March 2026

Ludic Narrans (Playing Around). Stories of/by/for the Fields of Play Ludic Narrans (Playing It Straight). Stories of/by/for the Fields of Play by Drew Davidson, Emily Matheny, et al. Since 2024, Drew Davidson has been conducting an exploratory qualitative study, Stories of/by/for the Fields of Play,, with Emily Matheny and many others. Through questionnaires, 175 in-depth interviews, and community participation, he has been engaging with stories around the fields of play; like games, mixed reality, theatre, sports, music, child psychology, etc. The concept of play is rather broad and diverse; from social studies, to health and enjoyment, to education and learning, to...

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See the Good! How to guide children and adolescents to find their character strengths, by Lotta Uusitalo, Kaisa Vuorinen. See the Good! is a practical and research-based guide for educators, parents, and professionals on how to support children’s well-being and learning through character strengths. Grounded in positive psychology, the book shows how recognizing, naming, and using strengths can build resilience, motivation, and happiness. It offers concrete tools, exercises, and pedagogical practices for integrating strengths-based, positive education into everyday interactions in classrooms and communities—helping children and young people to flourish and reach their full potential. See the Good! is the inaugural...

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We are delighted to announce the submission portal for Meaningful Play is now OPEN and ready to receive submissions for the 2026 conference in Pittsburgh! Meaningful Play 2026 Information & Submissions Meaningful Play 2026 is a conference about theory, research, and game design innovations, principles, and practices. Meaningful Play brings scholars, industry professionals, and games practitioners together to understand and improve upon games to entertain, inform, educate, and persuade in meaningful ways. Key Dates and Deadlines Conference: October 13-15 Pittsburgh Play Day: October 16 Full Paper Submissions: March 31 Games, Lighting Talks, Posters: May 15 Hosted Sessions: June 15 If...

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The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Final Fantasy XV, edited by T. Wade Langer, Jr. Final Fantasy XV (2016) tells the story of Noctis, the crown prince of Lucis, and his ascension to the throne. A traditional coming-of-age story following the solitary hero’s journey, this fresh take on the Final Fantasy franchise offered players a reflective opportunity to ask themselves a simple question: how does someone grow from youthful naïveté to greatness? To mark the 10th anniversary of Final Fantasy XV, I am editing a scholarly essay collection titled The Psychgeist of Final Fantasy XV. This volume explores the psychological, philosophical, and cultural...

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Nonverbal Communication in Virtual Worlds: Understanding and Designing Expressive Characters, edited by Theresa Jean Tanenbaum, Magy Seif El-Nasr, and Michael Nixon Over the last 30 years there has been an expansion of network mediated social activities, and an accompanying explosion of research interest into the poetics of networked communication. Of particular interest is the rise of what have come to be known as “virtual worlds”: persistent graphical environments populated (and often partially authored) by large communities of individual users. Interactors in these worlds are embodied as avatars: digital puppets or representations through which the user exerts his or her will...

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The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Pokémon, edited by Jared N. Kilmer. The Pokémon franchise is one of the most influential and enduring media properties in the world, spanning video games, animation, film, trading cards, and global fan communities. Since the release of the original games in 1996, players have celebrated a world where humans and Pokémon coexist, forming bonds through exploration, competition, and care. After 30 years of continued development as a franchise, the ostensibly simple stories contained within Pokémon media have developed layers of complexity. They blend approachable gameplay with themes of self-discovery, coming-of-age journeys, responsibility, scientific investigation, environmental...

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