Games are a powerful medium for storytelling, problem-solving, thinking about systems, and collaborative work. All these aspects of gameplay are also vital skills researchers must employ throughout their work. This symposium will introduce you to using games to creatively explore your research project, providing an alternative way of visualising your aims, goals, and findings. By the event’s close you will have experience in the steps of making an analogue game, through starting the process of turning your research into a playable boardgame. This event is open to postgraduates from any academic or artistic field, with no expertise on games required.  

The event will be facilitated by Matteo Menapace, a game-maker and game designer in residence at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Matteo designs games to tackle real-world challenges, such as the climate crisis and mental health. With Matteo, as well as Manchester Metropolitan Game Centre’s Dr Chloé Germaine and Dr Paul Wake, you will learn about playing, hacking, and making boardgames. Afterwards, in groups facilitated by Matteo, you will begin creating a boardgame about your research, from ideation through to prototyping and playtesting.

Schedule: 

08:30 – 09:00 – Registration

9:00 – 10:30 - Dr Chloé Germaine and Dr Paul Wake: ‘Making and Hacking Games as Research Methodology’

10:45-11:00 - Break

10:45 – 12:00 – Ideation and prototyping

12:00 – 13:00 - Lunch (provided) with a showcase of research-led games 

13:00 – 15:30 – Prototyping, playtesting and refining designs

15:30 – 17:00 – Final game showcase

Please direct any inquiries to charlotte.gislam@stu.mmu.ac.uk