Play 2026 took place from 22 to 24 May 2026 at the BolognaFiere exhibition centre, which has hosted the festival since the 2025 edition. Widely recognized in Italy and across Europe, the event attracts visitors and gaming enthusiasts from numerous European countries.
The festival provides an opportunity to present prototypes, research projects, and innovative design methodologies to a highly engaged audience with a strong interest in games and game design.
The European Game Science Lab participated in the event by presenting the LuNa Framework at the GiX (Games for Social Change) stand, organized by the University of Florence (UniFi).
Throughout the event, the framework was demonstrated and tested by visitors. Feedback from participants was positive, with several attendees expressing interest in applying the framework to their own projects. This interest also highlighted the value of establishing dedicated communication channels, such as an email contact list, to facilitate future engagement with the project.
Visitors who attended demonstrations without directly participating in testing activities nevertheless identified the framework as a potentially valuable tool for supporting and enhancing creative design processes.
The GiX stand was located within the university area of the exhibition, alongside several academic institutions and research groups. This positioning contributed to increased interest in the LuNa Framework among researchers, educators, and practitioners involved in the design of educational and serious games.
The university area hosted a variety of Italian organizations active in game-based learning and educational game design, representing potential contexts for future applications of the framework.
As part of the event programme, a public presentation of the LuNa Framework was delivered by a project representative. The session included a live meta-ideation exercise involving audience participation, providing attendees with a practical demonstration of the framework’s methodology and workflow.
