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, Senior Lecturer in Media and Communications, and Dr Nick Webber, Associate Professor in Media and Communications and Director of The Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research.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

2025 Conference Announcement and Call for Papers: https://bdigra.co.uk/british-digra-2025-conference

2025 Conference Programme: 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

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/

For more information about this month's topic and to access some of our guests’ recommendations, please see:

• The Cozy Games Manifesto
• Whose Vibe is it Anyway? Negotiating Definitions of Cozy Games
• Cozy Games and Resistance Through Care
• The Duality of Cozy Games: Cozy Agency, Neoliberalism, and Affect
• Cozy Tea Games
• A Little to the Left
• Unpacking
• Pode
• Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
• SEASON: A Letter to the Future

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://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/the-environmental-game-design-playbook/

https://gtg.benabraham.net/

https://www.greengamedesign.com/

https://www.unpackinggame.com/

https://www.doublefine.com/games/everything

https://play.eco/

https://www.play-season.com/

Andra Ivănescu and Hadi Mehrpouya talk about politics with Dr Ivan Girina from Brunel University of London, artist Alan Butler, and Charly Harbord, Head of Business Development for Powell Group/IndieGameBusiness, Founder and CEO of Outwith Reality.

For more information about this month's podcast and our guests, please see:

https://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/ivan-girina

https://www.alanbutler.info/

https://www.womeningames.org/

https://www.thiswarofmine.com/

https://frogwares.com/frogwares-games/

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://www.statiscape.com/contact

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