Welcome to WordPlay! Each episode we focus on a single concept and ask three guest whose lives have intersected with games in various ways to talk to us about it. We don’t mean to define these words or even build a common vocabulary but to explore how different people engage with these important concepts in game studies, and to capture some of their complexity, their beauty, and their sharp edges.
For more information, check us out at https://bdigra.co.uk/.
In this special episode of WordPlay, we turn our focus to the British DiGRA 2025 Conference, held in May at Birmingham City University. The theme of the conference, and arguably a central theme of this podcast, is Britishness, explored through the core question: What is “British Games Research”? Dr Andra Ivănescu speaks with the conference co-chairs: Dr Poppy Wilde (https://www.bcu.ac.uk/research/media-and-journalism/research-staff/poppy-wilde), Senior Lecturer in Media and Communications, and Dr Nick Webber (https://www.bcu.ac.uk/research/media-and-journalism/research-staff/nick-webber), Associate Professor in Media and Communications and Director of The Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research (https://bcmcr.org/).You'll also hear from a wide range of presenters and attendees whose voices are woven throughout the episode.
For more information about this month's topic, please see below:
British DiGRA New Board Announcement and Priorities: https://bdigra.co.uk/about (https://bdigra.co.uk/about)
2025 Conference Announcement and Call for Papers: https://bdigra.co.uk/british-digra-2025-conference (https://bdigra.co.uk/british-digra-2025-conference)
2025 Conference Programme: https://bdigra.co.uk/what-is-british-games-research (https://bdigra.co.uk/what-is-british-games-research)
2026 Conference Call for Hosts: https://bdigra.co.uk/british-digra-2026-conference-call-for-hosts (https://bdigra.co.uk/british-digra-2026-conference-call-for-hosts)
4 Mar 2025
Episode 4 | Cosy
Genre, Affect, Philosophy, Resistance, or all of the above? Remnant of pandemic fears or indicative of change to come?
In this episode of WordPlay, Andra Ivănescu and Hadi Mehrpouya talk Cosy with Kelly Boudreau, Programme Lead in Game Design at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Agata Waszkiewicz, Associate Professor in the English Department at the Catholic University of Lublin, Bettina Bódi, Assistant Professor in Digital Media and Communication at the University of Birmingham, and ex-academic Joe Baxter-Webb, who compares his YouTube design consultancy channel Indie Games Clinic to a games version of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.
For the cosy media network, check out: https://cozymedia.net/call-for-papers/ (https://cozymedia.net/call-for-papers/)
For more information about this month's topic and to access some of our guests’ recommendations, please see:
The Cozy Games Manifesto (https://lostgarden.com/2018/01/24/cozy-games/)
Whose Vibe is it Anyway? Negotiating Definitions of Cozy Games (https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/a39f3507-2b9f-4971-a3d4-722638ebe0fc)
Cozy Games and Resistance Through Care (https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1243218)
The Duality of Cozy Games: Cozy Agency, Neoliberalism, and Affect (https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1243223)
Cozy Tea Games (https://www.youtube.com/@CozyTeaGames)
A Little to the Left (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1629520/A_Little_to_the_Left/)
Unpacking (https://www.unpackinggame.com/)
Pode (https://store.steampowered.com/app/944080/Pode/)
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1205450/Turnip_Boy_Commits_Tax_Evasion/)
SEASON: A Letter to the Future (https://store.steampowered.com/app/695330/SEASON_A_letter_to_the_future/)
26 Dec 2024
Episode 3 | Ecology
In this episode of WordPlay, Andra Ivănescu talks Ecology with usual co-host-turned guest Hadi Mehrpouya, artist and lecturer in computer games technology at Abertay University, Shayne Hayes, co-chair of the IGDA Climate SIG and a Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Climate Resilience Centre, and Kevin Frediani, curator of the gardens and grounds at the University of Dundee.
For more information about this month's topic and to access some our guests’ recommendations, please see:
https://igda.org/sigs/climate/ (https://igda.org/sigs/climate/)
https://www.abertay.ac.uk/news/2024/new-dundee-exhibition-connects-nature-with-ai-sound-design-and-virtual-reality/ (https://www.abertay.ac.uk/news/2024/new-dundee-exhibition-connects-nature-with-ai-sound-design-and-virtual-reality/)
https://onebillionresilient.org/gaming-climate-action-strategy-guide/ (https://onebillionresilient.org/gaming-climate-action-strategy-guide/ )
https://onebillionresilient.org/the-environmental-game-design-playbook/ (https://onebillionresilient.org/the-environmental-game-design-playbook/)
https://gtg.benabraham.net/ (https://gtg.benabraham.net/)
https://www.greengamedesign.com/ (https://www.greengamedesign.com/)
https://www.unpackinggame.com/ (https://www.unpackinggame.com/)
https://www.doublefine.com/games/everything (https://www.doublefine.com/games/everything)
https://play.eco/ (https://play.eco/)
https://www.play-season.com/ (https://www.play-season.com/)
30 Oct 2024
Episode 2 | Politics
Andra Ivănescu and Hadi Mehrpouya talk about politics with Dr Ivan Girina from Brunel University of London, artist Alan Butler, and Charly Harbord, Director of Partnerships for Global Game Jam, Collaborator for Women in Games.
For more information about this month's podcast and our guests, please see:
https://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/ivan-girina (https://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/ivan-girina)
https://www.alanbutler.info/ (https://www.alanbutler.info/)
https://www.womeningames.org/ (https://www.womeningames.org/)
https://www.thiswarofmine.com/ (https://www.thiswarofmine.com/)
https://frogwares.com/frogwares-games/ (https://frogwares.com/frogwares-games/)
26 Sept 2024
Episode 1 | Nostalgia
Andra Ivănescu and Hadi Mehrpouya talk about nostalgia with scholar and chiptune artist Dominique Pelletier (aka R41ÑB0W TR4$H), Dr Emma Fraser, and Blair Thomas.
https://rainbowtrash.com/ (https://rainbowtrash.com/)
https://www.statiscape.com/contact (https://www.statiscape.com/contact)
https://hedgehogreview.com/issues/the-uses-of-the-past/articles/nostalgia-and-its-discontents (https://hedgehogreview.com/issues/the-uses-of-the-past/articles/nostalgia-and-its-discontents)
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-04281-3 (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-04281-3 )
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