Games User Research

Games User Research

@gamesur.bsky.social

Games User Research (#GamesUR): making video games better by understanding players 🧠 and play 🎮. A volunteer-run IGDA SIG. Sharing articles, blogs & events!

568 followers1.2K following47 posts

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Day 2 of the GUR SIG 2026 Conference is done, we'll be sharing images from the presentations today. The live streams will become available (date tbd) so enjoy these hints for now! Leveling Up: From User Research to User Science by Navot Naor of www.overwolf.com

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Day 2 of the GUR SIG 2026 Conference is done, we'll be sharing images from the presentations today. The live streams will become available (date tbd) so enjoy these hints for now! This is What Makes a Good Battle Pass? by Dmitrii Sokolov of wargaming.com/en/

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Day 2 of the GUR SIG 2026 Conference is done, we'll be sharing images from the presentations today. The live streams will become available (date tbd) so enjoy these hints for now! Nadezhda Ivanova of wargaming.com/en/ brought us Research That Does Not Stop at Delivery

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Day 2 of the GUR SIG 2026 Conference is done, we'll be sharing images from the presentations today. The live streams will become available (date tbd) so enjoy these hints for now! Is it interesting, or is it useful? from Dani Borghini and John Dickens of www.tencent.com

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Day 2 of the GUR SIG 2026 Conference is done, we'll be sharing images from the presentations today. The live streams will become available (date tbd) so enjoy these hints for now! Elizabeth Zelle of 2k.com brings us Being Somebody, exploring player customization motivations!

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Day 2 of the GUR SIG 2026 Conference is done, we'll be sharing images from the presentations today. The live streams will become available (date tbd) so enjoy these hints for now! The Research Your AI Isn’t Using by Sohvi Silius from yousician.com

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Day 1 of the GUR SIG 2026 Conference is done, we'll be sharing images from the presentations today and tomorrow. The live streams will become available (date tbd) so enjoy these hints for now! Start with Cracking the Beta Insight Code from Michael Cai of www.interpretllc.com

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Day 1 of the GUR SIG 2026 Conference is done, we'll be sharing images from the presentations today and tomorrow. The live streams will become available (date tbd) so enjoy this highlight from the evening's social!

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Day 1 of the GUR SIG 2026 Conference is done, we'll be sharing images from the presentations today and tomorrow. The live streams will become available (date tbd) so enjoy these hints for now! Start with Cracking the Beta Insight Code from Michael Cai of www.interpretllc.com

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Heading towards the end of Day 2, Navot gives us some thought provoking nudges towards thinking of our profession as a science, not just research. #gamesur conference.

Games User Research reposted

Elizabeth Zelle
@kohizeri.bsky.social

Michael Berthin speaking in the paradox of impact in #GamesUR - easily countable impact can often over-index on easy, low-friction issues. Deeper impact can be overlooked because it can’t be measured as easily. If your team allocates resources on ‘high impact’ work, what research aren’t you doing?

Games User Research reposted

Elizabeth Zelle
@kohizeri.bsky.social

“Human oversight only works while humans remain qualified” 👏 👏 👏 Pietro Guardini speaking on ‘Did the Player Survive the Pipeline? 4 Checks Before an AI-Assisted Finding Reaches the Roadmap’ at the #GamesUR conference

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Day 1 of the GUR SIG 2026 Conference is done, we'll be sharing images from the presentations today and tomorrow. The live streams will become available (date tbd) so enjoy these hints for now! Between Metrics and Meaning came from Jennifer Klatt from www.playtestcloud.com

Games User Research reposted

John Dickens
@johndickens.bsky.social

Really good research questions are not just things that describe your study goal, but something that can guide entire teams and milestones for your game. Come to #GamesUserResearchConference2026 and find out why this work is so critical to building an effective research practice! 🇫🇮

Games User Research reposted

Elizabeth Zelle
@kohizeri.bsky.social

Excited to share that I'm a speaker at this year's #GamesUR Conference! Are you interested in hearing more about how and why players engage with customization systems and how to get biggest customization bang for your bandwidth buck? I'll be sharing a framework I've built over the last 15 years!

Games User Research@gamesur.bsky.social

Planning your #GamesUR 2026 itinerary for Finnish Games Week? Talk details and speaker announcements are now live on our site! Explore the lineup: www.gamesur.com/conference/g... See you October 22–23 in Helsinki! Secure your pass today: www.eventbrite.fi/e/gamesur-co... 🎟️

gamesur.comTalks 2026 | Games User Research Community
Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Ethical GUR also demands inclusive recruitment so underrepresented groups participate in playtesting. The speakers advocate for proactive GUR—evaluating games' social/cultural impact during testing rather than reacting post-launch.

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

How do we apply core ethics principles to Games User Research? 🎮⚖️ In this #GamesUR throwback, Ann Johnson & Lisa Rigtrup break down "The Ethics of Our Art: Research Ethics and the Games User Experience." Watch the full talk: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrsy... Recap below 🧵👇 [1/5]

youtube.comThe Ethics of Our Art: Research Ethics and the Games User Experience | Ann Johnson & Lisa RigtrupDescription “Any tool can be used for good or bad. It’s really the ethics of the artist using it.” John Knoll, visual effect artist Many professions have ethical principles or a code of conduct…
Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

The talk adapts 3 foundational human research principles to GUR: • Respect for Persons: Ensuring players give informed consent and retain autonomy • Beneficence: Minimizing research harms while maximizing benefits • Justice: Distributing benefits and research burdens fairly

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

Applying ethics to playtesting isn't theoretical—it directly affects daily GUR operations: • Gamertags act as PII and need privacy protection • Playtest compensation must avoid being coercive • VR playtesting carries physical safety risks like falls

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Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

• To a Game Designer: GUR is about ensuring player experience matches design intent—finding where mechanics confuse or delight players. • To a CEO: GUR mitigates business risk by identifying critical flaws before costly post-launch fixes. [2/5]

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

• To a Student: GUR sits at the intersection of psychology, human-computer interaction, and game design. It’s applying scientific methods to player behavior. • To Non-Gamers/Grandparents: We watch people play unreleased games to help make them easier and more fun. [3/5]

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

#GamesUR Conference 2026 speaker submissions deadline on July 18! We're looking for diverse submissions including: 🗣️ Talks, Panels, or Roundtables: Navigating layoffs in the games industry Submit your proposal here: forms.gle/8SfdgRJmqB3F... #GameDev #UXResearch #UserResearch #GamesResearch

forms.gle#GamesUR Conference 2026 - SubmissionsThank you so much for your interest in #GamesUR Conference 2026. #GamesUR is a community-run, not-for-profit conference that began in 2010 and has welcomed over 300 attendees from around the world. We...
Games User Research@gamesur.bsky.social

🎮 #GamesUR Conference 2026 is excited to announce that we are accepting Speaker Submissions from our community! 🤝 In partnership with Supercell & iMotions 📍 Helsinki 📅 October 22 & 23 Call for Submissions forms.gle/sXWUoVzgXHjE... ⏰Deadline: July 18, 2026 #GameDev #UXResearch #UserResearch

forms.gle#GamesUR Conference 2026 - SubmissionsThank you so much for your interest in #GamesUR Conference 2026. #GamesUR is a community-run, not-for-profit conference that began in 2010 and has welcomed over 300 attendees from around the world. We...

Games User Research reposted

Games User Research
@gamesur.bsky.social

🎮 #GamesUR Conference 2026 is excited to announce that we are accepting Speaker Submissions from our community! 🤝 In partnership with Supercell & iMotions 📍 Helsinki 📅 October 22 & 23 Call for Submissions forms.gle/sXWUoVzgXHjE... ⏰Deadline: July 18, 2026 #GameDev #UXResearch #UserResearch

forms.gle#GamesUR Conference 2026 - SubmissionsThank you so much for your interest in #GamesUR Conference 2026. #GamesUR is a community-run, not-for-profit conference that began in 2010 and has welcomed over 300 attendees from around the world. We...