Federico Alvarez Igarzábal's Avatar

Federico Alvarez Igarzábal

@federicoalvarez

Prof. of Digital Media & Game Studies at HBK Essen. I research the aesthetics of games and play combining theoretical and experimental approaches. Book: "Time and Space in Video Games. A Cogntive-Formalist Approach" http://bit.ly/3iiMEk8

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25.11.2023
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Latest posts by Federico Alvarez Igarzábal @federicoalvarez

Federico Alvarez Igarzábal and Emmanuel Guardiola, "Video Games and Mental Health: Perspectives of Psychology and Game Design" (Transcript Publishing, 2024) - New Books Network

Emmanuel Guardiola and I talked to Rudolf Inderst (@gamestudies.bsky.social) about our book Video Games and Mental Health on his podcast New Books in Game Studies
@newbooksnetwork.bsky.social

You can now listen to the episode in the link below!

newbooksnetwork.com/video-games-...

31.01.2026 11:01 👍 6 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 1
Federico Alvarez Igarzábal and Emmanuel Guardiola, "Video Games and Mental Health: Perspectives of Psychology and Game Design" (Transcript Publishing, 2024) - New Books Network

I spoke with Federico Alvarez Igarzábal & Emmanuel Guardiola about their anthology Video Games and Mental Health. Perspectives of Psychology and Game Design on my podcast #GameStudies. I'd be delighted if you'd listen in & share: newbooksnetwork.com/video-games-...

cc @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social

31.01.2026 10:31 👍 6 🔁 3 💬 2 📌 0
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[CfA] Sammelband Krankheit in digitalen Spielen 2 - Language at Play % Bis zum 31.1.2026 suchen Dr. Arno Görgen und Dr. Stefan Heinrich Simond nach Beiträgen zum Nachfolger des Sammelbandes ‚Krankheit in digitalen Spielen‘. Krankheit, egal ob psychisch oder somatisch, ha...

Noch ein Call gefällig? Bis zum 31.1.2026 suchen Dr. Arno Görgen und Dr. Stefan Heinrich Simond nach Beiträgen zum Nachfolger des Sammelbandes ‚Krankheit in digitalen Spielen‘.
(@pachuki.bsky.social)
languageatplay.de/2026/01/13/c...

13.01.2026 14:15 👍 12 🔁 11 💬 2 📌 0

Forgot to mention: It's open access! :)

15.12.2025 11:19 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Video Games and Mental Health An exploration of the intersection between video games and mental health from the complementary perspectives of psychology and game design.

📖New publication: Video Games and Mental Health.
Perspectives of Psychology and Game Design, co-edited with Chad Comeau, Emmanuel Guardiola, Carmen Johann, and Katharina Tillmanns.
www.transcript-verlag.de/978-3-8376-6...

15.12.2025 11:18 👍 8 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 1
Time, Play and Games | Intellect Intellect Discover is the platform where Intellect's content lives: Browse publications for scholars and practitioners teaching and researching in the arts, media and creative industries.

Thrilled to share this new publication: "Time, Play and Games", a special issue of the Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds co-edited with Chris Hanson: intellectdiscover.com/content/jour...

06.11.2025 20:50 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

My talk "'It was foul, and I loved it': Perverse Play in Virtual Worlds" dives into how forms of play that involve taking social risks (e.g. banter, pranks) manifest in virtual worlds and how these can devolve into deviant forms of play like trolling and griefing. 2/2

03.09.2025 16:49 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Perception in Games and Virtual Worlds - Berlin 2025 This is a draft program. It may change up until the seminar, so make sure to check for the latest version. Use this form to register participation in the dinner gatherings. Thursday September 11 21.0...

Next week, I’ll be presenting at the workshop "Perception in Games and Virtual Worlds" (September 12-13) in Berlin. The program is packed with promising talks on how we experience and engage with virtual environments. Check it out here: sites.google.com/view/percept... 1/2

03.09.2025 16:49 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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At #Gamescom2025! Come visit our HBK Essen stand (hall 10.1)!

21.08.2025 11:26 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Einladung zur Fachtagung "Spielkultur denken - Perspektiven der Spielwissenschaft" | Spiel|Formen - Zeitschrift für Play & Game Studies

Next week, I'll be speaking at the conference "Spielkultur denken" in Siegen. The event explores play culture in a broad sense and examines how play is embedded within social and political processes. Follow the link if you want to find out more about the program :)

spielformen.net/index.php/jo...

24.07.2025 08:36 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Stoners, let me improve your weekend: Someone uploaded their personal VHS recording of SIX HOURS of MTV's 1994 Beavis & Butt-head Moron-athon on @archive.org with commercials, Liquid TV & misc MTV shows: archive.org/details/beav...

I just quickly scanned it & found this hilariously dorky DOOM 2 ad:

21.12.2024 06:02 👍 2035 🔁 566 💬 62 📌 44

I need to add *so many more* but if I'm leaving off Game Studies scholars, lemme know: go.bsky.app/VbvmLfK

23.11.2024 18:26 👍 33 🔁 9 💬 7 📌 1

Thanks Andy! In @theatlantic.bsky.social I describe why the panic over smartphones is more likely to distract from than solve the problems that young people are facing today. Gift link is below:

www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

21.11.2024 20:37 👍 46 🔁 25 💬 0 📌 3
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A starter pack for Game Studies on Bluesky. Let me know if you want to be added or want to recommend any account or feed. Share it around!

go.bsky.app/56c1mPm

31.10.2024 11:44 👍 71 🔁 47 💬 43 📌 5
https://www.jneurosci.org/content/44/34/e2039232024

Link to the paper: t.co/6Q9D9FPnPq

10.09.2024 10:32 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/black-belt-brain/202408/take-time-for-your-heart-to-meet-your-mind

Psychology Today blog by E. Paul Zehr on our (Shiva Khoshnoud, David Leitritz, Meltem Çinar Bozdağ, Valdas Noreika, @marcwittmann.bsky.social) recently published paper in the Journal of Neuroscience "When the Heart Meets the Mind" t.co/83BDXHF4wU

10.09.2024 10:32 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Call for Papers: The Young Academics Workshop 2025 – Cologne Game Lab

CGL is organizing a new edition of the Young Academics Workshop, this time on the topic of "Games, Politics & Psychology: Community Building in Games & Virtual Worlds." The deadline has been extended to August 5. Take a look at the CfP for more details: colognegamelab.de/call-for-pap...

31.07.2024 09:58 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

New publication!

26.07.2024 07:57 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Tomorrow is the deadline for submitting abstracts to the special issue of the Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds on "Time, Play, and Games." Don't miss your chance if you are interested!

14.05.2024 08:19 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Tomorrow I'm giving a talk at the Perception in Games and Virtual Worlds workshop in Berlin (Dec. 10 & 11 at the Regenbogenfabrik). The program is packed with great presentations. Looking forward to it!
sites.google.com/view/percept...

09.05.2024 08:59 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Deadline reminder: Abstracts for the special issue of the Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds on "Time, Play, and Games" can be submitted until May 15 (next Wednesday).

07.05.2024 08:48 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
At Play: Between Reality and Make-Believe
At Play: Between Reality and Make-Believe Game Studies Day at the Now Play This FestivalProduced by: Federico Alvarez Igarzábal, Substitute Professor of Media & Game Studies at Cologne Game Lab~~~ SC...

If you missed the Game Studies Day co-organized by the
Cologne Game Lab and the Now Play This festival (@nowplaythis.bsky.social) on April 11, now you can watch it on YouTube (the first talk starts on min 35).
The schedule can be accessed here: nowplaythis.net/gamestudies/

youtu.be/B0sAJmJjFxY

03.05.2024 11:05 👍 1 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0

**Call for Papers**
Chris Hanson and I are editing a special issue on "Time, Play, and Games" for the Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds ⌛Submissions due by May 15. Full CfP in the following link:
www.intellectbooks.com/journal-of-g...

18.04.2024 13:39 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 2

Happening tomorrow! You can join us on site (Somerset House, London) or via Livestream :)

10.04.2024 10:48 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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At Play: Between Reality and Make-Believe Now Play This is a festival of experimental game design running at Somerset House in London every Spring, showcasing interactive and playful work as part of the London Games Festival.

We are under one week away from the Game Studies Day at the Now Play This festival @nowplaythis.bsky.social: "At Play. Between reality and Make Believe."
You can check the schedule here: nowplaythis.net/gamestudies/
The event will also be live streamed, for those who are not in London :)

05.04.2024 09:35 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1

My book "Time and Space in Video Games. A Cognitive-Formalist Approach" is available in Open Access: tinyurl.com/3jfjrxnx

06.03.2024 15:00 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The website for the @nowplaythis.bsky.social Festival in London is online. I'm co-organizing a game studies day (April 11) with Luján Oulton: "At Play: Between Reality and Make Believe." Join us for an interesting series of talks on game studies and the nature of play! nowplaythis.net

06.03.2024 14:57 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0