GALA 2025: Games and Learning Alliance 2025 Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands, November 19-21, 2025

Conference website	https://conf.seriousgamessociety.org/
Submission link	https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=gala2025
Submission deadline	July 2, 2025

You are cordially invited to submit papers to the 14th Games and Learning Alliance Conference (GALA Conference 2025). GALA Conference 2025 is an international conference organized by the Serious Games Society in collaboration with Utrecht University.

The conference will take place in the historic city-center of Utrecht (The Netherlands) from 19th November to 21st November. The objective of the conference is to provide an international forum for the dissemination and exchange of scientific information on theoretical, generic, and applied areas of game-based learning.

We are seeking original contributions that advance the state-of-the-art in game-based learning. With game-based learning we refer to, and are inclusive to (1) Gamification, (2) Games for Learning (i.e., Serious / Applied Games), and (3) Playful Learning. Position Papers and Experimental studies are strongly encouraged too. Also, the GALA purposely welcomes Humanities research for its new Media and Cultural Studies track.

We welcome papers for the following tracks:

• Media and Cultural Studies track
• Educational Science track
• Cognitive Science track
• Technology track
• Game Design track
• Application track
• Industrial track

Important dates

Paper Submissions: 2nd July, 2025 Acceptance Notification: 5th September, 2025 Camera-ready: 19th September, 2025

AUTHORS’ INSTRUCTIONS

All submitted papers must present original and unpublished work, which is not currently under review elsewhere.

Papers have to be submitted through the Easychair system. Requirements are as follows:

• The maximum length of a submitted paper is 10 pages INCLUDING references (and appendixes; if applicable).
• Submitted papers need to be anonymized by the authors by removing any identifying author and institution information from the submission.
• Authors should consult Springer’s authors’ instructions and use their LNCS proceedings templates, either for LaTeX, Word, or Overleaf, for the preparation of their papers. Springer encourages authors to include their ORCIDs in their papers, though this is optional.
• Papers not meeting these requirements will be desk rejected.

The reviewing process used by GALA is double-anonymized, meaning that the paper authors do not know the identities of the reviewers, and the reviewers do not know the identities of the authors. Papers will receive three (3) reviews, upon which the track chair can make three possible decisions:

• Accept as Full Paper. Papers are published in the conference proceedings and are presented via an oral presentation at the conference. Maximum paper length remains at 10 pages including references.
• Accept as Short Paper. Papers are published in the conference proceedings and are presented via a poster presentation at the conference. Maximum paper length is reduced to 6 pages including references, meaning that the authors possibly need to reduce the length of their submission.
• Reject; not included in the conference.

All accepted papers will be included in the conference proceedings published on Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). A dedicated special issue with an upgraded version of the best papers of the conference will be published in The International Journal of Serious Games. The corresponding author of an accepted paper, acting on behalf of all of the authors of that paper, must complete and sign a Consent-to-Publish form.

At least one author of each accepted paper is required to register for the conference (regular or student rate).

TOPICS OF INTEREST

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

Educational Science track

• Educational effectiveness of Serious Games (SGs)
• Methodologies of studying educational effectiveness of SGs
• Educational theories and their application in the field of serious games
• Pedagogical approaches and teachers role in SGs
• SGs in learning assessment
• SGs as an educational research tools
• Learning by making games
• SGs enhancing literacy and numeracy skills
• SGs enhancing higher-order thinking
• SGs for business applications from innovation to cultural change and strategic decision making

Cognitive Science track

• Cognitive processing in SGs
• SGs for cognitive disorders
• Cognitive architecture in SGs design and development
• Neuroscience in SGs

Technology track

• Human-computer interaction for SGs (hardware, software)
• Extended reality (XR): augmented reality, mixed reality, virtual reality
• Modelling and simulation
• Learner performance modelling, assessment (stealth, formative, summative) and feedback
• Learning analytics
• Adaptivity and personalisation in SGs
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning for SGs
• Big data for SGs
• Tools and applications for neuro-scientific game research
• Computing architectures for SGs
• Immersive and multimedia experiences
• Computer graphics and visual effects
• Emotions and affective interaction
• Interactive narrative and digital storytelling
• Smart toys for learning
• Efficient development tools
• Support for development of gamified solutions
• Security and privacy in SGs

Game Design track

• Design and implementation of SGs mechanics (e.g., score, rewards, achievements, and related interfaces)
• Mapping educational goals, outcomes and principles into serious game mechanics
• Research methods for SGs and playing experience evaluation
• Inclusive design and accessibility issues
• Emotional design in serious games
• Evidence-based development of serious games
• Ubiquitous/pervasive gaming
• Balancing in games (e.g., realism, engagement, learning, and entertainment)
• Collaboration and cooperation aspects
• Design for behavioural change

Application track

• Case studies on developing/deploying SGs and gamified systems in application domains such as business, strategic and tactical decision-making for crisis and conflict management, management, entrepreneurship, environment, cultural heritage, health, fitness, sport, smart buildings, humanities, engineering, manufacturing, security, safety, ethics, emergency response and pandemic, etc.
• User studies applying SGs in training (e.g., professional, corporate and executive training, skill development and other workforce programs)
• User studies applying serious games in the above domains, studying effectiveness of the games
• Understanding how, when, with whom, for what to use SGs
• Human factors in SGs
• Identifying boundary conditions for using SGs
• Evaluation of impact, longitudinal studies
• Assessing personal abilities through SGs
• Usability studies
• SGs for behavioural change

Industrial track

• Distribution models
• Game analytics
• Serious games studies
• Models for serious games
• Monetization models & strategies
• Pervasive and mobile gaming
• Gamification
• Products supporting serious games development and deployment

Media and cultural studies track

• Analysis of SGs and play
• Analogue games and game design
• Interactive narrative and digital storytelling
• Cultural context of SGs and play
• Ecogames
• Theory and philosophy of SGs and play
• (Media) literacy games and ludoliteracy
• Political economy of SGs and play
• Critical game design post mortems
• Representation in SGs and play
• Game design and playful pedagogy
• Discourses around SGs and play
• Practice based research and creative methods
• Histories of SGs and play