This cluster is an interdisciplinary group dedicated to exploring games and play in their broadest social context. We are interested in supporting research into any aspect of games (especially but not only digital games), but also in asking how critical playfulness might open new possibilities for research, teaching, and general intellectual conviviality.
Our interests include the study of immersion and embodiment; perception and post-phenomenology; digital politics and game governance; audio- and visual- cultures of play; mental health and addiction debates; and gaming cultures, among other things. Our aim is to build a community that is open, curious, welcoming to all, and critical of inequalities.
We host discussion groups, talks, and interdisciplinary collaborations, and we welcome inquiries from others with similar interests.
This cluster is led by Dr Tom Boylston and Dr Merlin Seller.