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CITY U HK
GAMELAB
Game design and game research space at
City University of Hong Kong
Latest projects
Sketch for a Phenomenology of Gameplay (as) Performance: Bodies, Systems, Worlds
Leino, O., Hao, Y., & Möring, S. (2026, June). Sketch for a Phenomenology of Gameplay (as) Performance: Bodies, Systems, Worlds. In Abstract Proceedings of DiGRA 2026. Olli Leino and Morgan Yu This ongoing work contributes to performance studies by extending concepts ofembodiment, co-presence, and liveness into environments shaped by algorithms andplatforms. It contributes to game studies by offering a phenomenological account ofgameplay as performance that does not rely on d
The'Chinese'Non-city: Thematic (in) coherence and level design in Sifu
Barroso, D. (2026, June). The'Chinese'Non-city: Thematic (in) coherence and level design in Sifu. In Abstract Proceedings of DiGRA 2026. Diego Barroso The fragmentary nature of Sifu’s (Sloclap 2022) game world, underlying its thematic design, leads us to an overwhelming question: 1. Can a video game with discrete levels/stages construct a coherent and cohesive (all-encompassing) spatial environment, such as a city? And, more importantly, is this urban environment actually con
The final frontier of space in video games. Spatio-narrative design in Judgment by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Barroso, D., & Huang, Z. (2026, June). The final frontier of space in video games. Spatio-narrative design in Judgment by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. In Proceedings of DiGRA 2026. Diego Barroso and Zidong Huang In video game environments that hold a referential relationship to preexisting spaces, such as Kamurocho from the Yakuza/Judgment series and Kabukicho in Shinjuku, the narrative and ludic content in the virtual world reflects the personal urban understanding/experiences of t
Recent events
Exhibition: The Power of Play—Exploring the Ludic Landscape
04 July-25 October 2026 This exhibition focuses on the core aspects of what games are, and what we think they do, and it will also puncture some myths and false beliefs about play. Are violent games making children violent? Will games lead to addiction? Are games in the classroom a better way to learn? What, if anything, can we learn from games? Can they make the world a better place? The selection presented in this exhibition is meant to show the variety of play, from games
The Gam(bl)ing Conference
The Gam(bl)ing Conference: Thinking Outside the Loot Box at the City University of Hong Kong welcomes research on topics including, but not limited to, loot boxes, gacha games, skin gambling, social casino games, gam(bl)ing advertising, regulation, youth protection, and physical gambling-like products.
History of Games 2026: The Ages of Games
25-27 June 2026 History is often divided into epochs, be they ages, periods, dynasties or eras. The history of popular culture is no different: cinema, for example, has the cinema of attractions, the silent period, the age of vanguards, post-war movements such as the New Waves or the Italian Neorealism, the New Hollywood, the age of V-Cinema and OVA, and the international rise of independent films. Similarly, games and video games have Golden Ages, revolutions, generations, c
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