Program

Conference Sessions

We are thrilled to announce the inaugural BIPOC Game Studies Conference, scheduled for September 12-14, 2025, at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. This groundbreaking event aims to celebrate and explore the rich contributions of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the gaming industry. We invited scholars, developers, and creators to contribute to the conference through the peer-reviewed paper, panel and speaker submission as well as a curated showcase of analog and digital games.
Join us in this unique opportunity to engage with a community dedicated to elevating BIPOC voices in gaming. Whether you're a researcher, developer, or enthusiast, the BIPOC Game Studies Conference 2025 promises an enriching experience for all:

• Keynote Speakers: Widely respected speakers from our network of leaders promising to provide insight, guidance and exciting observations. The event will have 2 opening and closing keynote speakers each day. Confirmed keynote speakers include:
  

  Stanley Pierre-Louis

  President & Chief Executive Officer Entertainment Software Association

  Stanley Pierre-Louis has served as ESA’s President and CEO since 2019. Stan first joined ESA as its Senior Vice President and General Counsel in 2015, where he led the legal, policy and regulatory affairs function for the association..

  Elizabeth Del Valle

  Global Partnering Marketing Lead, YouTube Music and Premium

  Elizabeth Del Valle is an award-winning marketing leader who focuses on building community and brand and platform loyalty with makers of all kinds, including gamers, developers, media companies, and content creators. With over 16 years of experience, including almost a decade at Google, she has a proven track record of driving impactful marketing initiatives for major platforms such as PlayStation, Google Play, and YouTube.

  Elizabeth LaPensée, Ph.D.

  Narrative Director at Twin Suns, is an award-winning designer, writer, and artist of games and comics who was named a Guggenheim Fellow in 2018 and inducted into the Global Women in Games Hall of Fame in 2020. Notably, she was the designer and artist of Thunderbird Strike, a lightning-searing side-scroller game which won Best Digital Media at imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival 2017. Most recently, she directed and designed When Rivers Were Trails, an adventure game about land allotment in the 1890s which won the Adaptation Award at IndieCade 2019.

• Peer-Reviewed Research Presentations: Engage with cutting-edge academic insights through presentations and panels that delve into themes such as representation, identity, cultural preservation, and decolonization in gaming. We plan to have 25-30 academic presenters sharing their research in the domain in panels and presentations.
• Curated Game Showcase: Experience a diverse array of digital and analog games developed by BIPOC creators. This expo-style showcase offers attendees and the public an opportunity to interact directly with the games and their developers.
• Industry Speakers: Gain valuable perspectives from invited speakers who are leading voices in the gaming sector, sharing their experiences and insights on fostering inclusivity and innovation.
• Unconference: An alternative session to the traditional conference sessions, designed to support community contributions and collaborative exploration of participant aims and interests.
• Networking: The program Includes opportunities to network formally and informally as well as a reception open to all registered conference attendees and participants.

Schedule

Conference Schedule

September 12th, 2025:

September 13th, 2025