The Manitoba Games Research & Pedagogy Conference
Games play central role in the human experience, be it the simple exchange of a ball from one to another, the joys and tensions of an economic board game, or a grand adventure through a fantastical digital realm. Evolving alongside us, they match and mirror the complexities of our lives, cultures, and the world we share.In the pursuit of building collective knowledge of games and their role in our lives, The Manitoba Games Research & Pedagogy Conference will bring together speakers from the interdisciplinary and diverse fields of games research, design, production, and player experiences. We invite them to share their insights into the gaming sphere, covering topics such as the role of games in education and history, socioeconomic and sociocultural trends, and contemporary subjects such as the ethics of AI, and altered, virtual, and mixed realities.We invite you to join us in sharing and constructing a deeper understanding of what games are, what they mean to us, and what changes the future will bring to games, the people who make them, and the world that plays them.
Dates: November 27 - 29, 2026
Location: The University of Winnipeg
Registration Info
Conference Schedule
About
The Manitoba Games Research & Pedagogy Consortium is an interdisciplinary collective dedicated to the developing field of games studies. We seek to further academic understandings of the games which underpin our daily lives, shape education and understandings, and increasingly operate as a key mode of communication in the digital age.Based out of the University of Winnipeg but in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Manitoba, Brandon University, Red River College Polytechnic, and elsewhere, the Consortium operates in tandem with academic, professional, and independent branches of the gaming world in order to build collective knowledge of games, gaming, and the wider impacts of such. The upcoming Manitoba Games Research and Pedagogy Conference represents a crystallization of this idea by hosting speakers from diverse academic, professional, and community backgrounds in sharing their work in an inclusive academic setting.
Inclusivity / Code of Conduct
The Manitoba Games Research & Pedagogy Consortium is dedicated to inclusivity in the fair and respectful exchange of ideas and mutual education. As such, it strictly adheres to the University of Winnipeg's Respectful Working and Learning Environment Policy (available here).We welcome the perspectives of individuals from all backgrounds, regardless of gender identity, sexuality, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
Land Acknowledgement
The Manitoba Games Research & Pedagogy Consortium is based out of The University of Winnipeg, which is located on Treaty One Territory and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis, in Wiiniibak, Manido Abi. We acknowledge these are the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anisininew, Ininiwak/Nehethowuk, Oceti Sakowin/Dakota Oyate, and Michif (Métis) Peoples. This territory is also a place of significance for the Denesuline and the Inuit, some of whom have been living here for generations.Serving as stewards since time immemorial, Elders and First Nations have highlighted that these ancestral lands remain unceded and that the Treaties are agreements to share, not surrender, the land. Remembering the original spirit and intent of the treaties can serve as a foundation to better all our relationships.
News
Submissions are open for speakers for the first Manitoba Games and Pedagogy Conference! We welcome submissions from all disciplines and backgrounds.
Preparing for Conference
Contact
Dr. Ryan Clement - Consortium Co-ordinator (and Founder)
Department of Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications
University of WinnipegEmail: [email protected]Clavis Pickford - Research & Communications Assistant
Email: [email protected]
FAQ
Who can submit work to present at the upcoming conference?
Submissions are open for anyone with an interest in games research and work to present! That includes researchers, students, industry professionals, and members of gaming communities with an academic interest.
When will I know my submission was accepted?
Submissions will be reviewed in early October, and accepted presenters will be informed shortly afterwards.
I'm unsure if my work fits the conference. Should I still submit to present?
Please do! We're looking for a variety of perspectives, topics, and approaches. If your submission is about games or something game-related, we're excited to review it!
I have a question that wasn't answered here, what should I do?
Please reach out to us via our Contacts page!
Call for Submissions
The Manitoba Games Research & Pedagogy Conference
November 27-29, 2026
This conference is calling for submissions to present from all academics, faculty, staff, students, educators, artists,
game developers, industry professionals, community researchers, and members of the public interested in the
study of games — including digital and analog games — for research and education.
The conference welcomes submissions from topics such as but not limited to:
Games and Ethics of AI
Game Design Approaches and Techniques
Using Games in the Classroom
Games and History
Archiving Games, Archiving Play
Games as Participatory Culture and Spectatorship
Interactive Media Design, Art and Play
Digital vs Analog Games
Applied Games
Procedural Rhetoric
Emergent Narrative
Gamification
Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR)/Mixed Reality
Interested presenters should submit their full name, institution (if applicable), a brief bio (50 words), presentation title, and 100-300 word abstract, via email to Dr. Ryan Clement (University of Winnipeg Department of Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications) at [email protected]. The top student submissions will receive a monetary award.Deadline: September 30 Extended to October 7This conference is in conjunction with the HYPER technology and arts conference, Nov 26, 9-5 pm, Studio Lab XR.
The Manitoba Games Research & Pedagogy Conference
Friday, Nov 27, Saturday, Nov 28, Sunday Nov 29
The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB
The Manitoba Games Research & Pedagogy Conference brings together speakers from the diverse fields of games research, design, production, and play. Throughout the conference, presenters offer their insights into the complexities and significance of the gaming sphere. Panels will explore topic such as:
Game in Education
Social, Cultural, and Economic Trends
Games and Ethics of AI
Interactive Media Design, Art, and Play
Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality
Narrative and Storytelling
Gamification
Join us in building a deeper understanding of what games are, what they mean to us, and what the future holds for games, the people who make them, and the world that plays them. This conference is in conjunction with the HYPER technology and arts conference, Nove 26, Studio Lab XR.Conference Dates: Friday November 27, Saturday November 28
Location: The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB
Click Here to Register
Friday, Nov 27
| WELCOME RECEPTION: Pizza and Light Refreshments Writing/Tutoring Centre, Graham Hall, 3G11, (U of W) | 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm |
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| PANEL 1: The Gamification of Popular Culture Writing/Tutoring Centre, Graham Hall, 3G11, (U of W) | 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm |
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| Squid Game Meets Nursing: A Pop-Culture Inspired Gamified Review Activity | Gail Carbonell |
| The King and His Memes: The Trump Administration’s Use of Game-related Memes to Manifest U.S. Imperialist Myth and Fantasy | Juscenta “Jessie” Haligowski |
| Who Needs Time Travel When You Have Nostalgia? | Omoniyi Toluwalase |
| BREAK Writing/Tutoring Centre, Graham Hall, 3G11, (U of W) | 7:30 pm - 7:45 pm |
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| PANEL 2: Games as Participatory Culture Writing/Tutoring Centre, Graham Hall, 3G11, (U of W) | 7:45 pm - 8:45 pm |
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| Sticky Play: How Games Become Cross-Platform Networking Ecologies | Grace Gu |
| The Digital Domestic: Virtual Environments and the Ambience of Domesticity | Clavis Pickford |
| The Sublime Contract: Negotiating Pleasurable Pain in Digital Play | Mara Vranjkovic |
| AFTER PARTY (Select Start) Winnipeg's retrofuturistic arcade restolounge featuring Asian and fusion cuisine, drinks, and a wide collection of classic video arcade cabinets (Pay $12 cover to enter and play as much as you want. No quarters or tokens needed. 18+ ID required). Select Start Arcade Restolounge (110 Market Ave 2nd floor) https://www.selectstartwpg.com/ Time: 9:00 pm - Late |
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Saturday, Nov 28
| MORNING RECEPTION: Baked Goods and Light Refreshments Writing/Tutoring Centre, Graham Hall, 3G11, (U of W) | 9:30 am - 10:00 am |
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| PANEL 3: Interactive Media Design, Art, and Play Writing/Tutoring Centre, Graham Hall, 3G11, (U of W) | 10:00 am - 11:00 am |
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| Consolidation of Communication with Generative AI | Jane Kraut, Gail Carbonell, and Sufia Turner |
| Field of View: Performance Capture | Freya Björg Olafson |
| Flats: Ontoepistemological Play for Spatial Justice Learning | Malcolm Stielow |
| BREAK Writing/Tutoring Centre, Graham Hall, 3G11, (U of W) | 11:00 am -11:15 am |
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| PANEL 4: Using Games in the Classroom Writing/Tutoring Centre, Graham Hall, 3G11, (U of W) | 11:15 am - 12:15 pm |
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| Gaming (within) the System: Using Interactive Games as an Intercultural Tool Against Academic Misconduct | Ryan Clement |
| Glycolysis Games: A Gamified Approach to Teaching Exercise Physiology | Meaghan Ewharekuko |
| Turtle Island Trials (Manajiiwewin Mino Bemaadiziwin): Embedding Anishinaabemowin Language Learning using the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) | Karl Hildebrandt |
| Practical Use of Games in Middle and High School Classrooms: A Discussion of Pedagogy, Learning Theory, Curriculum, and Engagement | Niall McFadyen |
| LUNCH BREAK: Small Lunch and Light Refreshments Writing/Tutoring Centre, Graham Hall, 3G11, (U of W) | 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm |
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| PANEL 5: Games & the Archives | 1:15 pm - 2:15 pm |
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| Jackpot! Archival Outreach and Education through BINGO at the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections | Nicole Aminian |
| Teaching the History of Computer Games with Internet Archive Games Collections | Greg Bak |
| Using Historical Board Games in the Classroom: Gaming the Fur Trade with Elementary School Students | Brian Hubner |
| BREAK Writing/Tutoring Centre, Graham Hall, 3G11, (U of W) | 2:15 pm - 2:30 pm |
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| PANEL 6: Analog & Tabletop Game Design | 2:30 pm -3:30 pm |
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| Braunstein and History as a Driving Component of Game Design | Jim Buchanan & Scott Hadaller |
| How to Make Friends and Start a Board Game Company | Dennis Northcott |
| Behind the Character: TTRPGs as Spaces for Active Learning and Social Exploration | Robert Shaw |
| BREAK: Snacks and Light Refreshments Writing/Tutoring Centre, Graham Hall, 3G11, (U of W) | 3:30 pm -3:45 pm |
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| PANEL 7: Game Design from Conception to Application | 3:45 pm - 4:45 pm |
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| How to Think About “Game Design”: A Practical Guide | Dylan Fries |
| Get Ahead Games: Gob Loggin’ | Katarina Mohammed Lou Lucky Adams |
| Designing for Experience: What Game Design Taught Me About Instructional Design | Andrew Roncin |
| AFTER PARTY (ACROSS THE BOARD) Winnipeg's longest-running board game cafe featuring food and drink menu, and a wide collection of classic and state-of-the-art board games (Pay $12 to play as much as you want. No dice or character sheets required). Across the Board Game Café (211 Bannatyne Ave) https://acrosstheboardcafe.com/ Time: 9:00 pm - Late |
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Sunday, Nov 29
| GAME OVER FEST 3 The University of Winnipeg Game Studies Society's (GSS) 3rd annual mini-convention dedicated to board games, digital games, eSports, and more (including cosplay and an artist alley)! Entry is free and open to everyone, including both U of W and non-U of W attendees. Bulman Centre (U of W) U of W Games Studies Time: 10:30 am - 5:30 pm |
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