe OECD Education Working Paper No. 335 examines how digital technologies—programming, media literacy, gaming, extended reality, and AI—impact student learning and motivation. It emphasizes that technology alone cannot transform education; effective pedagogy, teacher competence, and equitable access are crucial.
Read MoreVideo games, often dismissed as trivial entertainment, can produce lasting, meaningful effects. In a University of Washington study of 166 gamers, 78% reported that impactful gaming experiences changed their lives.
Read MoreGamification is often misunderstood because it overlaps with related concepts like serious games, play, and gameful or playful design. Originally defined as adding game elements to non-game contexts, its interpretation has evolved to sometimes include full game experiences.
Read MoreBringer of Clouds and Rain is a Chinese educational board game that teaches players about climate change through myth, strategy, and cooperation. Guided by a “Dragon King” host, players from two nations develop industries while managing carbon emissions to avoid disasters.
Read MoreResearchers at the Manawatū-based GRAIL lab are studying how tabletop games—such as boardgames, role-playing games and wargames—support wellbeing, learning and social connection. A nationwide survey of players aged 16+ aims to map gaming habits, motivations and personality traits in Aotearoa and compare them internationally.
Read MoreVirtual learning is becoming a lasting part of education, and researcher Matthew Schmidt of the University of Georgia is advancing it through Gaming 4 Good, a project that uses video game–based learning to engage neurodivergent students in STEAM subjects.
Read MoreThe Crawling Dead is a new educational desktop game that turns parasitic wasps into ecological heroes, teaching players about their vital role in pest control. Developed by UCF computer science students and based on Professor Barbara Sharanowski’s research, the game blends biology with interactive learning.
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