Academics and creative practitioners are invited to mark their calendars for MAKE/PLAY, a one-day symposium dedicated to exploring the practice of game making as a research methodology.
Hosted by Abertay Game Lab and Manchester Game Centre, the event will take place at Abertay University in Dundee on Thursday, 27th November 2025, with in-person and online attendance supported.
More Than Games
The symposium lands at a perfect time, taking place one day after the Scottish Games Network’s own ‘More Than Games’ event in Glasgow. Together, these events create a powerful, two-day focus on the future of interactive media – first from a creative ecosystem and cross-sectoral perspective, and then with an academic deep dive into creative practice.
The MAKE/PLAY Symposium
The MAKE/PLAY symposium aims to move beyond the common view of games as simple tools for research dissemination. Instead, it will focus on the practice of creating games itself as a form of research, unpicking the methodologies and knowledge drawn directly from the creative process.
This theme is a perfect example of the More Than Games philosophy, validating the act of game design as a way to explore complex topics, from social issues and cultural heritage to lived experience, autobiographical stories and unmatched engagement with audiences.
MAKE/PLAY’s coordinators have curated a full day of presentations and exhibitions. The programme will feature academics, designers, and practitioners discussing topics across the full spectrum of creative development, including:
- Applied and serious games
- Historical and heritage games
- Autobiographical and experimental design
- Alternative controllers
- Larp, social, and physical play
- Critical and Radical Design approaches
The symposium is an ideal opportunity for developers, designers, and academics to connect, share insights, and explore the future of game design as a respected academic and creative practice.
Following the main event, Abertay will also host the 2025 UK Game Lab meet up on Friday, 28th November, offering a third day of networking and discussion for those in the academic community.
How to Attend MAKE/PLAY
The call for papers has now closed, and the final programme is being confirmed.
The Scottish Games Network encourages interested academics, postgraduate researchers, and industry practitioners to mark their calendars for this important event.
For enquiries about the symposium, please contact the MAKE/PLAY co-chair, Dr Lynn Love.
To sign up for MAKE/PLAY use the EventBrite registration page below: