Speakers
Dr. Richard Cole, Lecturer - Digital Futures, University of Bristol
Dr. Richard Cole is Lecturer in Digital Futures at the University of Bristol, where he also co-programme directs the MA Games Design (Narrative). His research investigates how video games, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence open up new avenues for humanistic inquiry. He has published widely on games, from inquiries into gameplay structures and immersion, to worldbuilding, paratexts, and gender representation. He has coined key terms for game analysis and has led ground-breaking player studies into AI-native games. As co-Director of the Bristol Digital Game Lab, a pioneering hub connecting academia with the games industry, he aims to unlock the power of play for cultural, educational, and civic transformation.