Well Played

This is an open call for essays that explore the playing experience of games—digital, tabletop, mixed reality, larp, playable theatre, interactive narratives, etc.  All submissions for this issue of the Well Played Journal are due on 30 September, 2026. All submissions and questions should be sent to: The Well Played Journal is a forum for in-depth close readings of games that parse out the various meanings to be found in the experience of playing a game. It is a reviewed journal open to submissions that will be released on a regular basis with high-quality essays. Contributors are encouraged to look...

Continue Reading →

Well Played and Play Story Press have released Well Played V15 N1: Well Played Games. Well Played V15 N1: Well Read Games

Continue Reading →

In Tracy Fullerton’s and Matthew Farber’s new book, The Well-Read Game: On Playing Thoughtfully, part of The MIT Press’ Playful Thinking series, they propose a new framework of interpretive play. This framework is a theory of player response, exploring the ephemeral and emotional responses that occur when people are in a state of play. When we play a game, we experience more than just its formal structures; we may notice its aesthetic details or connect its character to our own lives. We tell ourselves stories as we play, ask questions, and react to the game’s intent. In The Well-Read Game,...

Continue Reading →

Well Played and Play Story Press have released Well Played V14 N1: For the Love of Games. This issue of the Well Played Journal is a companion to the book, Well Played: For the Love of Games. The book curates authors and their submissions, and this issue provided an open call for participation. Together, they share a fun range of perspectives on our love of games. Well Played V14 N1: For the Love of Games  

Continue Reading →

Play Story Press is excited to release Well Played: For the Love of Games, edited by Drew Davidson. A lot of us have a special game that inspired us to get more deeply involved in making, studying and playing games as part of our professional and personal lives. It may be *the* game for you or just *a* game that means a lot, and you find yourself replaying it regularly. It could even be a couple of games, or a games series, or a game that disappointed you enough that you were inspired to try and make one even better....

Continue Reading →

Update: Deadline for submissions is extended to 3 January 2025. A lot of us have a special game that inspired us to get more deeply involved in making, studying and playing games as part of our professional and personal lives. It may be *the* game for you or just *a* game that means a lot, and you find yourself replaying it regularly. It could even be a couple of games, or a games series, or a game that disappointed you enough that you were inspired to try and make one even better. Whatever the case may be, we welcome submissions...

Continue Reading →