First, some introductions. We’re both academics at Manchester Metropolitan University and members of the Games Research Network, a multidisciplinary group covering all aspects of games, gaming and play. This means we’re lucky enough to work on – and play – games with a great group of colleagues, students and games designers. While our research group covers games of all kinds, from VR to the playground, for us this means board games. Which is why we’re here.
At this point you’re probably asking, “What kind of academic conducts research into board games?” and/or, “What will their research tell me that I don’t already know?” Both are fair questions – they’re questions we’ve asked ourselves in the development of this column. What we’re hoping to show is that while academic work can at times appear abstract it often provides innovative solutions to a range of societal issues. (Yes, that includes work on board games.) Three recent research publications about Klaus Teuber’s Catan provide examples of this in action.