“Games of War” International Academic Conference

The Faculty of History at the University of Gdansk together with Magnus Ducatus Foundation in collaboration with European Humanities University and the Department of Computer Systems and Technologies of Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics, are proud to announce the 3rd international academic hybrid conference “Games of War”, coming on the 24th of February 2025. The event is held every year on 24 February, marking the anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in 2022. It stands as both an act of academic reflection and a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine and all those affected by war.

Over the past editions, Games of War has grown into a significant international forum for scholars, game designers, historians, and cultural researchers.

1st Edition (2024): Focused on the representations of war and historical conflict in games, exploring how game mechanics and storytelling engage with violence, trauma, and memory.

2nd Edition (2025): Expanded to include the war in Ukraine as a central topic, with Ukrainian academics, game developers, and cultural analysts sharing firsthand perspectives on how games respond to ongoing conflict.

3rd Edition (2026): Will examine the evolving narratives of war, identity, and resilience in digital and analog games — four years into the full-scale invasion, and more than a decade since the invasion in Ukraine began.

The language of the conference is English.

No conference fees. Participation is free.

ONLINE PARTICIPATION REGISTRATION FORM forms.gle/MKE8fYWHHLsXHnXb6

SUBMISSION LINK FOR SPEAKERS AND CALL FOR PAPERS forms.gle/x1WpXkDVkW58c7vy6

Information on Ukrainian games about the Russian invasion can be found here:

David Mullich speech from “Games of War” Conference (2024) davidmullich.com/2024/02/26/games-of-war

Video from the Digital Dragons Conference (15-16 May 2023) by Dr. Yaraslau Kot: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROfGimRK_hw

Presentation (PDF) from Dr. Y. Kot’s Lecture at the University of Gdansk on 1st December 2023: drive.google.com/...​C-wLWule/view?usp=sharing

Article from DOU.UA (2022) covering 15 games about the invasion: https://gamedev.dou.ua/articles/ukrainian-games-about-the-war-against-russia/?from=tg&utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social

Article from The Guardian (2022) on games about the invasion: www.theguardian.com/...​es-about-russias-invasion

Article from Polygon.com (2022) overviewing several games about the invasion: www.polygon.com/...​ne-russia-war-indie-games

Article from Mezha.Media (2023) overviewing games developed in Ukraine during the full-scale war: mezha.media/...​aine-ukrainian-games-2023

Catalogue of Documenting Initiatives: mostdocumentedwar.org/en

Call for papers

We invite papers, presentations, and panels addressing (but not limited to) the following themes:

• The War in Ukraine in Games: Representation, adaptation, and memorialization in Ukrainian and international productions.
• Games as Historical Discourse: How games construct, challenge, and reinterpret narratives of war and national identity.
• Simulation, Strategy, and Propaganda: The role of games in modeling warfare, strategy, and ideology.
• Ethics of Representation: Challenges of depicting real-world conflicts in playable form.
• Memory, Resistance, and Trauma: Games as spaces for processing collective and individual experiences of war.
• Educational and Cultural Uses of War Games: How interactive media can foster critical understanding of history and conflict.

Abstracts of 400-600 words with key bibliographical references and author’s academic bio should be sent via the Conference Submission Form by February 10th. forms.gle/tTzXporhTQBBdTsv7

Submissions will be accepted for 20-minute presentations, panel proposals, and interactive workshops.

After the conference, speakers may be invited to submit a paper for publication in a peer-reviewed collection.

We also welcome nonacademic presentations from game developers involved in the creation of games-of-war.

Interactive Exhibitions:

Attendees will have the opportunity to explore interactive exhibitions showcasing relevant games and technologies, fostering a hands-on understanding of the conference themes.

Organizing committee

• Prof. Arkadiusz Janicki, Dean at Faculty of History, Associate Professor, University of Gdansk
• Dr. Yaraslau I. Kot, Researcher, Department of Humanities and Arts, European Humanities University, Board member of Ukrainian Game Study and Game Education Association
• Dr. Wacław Kulczykowski, Assistant Professor, Faculty of History, University of Gdansk
• Dr. Oleksiy S. Yevsyeyev, Associate Professor, Department of Multimedia Systems and Technologies at at the Educational and Research Institute of Information Technologies of Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics

Programme committee

• Prof. Michał Mochocki, Associate Professor, Faculty of History, University of Gdansk
• Dr. Yaraslau I. Kot, Researcher, Department of Humanities and Arts, European Humanities University, Board member of Ukrainian Game Study and Game Education Association

Contact us at: [email protected]

Webpage: gamesofwar.ug.edu.pl