We had a great time at PLAY 2025 in Bologna. The presentation of the European Game Science Lab at PLAY2025 in Bologna was very well received.

From April 4 to 6, 2025, the European Game Science Lab (EGSL) participated in the renowned “PLAY – Festival del gioco” in Bologna with a joint booth. The three partner institutions – DE:HIVE at HTW Berlin, the Game Science Center at IMT Lucca, and the Game Innovation Center (GIC) at the University of Florence – took advantage of this unique opportunity to present the innovative EGSL project to a wide audience.

The PLAY Festival provided an ideal platform for direct contact with game designers, developers, and representatives of the gaming community. Participation enabled the EGSL team to attract potential contributors to the project and establish valuable connections. The concept of the European Game Science Lab met with great interest and positive feedback among the thousands of festival participants.

The joint presence of the three partner institutions on site was considered particularly valuable. In addition to the public presentation of the project, important internal coordination and planning for upcoming activities could be carried out. A special focus was placed on the preparation of the workshop “Identifying biases in game rules and algorithms” (Activity 3.5), which benefits from the interdisciplinary expertise of all partners.

Participation in PLAY2025 had a positive impact on all ongoing project activities. Discussions with experts and the attention of the festival community led to important impulses and new perspectives for all areas of work at the EGSL.

The successful participation in PLAY 2025 confirms the relevance and potential of the European Game Science Lab as an important initiative for scientific research into games and gaming technologies. The further development of the project and the implementation of the findings in research work are eagerly awaited.