Welcome to HeGRiC!

HeGRiC stands for Helsinki Game Research Collective and is a group of cross-disciplinary scholars based at the University of Helsinki. Our aim is to fruitfully pursue the study the intersection of games and other disciplines. The HeGRiC researchers represent a variety of fields, completely in line with our goal to treat games – digital, social, as well as analogue – as dynamic products of cross-disciplinary interests.

The aim of HeGRiC is to facilitate game research visibility, collaboration and expertise locally at the University of Helsinki.

The HeGRiC group is currently focused on scholarly quests as follows:

  • The game studies and historical culture research seminar, led by Dr Derek Fewster. The seminar meets approximately once per month to enjoy guest lectures, research papers and scholarly discussion on the topic of games and the humanities. See the research seminar page for more details.
  • Every now and then we talk about HeGRiC and our research in external contexts. Read or listen to some of it here: HeGRiC Media Presence.
  • Imagining the Nordic – approaches to regionality in video games is a series of research papers focused on discussing the Nordics as represented in games, as well as a regional hub for game-making. This was going to be presented as a panel at cancelled conference DiGRA 2020. Will be presented at a later date.
  • HeGRiC is collaborating, or organizing Events.

If you would like to get in touch with us, feel free to write any of the below listed HeGRiC members.

Derek Fewster

Heidi Rautalahti

Ylva Grufstedt

Lysiane Lasausse

Jakob Lindström

Ways to join HeGRiC’s activities & the game studies seminar:

Link to email list: To subscribe to the email list, please send an email to majordomo@helsinki.fi containing the subject and message “subscribe hegric-info@helsinki.fi”.  (https://helpdesk.it.helsinki.fi/en/instructions/collaboration-and-publication/e-mail/mailing-lists-basic-use)

Join the Games studies seminar? The seminar is multidisciplinary, open to all levels of students and (junior) scholars. Credits are negotiable. Contact: Derek.fewster@helsinki.fi 

Discord logo and symbol, meaning, history, PNGJoin HeGRiC! HeGRiC has a Discord that anyone who is interested in game studies at the University of Helsinki can join and find each other. Please e-mail heidi.rautalahti@helsinki.fi for an invite.  

Leave a Reply