The 2026 Board Game Design Virtual Summit (Feb 3–9) offers aspiring and experienced designers expert insights, live Q&As, and lifetime access to sessions. Hosted by Joe Slack, the event features 20+ industry leaders covering game development, publishing, crowdfunding, and more. Multiple pass options are available, including free access.
Read MoreMeeNa Ko, a video game designer and Stockton University instructor, aims to make game design more accessible, emphasizing that coding isn't required to create games. Ko, with experience at Disney and Microsoft, organized Stockton’s first Game Jam, where over 30 students created games in one week around the theme “Prototype Gone Wrong.”
Read MoreThis article explores the intersection of behavioral science and game design through the concept of "scientification of games." Using the card game Ghost Blitz, researchers analyze how cognitive psychology principles—like visual search, task switching, and stimulus-driven vs. expectation-driven processing—are embedded in gameplay.
Read MoreAt Pacific University, students in Professor Erica Kleinknecht’s psychology of games class are using game design to promote inclusion and challenge social perceptions. One student-created game, Crusaders for Change, features diverse characters with and without disabilities, emphasizing unique strengths rather than limitations.
Read MoreLarriyah Graham ’25, a Brooklyn native and descendant of a renowned Gee’s Bend quiltmaker, merges art and tech through interactive media and computer science. A recipient of the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, Graham excelled at Clark University, studying game design, spending a semester in Japan, and interning at Amazon for three summers.
Read MoreIn this reflective piece, game designer Pippin Barr recounts creating a video game adaptation of Marina Abramović’s performance The Artist Is Present, where players wait in real time to sit with a virtual version of the artist. Initially a bold teaching example, the project evolved into an exploration of time, endurance, and presence.
Read MoreVideo games have evolved to offer immersive, realistic environments that reflect both creativity and technical detail. Cities in games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are designed around characters and gameplay mechanics, showing originality through fantasy.
Read MoreCheng “Chris” Chen, assistant professor at Elon University, co-authored a study exploring how narrative-driven game design can influence prosocial intentions, particularly regarding school bullying. Published in Media and Communication, the research found that players who assume the role of a bully and make narrative decisions show increased empathy and prosocial intent toward victims.
Read MoreGreat video games blend plot, playability, visuals, and music to stand out among thousands released annually. Only a few make top lists, thanks to skilled designers often trained at leading universities. Abertay University excels with cutting-edge programmes like the MSc in Technical Art and the MProf in Games Development, producing grads who land roles at major studios.
Read MoreIn The Rule Book: The Building Blocks of Games, Jaakko Stenros and Markus Montola explore the foundational aspects of games through a constructionist ludology lens. They introduce five categories of rules—formal, internal, social, external regulation, and material rules—to analyze game structures.
Read MoreThe article discusses how game design at the AAA level has shifted, focusing more on analytics and creating the "perfect game" through numbers, rather than emphasizing the intangible "feel" of a game. It argues that game design isn't just about mechanics and metrics but about creating memorable experiences that resonate emotionally with players.
Read MoreIan Dallas, founder of Giant Sparrow, is known for his experimental approach to game design. Following the success of What Remains of Edith Finch, he is now working on a new game centered around a biologist studying animals.
Read MoreWalter Lewis, president of Homewood Children’s Village (HCV), saw potential in expanding beyond a six-week digital game creation course. This led to the creation of Village Games+, an in-house game design studio where students design and build games while learning art, science, and entrepreneurship.
Read MoreWhile traveling for a game preview, I encountered an annoying hotel elevator that required a keycard scan to select a floor. The elevator emitted a negative-sounding beep when the card was accepted, causing confusion as it contradicted the expected positive confirmation. This experience highlighted how crucial small auditory and UI cues are in game design.
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