Video Game Cultures 2025 - 10-12 September 2025 at Charles University, Prague (CZ)

Between September 10th and 12th, the VIDEO GAME CULTURES conference will take place at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. I will be presenting my work in person during the "horror spaces" session, and I'm sharing the abstract of my paper with you all below. (I'll also be sharing the full article soon).



Minimal resources, maximal horror: a study of the game IRON LUNG

This paper explores the minimalist approach to horror in David Szymanski's indie game, IRON LUNG, within the context of dystopian and apocalyptic narratives prevalent in contemporary video game culture. IRON LUNG distinguishes itself by its stark, low-fidelity visuals and audio, creating an atmosphere of profound dread with minimal resources. This study examines how these limitations, rather than hindering the player's experience, amplify the sense of isolation and claustrophobia, core tenets of effective horror design.

The analysis delves into the game's setting: a desolate, rust-covered ocean on a moon entirely submerged in blood, where the player navigates a submarine using rudimentary sonar. This environment, rendered in a limited colour palette and simple geometric shapes, evokes a sense of vast, unknowable danger. The paper argues that this minimalism forces the player to engage their imagination, filling in the gaps with their own fears, thereby intensifying the horror experience.

Furthermore, this paper discusses how indie game development allows for unique, experimental concepts that often diverge from mainstream titles. IRON LUNG exemplifies this, showcasing how creative constraints can lead to innovative gameplay and narrative design. By eschewing high-fidelity graphics and complex mechanics, the game focuses on psychological horror, relying on atmosphere and sound to create tension. This study concludes that IRON LUNG's success lies in its ability to maximise horror through minimalism, demonstrating the power of restraint in video game design.

Keywords: Indie Games, Horror Games, Minimalism, Dystopia, Apocalypse, Game Design, David Szymanski, IRON LUNG.

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3rd International Conference of Video Games Studies

On December 17th, I will be presenting the paper 'Leveraging Generative AI for Enhanced Game Design Document Creation: A Case Study with the Brazilian Video Game Stygma' at the 3rd International Conference of Video Games Studies. The event will be held in Novi Sad, Serbia, although I will be presenting remotely. This marks another significant academic achievement to conclude the year 2024.



Below, you can find the abstract of my paper. The full paper will be published here following the conference:



The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized various fields, including game development. This paper explores the potential of generative AI for text and images in the context of creating a Game Design Document (GDD). By leveraging AI's capabilities, game designers can enhance the comprehensiveness, creativity, and efficiency of the GDD creation process. We present a case study analyzing a mobile game currently in production from the Brazilian studio Abysstrakt Games named Stygma - a narrative-driven horror puzzle game, to demonstrate the practical application of generative AI in GDD creation. Utilizing Google’s Gemini (for texts) and Leonardo.Ai (for images), we can observe generated detailed text descriptions of game mechanics, narrative elements, and character profiles, while also creating concept art, character designs, and environmental elements. Our findings highlight the significant benefits of employing generative AI for GDD creation. This approach proved particularly valuable for a short game created by a small studio and the integration of generative AI into game design workflows holds immense potential for the future of game development. By embracing AI's capabilities, game designers can create more comprehensive, creative, and efficient GDDs, ultimately leading to the development of more immersive and engaging gaming experiences – even in small teams.

Keywords: generative AI, game design document, game design, Brazil, mobile game

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"Horror Ludens: Using Fear to Construct Meaning in Video Games" - my article for HCI International 2021

The HCI International 2021 (USA) conference will take place in July (online). I will present the article "Horror Ludens: Using Fear to Construct Meaning in Video Games". You can read the article by clicking here and you can play the game by clicking here!



Below, the article's summary:

Abstract. In this article, we discuss how fear can be a powerful element to construct meaning in some specific video games. Titles like Phantaruk, Alan Wake, Here they lie, and many others help us to find some answers in this scenario, but herein we intend to focus our attention on the game Rapid Eye Movement (PC, 2020-2021). Created by an independent Brazilian studio named Abysstrakt Games, and scheduled to be launched in late 2021, the game sets its action in a dreamlike ambient where the player has the role of a person inside a nightmare, looking for clues to set the time on different clocks, trying to wake up. As a methodological process to understand how it is possible to create meaning using fear in video games, we have employed a formal analysis of gameplay that “is based on studying a game independently of context, that is, without regarding which specific people are playing a specific instance of the game”. We have observed a group of players of Rapid Eye Movement in order to study how moments of horror and terror create an atmosphere of fear and, consequently, the meaning of the gaming experience. In this work, we present these impressions as a qualitative research, with the objective of identifying the main points inside the fearful experience of playing Rapid Eye Movement, in order to comprehend how terror, horror, anxiety and despair could be used to support the game design process.

Keywords: Horror, Video Game, Indie Game.

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HCI International 2019

At the end of next July, the HCI (Human Computer Interface) international conference will take place in Orlando, FL.

This conference aims to discuss the intersections between culture, technology, behavior and society. The “games” subject will, surely, be one of the main discussions in the event, and I’ll be in HCI presenting my paper "The Strategic Use of Smartphone Features to Create a Gaming Experience of Mystery: The Mind Alone Case".



Below, you can check the abstract of my article that will be published in a book, which will be sold at the conference:

In the present work, we discuss the creative process behind the Brazilian mobile game Mind Alone (Sioux Games, 2018). We start our discussion with a brief overview of mobile media and the Brazilian gaming market, in order to clarify why mobile games are a rich field to explore in this country, and to assess some aspects of the Brazilian gamer audience. After this introduction, we proceed to expound the main features of the game Mind Alone, aiming to finally put forward some ideas about strategic thinking in game design, game writing, and puzzle design, emphasizing the need of multidisciplinary thinking. This article recounts the whole creative process behind Mind Alone, highlighting some main phases: (1) brainstorming, including interviews with the production team at the Sioux company; (2) documentation, analyzing the “high concept template”; (3) production, elucidating the interface between art and coding (and how to merge smartphone features to create the game experience); and (4) beta-testing, comprising guidelines for a qualitative session. With this work, we intend to depict the full development of a mobile game, from brainstorming to publishing and documentation. It is important to highlight, in this context, that the author of this article was the game designer responsible for Mind Alone’s mechanics and narrative.

After the conference, in August, I intend to share the PDF file with my complete article and the presentation as well.

For this trip I had the sponsorship of ON e-stadium (a Brazilian eSports arena from São Paulo) and ESPM (the college I work at) IT course.

Wait for news, pics and good content next month.

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The importance of studying games, or why I travelled half of the world to attend a gaming conference

From July 12th until the17th, I was in one of the world’s most relevant gaming conferences: DIGRA 2017. It took place in Melbourne, Australia, in the fantastic Swinburne University. I attended this event in 2011 in Netherlands (by the way, it was the first time I was in an international conference) and it was a transforming moment in my professional/academic life. This year was not different: another great experience.

When I tell people about a gaming conference, they ask me how this works. First idea that comes to their minds is a place to play the newest games from big publishers, or an event full of gaming events. Well, the idea is very different from that. In a conference like DIGRA, we talk about the game industry, game design and tendencies, but the discussion goes beyond those subjects.

This year, we had excellent debates about sexuality in games, gender in games, gaming classification, historical contexts in ludic experiences, sound design, game design, interfaces, analogic vs. digital games, philosophy inside games, social contexts in games – these are just a few examples of the whole content. How is it possible? Because games – in the contemporary scenario - became a potent media and a very important platform to socialize, interact and cast messages.

DIGRA main panel (july 6th - 2017). Pic by @vincevader

In a conference like DIGRA, the specialists are discussing all these points inside a greater subject: games. One thing is a common sense among all the researchers: it is very difficult to study it, but all of us are trying to create a more serious space to debate this. As a Brazilian researcher, I understand the importance to be part of the gaming studies field, not only in my country, but also in other parts of the globe. Networking is another important keyword in this context.

So, answering the question on the title above: I travelled half of the world to “power up” my knowledge and reach a new level in my academic research. On the next months, I’ll try to write and produce more about all that I have experienced in this event.

Next year, the conference will be in Turin, Italy. Follow the DIGRA Twitter for more information. Keep your eyes open.

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International Academic Conference on Management, Economics and Marketing in Budapest 2017, Hungary (IAC-MEM 2017 in Budapest)

Last week I was in Budapest to attend the International Academic Conference on Management, Economics and Marketing. The event was great! Full of good content and awesome people. This conference is very important to me because it's the first event that I attended as a PhD (Yeah! Finished my doctorate one month ago!).



I had the opportunity to present the article "Advergames: games as marketing tools". Below, I want to share the PDF file with some slides from the presentation.



You can download the full article by clicking here.

One more international achievement unlocked. =)

#GoGamers

3rd Klagenfurt Game Jam

From April 15th until the 17th, the 3rd Klagenfurt Game Jam will happen. Klagenfurt is an Austrian city and gathers people who likes games and wants to create, test and talk about them.



What is a game jam? It is a gathering of game developers for the purpose of planning, designing, and creating one or more games within a short span of time, usually ranging between 24 and 72 hours. Game developers are generally made up of programmers, game designers, artists, and others in game development-related fields. The term “game jam” is a composition of the words “game” and “jam session”.

Starting on Friday, the topic will be revealed to all participants at the same time and random groups will brainstorm games. Then, after the ideas are pitched, the teams will emerge around ideas and games will be created. Finally, on Sunday, the projects are presented to a jury and the most awesome project will be awarded with a prize.

Parallel to the game jam, there will be lectures about the gaming universe. With great honor, I would like to share that I was invited to give a lecture about game design process and business model. I’ll talk about my new game ROCK FLICKZ developed by SIOUX, the keynote is entitled “The Rock Flickz Case - using a mobile game for music advertising, entertainment and business model”. Looking forward for this great meeting!



Click here for the official site and here for the complete program.

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Call for papers: 9th International Conference on the Philosophy of Computer Games

An excellent opportunity for game researches. This year’s conference is devoted to the philosophical exploration of how meaning phenomena contribute to the nature as well as the socio-cultural role of computer games. Click here for more information.



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Video Game Cultures & The Future of Entertainment Conference (Oxford – July 2014)

Last week I was in Oxford (UK) at the Mansfield College for the “Video Game Cultures & The Future of Entertainment Conference”. The event is part of the Oxford’s University inter-disciplinary program, a global network for dynamic research and publishing. There were 3 days of full immersion inside the gaming research universe with excellent content presented by people from 15 different countries.

On the first day, we had a very interesting discussion with René Schalleger about how game designers create interactive experiences that let players explore complex issues of identity, free will and agency. Another highlight from day 1 was Teros Pasanen’s presentation about the Hobbesian state of nature in the game DayZ.



The second day was intense and focused on mobile gaming, gender in video games, serious games, educational games and game design.

On the third day, I presented my paper “Health, consumption and entertainment: the Nike brand embodied as a playful experience” that I wrote with my friend Marcelo Vasconcellos (click here to download).

This kind of event is perfect for networking and to improve our researches. For more information and the complete conference’s content access the official site of inter-disciplinary.net by clicking here.

Another good badge for my character’s sheet. =)

Go gamers!

The Gamification of Death: How the Hardest Game Design Challenge Ever Demonstrates the Limits of Gaming

Video games can evoke powerful emotions, and deeply affect the people who play them. Plenty of games have already proven that the medium is capable of dealing with complex issues, but are there subjects that video games just aren't equipped to handle?

Margaret Robertson of the experimental game studio Hide&Seek explored this very question at GDC 2012, as she and her team ran into some real trouble when working on their interactive media experiment, Dreams of Your Life.

[Note: To access chapter selection, click the fullscreen button or check out the video on the GDC Vault website]

Source: Gama Sutra.