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Welcome to Game Studies for Everyone, the podcast where complex game research becomes accessible to everyone! Join our co-hosts as they break down cutting-edge research in games and interactive media. Each 15 to 20 minute episode transforms academic findings into bite-sized, engaging discussions that everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re a gamer, developer, or just curious about the science behind the games you love, Game Studies for Everyone is your go-to source for easy-to-digest insights. No jargon, just fascinating research from peer-reviewed, published research in the humanities, computer science, narrative and more. Learn what’s new and how is shapes the way we play, learn, and develop. Hosted by Eliza Jiqiren and Nat Weizenbaum.
Episodes

Wednesday May 14, 2025
Playing for Papers: How Video Games Expose the Cruel Logic of U.S. Deportation
Wednesday May 14, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
As deportation politics in the U.S. grow ever more punitive and chaotic, what can a video game reveal that headlines can’t? In this episode, we explore how games like Papers, Please, Tropico, and ICED! simulate the immigrant experience—and critique it. Drawing on recent academic insights, we unpack how these digital worlds use frustration, limited freedom, and procedural rhetoric to reflect the dehumanizing systems faced by undocumented people. Can a game really challenge anti-immigrant policy? Or are we just clicking through dystopia? Tune in for a timely dive into the politics of play and the stakes of representation.
Amaya, H. (2015). ICED: Videogames in the battle between the citizen and the human. Popular Communication, 13(2), 158-169.
Cleger, O. (2015). Procedural Rhetoric and Undocumented Migrants: Playing the Debate over Immigration Reform. Digital Culture & Education, 7(1), 19-39.
Diamond, J., & Brunner, C. (2008). Evaluation of Breakthrough's ICED! Video Game
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