The symposium ‘Anubis in Contemporary Popular Culture’ aims to examine the reception of ancient Egyptian gods through the case study of the canine deity Anubis. By adopting a focussed examination of an individual god, the symposium aims to explore the different ways that gods are adopted and adapted in diverse media and by different communities.
Read MoreWe're delighted to share that MGC co-directors Paul Wake and Chloé Germaine have joined the board of the Green Games Guide (GGG), the leading open resource for sustainable design in the tabletop games industry.
The GGG has just released version 1.1 of the guide, which expands its materials guidance to cover textiles, metals, and glass — examining labour costs, water use, recyclability, and the environmental impacts of production. Where materials can't be eliminated, the guide highlights lower-impact alternatives such as hemp, recycled cotton, and recycled metals. The update also features new case studies showcasing genuinely innovative sustainable design, from biodegradable packaging to games made with infinitely recyclable wood composite.
Read MoreWe're excited to highlight two complementary Research Associate positions at MMU's School of Digital Arts (SODA) that will interest the games and creative technology community.
The Emote VR Voicer project — funded by the AHRC — is developing a VR application that translates the emotional content of live vocal utterances into morphing 3D animated shapes. Using speech recognition, natural language processing, and sentiment analysis, it sits at a genuinely unusual intersection of AI, interactive design, and wellbeing research. Both roles are part of a small interdisciplinary team of artists, a psychologist, and AI researchers. Prior arts-sector experience isn't required for either post — curiosity and openness to collaboration are.
Read MoreNew article published by MGC member Gabriele Aroni in the volume, Girls’ Positionalities at the Intersection of Identity and Violence, edited by Clara Chapdelaine-Fellciati (Springer, 2026): “Empowered by Play: How Female Players and Developers Shape Female Character Representation in Chinese Video Games”
Read MoreThis network was born out of the successful Meetup Series of the Sustainable Games Alliance (SGA) called: Academic Global Action for a Sustainable Games Industry: Universities and Institutes Share Best Practices.
It consists of around 200 academic contacts globally, who are exchanging their current research, upcoming funding calls and best practices during the network meetups and beyond advancing global collaboration for a Sustainable Games Industry.
The network is headed by SGAs Academic Network Coordinators Chloé Germaine and Patrick Prax, who you can reach out to, if you have any questions.
Read MoreSee the full discussion on the findings of two research projects on the impact of AI on sustainability goals, aiming to equip developers with the knowledge that can help align the use of these technologies with sustainability. This video is a collaboration between STRATEGIES and the Sustainable Games Alliance. Find more industry videos over on their YouTube channel.
Read MoreWhat happens when we treat games not as finished products, but as systems to be questioned, dismantled, and remade? A new STRATEGIES report authored by Dr Chloé Germaine and Dr Paul Wake explores game hacking as a powerful pedagogical method for developing critical literacy, sustainability awareness, and design competence.
Read MoreArtificial intelligence is often discussed in relation to digital games, but its influence on analogue and hybrid play is growing just as quickly. A new report authored by Manchester Game Centre researchers for STRATEGIES offers the most detailed study so far of how AI is being used in board game design, development, and distribution—and what this means for sustainability.
Read MoreArtificial intelligence is transforming game development — but its environmental and social impacts are still poorly understood. A new report authored by Manchester Game Centre researcher Dr Chloé Germaine, in collaboration with international partners in the STRATEGIES Horizon project, now offers one of the clearest and most comprehensive examinations of the relationship between AI and sustainability in the games industry to date.
Read MoreResearchers from the University of Plymouth and the Manchester Game Centre, have secured funding for a 2026 workshop that will enable researchers and professionals to discuss the potential of games to help people with autism and other conditions.
Read MoreResearch into the specific positive effects of TTRPGs remains in its infancy. Despite some initial promising findings, we still lack clear explanations for the psychological mechanisms which may explain the ways in which TTRPGs improve well-being. At the Manchester Game Centre, we aim to turn these hypotheses into a strong evidence base to identify the psychological mechanisms behind the observed benefits. To do this, we compare TTRPGs with digital platforms and look at the factors which promote and inhibit well-being
Read MoreOur PhD researcher Richard Rowlinson, whose doctorate examines the relationship between socio-economic and gender status on games and consumer behaviour, is looking for participants to take part in his research survey.
Read MoreManchester Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities is home to the Doctoral Landscape Awards. This is a funding scheme that provides up to 3x studentships and fees each year.
Proposed projects must be arts and humanities-led, with the majority of methodologies, research questions and outputs (including the PhD) within the AHRC’s remit.
We invite applications from a range of doctoral pathways, including written theses and professional-practice doctorates.
Read MoreThe Sustainable Games Alliance is a non-profit founded by the world’s leading game entrepreneurs and environmental researchers with one goal: to make the games industry the leader in sustainability by setting ambitious and achievable standards for environmental and social responsibility. The STRATEGIES project and the Sustainable Games Alliance have been working in partnership on their shared goals. Recently, Chloé Germaine, who is leading the work package on developing carbon literacy interventions for game devs, presented research to the growing network of academics and research institutions across the globe who are supporting the SGA and its aims. Watch the video here…
Read MoreThe Make/Play symposium will occur in person at Abertay University in Dundee hosted by Abertay Game Lab and the Manchester Game Centre. Hybrid attendance will be supported. Our Call for Papers closes on 31st October. Find out more…..
Read MoreWe invite contributions to the inaugural Rituals of Play ‘Zine, to be published by the Manchester Game Centre and DVRK in December 2025.
Occulture as Method – using ritual, symbolic systems, and liminal experiences in game design and play.
Ethics and Responsibility – navigating appropriation, cultural respect, and emotional safety in occult and spiritual practices.
Gothic and Horror Aesthetics – how the uncanny, the abject, and the horrific shape player experience.
DIY, Indie, and Subcultural Practices – perspectives from outside the mainstream, sustaining alternative creative economies.
Speculative and Transformative Futures – ritual and play as tools to imagine different worlds.
Saturday 11th October saw us host our second annual research day dedicated to Games Workshop’s games and worlds at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester.
Read MoreWe’re pleased to share this call for contributions on behalf of the research group based at the University of York, Play for the Planet.
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