INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONFERENCE

GAMES OF WAR

SECOND EDITION

Gdańsk, 24th February 2025

About the conference

The Faculty of History at the University of Gdansk (Poland), in collaboration with the Department of Multimedia Systems and Technologies at the Educational and Research Institute of Information Technologies of Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics (Ukraine), WSG University (Poland), European Humanities University (Lithuania) have the honour to announce Second edition of the academic hybrid (on-site + online) conference, “Games of War,” scheduled for the 24th of February 2025. This conference is dedicated to exploring the intricate narratives and historical reflections in Ukrainian video games that respond to the Russian 2014/2022 invasion of Ukraine.

11 years of terrible War, and three year since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation – “Games of War” examines how video games capture the complexity of war, resilience, and human experience. This conference invites participants to explore how interactive media transforms historical trauma into digital narratives, fostering empathy, understanding, and awareness. By engaging with the stories of tragedy and heroism conveyed through gaming, the event aims to highlight the unique role of video games as both cultural artifacts and tools for historical reflection.

The language of the conference is English.

No conference fees. Participation is free.

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

David Mullich speech from “Games of War” Conference (2024) Link
Video from the Digital Dragons Conference (15-16 May 2023) by Dr. Yaraslau Kot: Games of War – Games that were born from flames of Russian aggression
Presentation (PDF) from Dr. Y. Kot’s Lecture at the University of Gdansk on 1st December 2023: Link
Article from DOU.UA (2022) covering 15 games about the invasion: Link
Article from The Guardian (2022) on games about the invasion: Link
Article from Polygon.com (2022) overviewing several games about the invasion: Link
Article from Mezha.Media (2023) overviewing games developed in Ukraine during the full-scale war: Link
Catalogue of Documenting Initiatives: Link

Patronages

Faculty of History, University of Gdansk

ul. Wita Stwosza 55,  Gdańsk, Poland