Game Studies for Everyone

Playing as Rebellion: Games Channel Civil Disobedience and Work within Politics

In this episode of GS-E, we dive into a fascinating intersection of play and protest. What does it mean to play as an act of rebellion? We’ll explore how parkour, skateboarding, and skywalking defy authority and embrace civil disobedience, both in the real world and in video games. Using examples from popular parkour and skateboarding games, we break down how risky-play challenges societal norms and authority figures.  Based on a paper by Professor Lindsay Grace. 

Playing the System: Immigration, Games, and Investigative Journalism

In this episode of GS-E, we explore how interactive narratives and newsgames explain the complexities of the U.S. immigration system. Discover how a game, based on the Panama and Paradise Papers, uses persuasive play to unpack systemic biases in immigration policies between 2017–2021, reaching over 45,000 players with its engaging, investigative approach. Based on the paper https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1007/978-3-031-47658-7_4

Persuasive Play: Changing Society Through Games

In this episode, we explore how persuasive games can influence societal change. Learn how games designed with macro, micro, and meta-persuasive strategies challenge norms and offer new ways to impact politics, culture, and more. From Grace, L.D. 2021, Micro, Macro and Meta-Persuasive Play to Change Society, in Persuasive Gaming in Context. Amsterdam University Press, 2021. 

Leading Social Change Through Games

In this episode, we explore how games can lead social change by encouraging problem-solving, shifting perspectives, and inspiring action. Learn how playful strategies help tackle complex societal issues across education, policy, health, and more. Grace, L. 2024, The Patterns of Games for Leading Social Change. Journal of Leadership Studies. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.21880

Gaming Against Fake News: 5 Minute Games You Should Know

In this episode, we explore how the game Factitious helps players sharpen their news literacy skills. Discover how over 500,000 players identified fake news, and the surprising patterns revealed about age, education, and performance in fighting misinformation through playful learning. Based on https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3290607.3299046

Indie Games as Poetry: A New Way to See Play

In this episode of Game Studies for Everyone, we explore a fascinating perspective from the 2011 Digital Games Research Association Conference, : Are indie games the poetry of the gaming world? We'll dive into how independent games use poetic elements like meter, metaphor, and personification to create unique player experiences. Discover how comparing game design to literary forms like sonnets and haikus opens up a whole new way of understanding and classifying games, beyond just genres or themes.
 
Based on:
Grace, Lindsay D. "The Poetics of game design, rhetoric and the independent game." Proceedings of DiGRA 2011 Conference: Think Design Play. 2011.
https://dl.digra.org/index.php/dl/article/view/580

Breaking the Rules: How Critical Indie Games Challenge the Status Quo

In this episode of Game Studies for Everyone, we explore the critical design movement in indie games, led by visionary artists like Nicky Case, Lindsay Grace, and Zach Gage. These games push the boundaries of traditional game design, using gameplay to critique social conventions and question player assumptions. We’ll break down the key traits of critical games—social vs. mechanical critique, delivery styles, and the role of humor—while highlighting examples that challenge the way we think about games. 
Source Grace, Lindsay. "Critical games: Critical design in independent games." Proceedings of DIGRA. 2014. 

Part 1 of Fake News: Combatting Misinformation & Disinformation Through Video Games

In this exciting debut of our series on misinformation and disinformation, we dive into the world of disinformation games—engaging, thought-provoking interventions designed to combat the spread of fake news. We'll explore how these games are harnessing the power of play to change the way we interact with media, focusing on two major communication theories: Inoculation Theory and Transportation Theory. These theories provide insight into how narratives and strategic exposure can protect and shift player behavior. Featuring the wildly popular games like Harmony Square and Bad News, this episode breaks down how disinformation spreads, why we fall for it, and how game design can help us fight back. Whether you’re a gamer, a media enthusiast, or simply curious about the impact of fake news, this episode is for you. Stay tuned as we uncover the psychology and strategy behind these innovative educational tools!
Tune in for a deep dive into the fusion of game design, psychology, and the fight against misinformation!
To understand the science, read https://hdl.handle.net/10125/103204

Part 2 of Fake News: Combatting Misinformation & Disinformation Through Video Games

n this second installment of our series, we continue to delve into the world of misinformation and disinformation games, but this time, we’re focusing on the powerful emotional and psychological effects these games can elicit. Using Excitation Transfer Theory and Transportation Theory, we’ll explore how emotions, empathy, and narrative immersion play a critical role in shaping player behavior. Discover how carefully crafted emotional responses and immersive storytelling are used to heighten awareness and resilience to fake news in games like Fake It to Make It and FakeYou!.
We’ll also discuss the role of empathy—how aligning player sympathies with the victims rather than the creators of misleading information can profoundly impact behavior in the real world. Join us as we break down the psychology behind these games and how they create lasting emotional impressions that help players fight back against the tide of misinformation.
Tune in for a deeper understanding of the emotional and narrative strategies at play in this critical battle for media literacy!
Source: https://hdl.handle.net/10125/107025

Microgames vs. Health Misinformation: A Game-Changing Approach

In this episode, we dive into an innovative research project that explores how microgames can combat health misinformation in vulnerable communities. The researchers behind the study developed three unique microgame prototypes—a trivia game, a social media simulation, and an interactive fiction narrative—each designed to engage and educate players. Through real-world testing with healthcare providers, community educators, and the target audience, the interactive fiction narrative emerged as the most engaging and impactful, showcasing the power of storytelling in promoting behavior change.
Join us as we uncover the potential of microgames as cost-effective and powerful tools for tackling health misinformation head-on. Discover how these bite-sized games could reshape health education and empower communities to make informed decisions. If you're passionate about health, gaming, or innovative solutions to modern challenges, this episode is a must-listen!
Grace, L. Orrego Dunleavy, V., Ahn, R., Mayo, D. 2024 . "Designing Game Based Microgames as Intervention for Health Misinformation", The 57th Hawaii International Conference on Systems Science (HICSS), Oahu Hawaii, January 2024. https://hdl.handle.net/10125/107047