GALA Conf 2026

Gala 2026 Book of Abstracts

📚

GALA 2026 Games Competition & Exhibition: Book Of Abstracts

Welcome to the official repository for the Books of Abstracts of the 15th Games and Learning Alliance Conference (GALA 2026) Serious Games Competition & Exhibition. Explore peer-reviewed project abstracts and contributions showcasing innovative serious games for learning, healthcare, and social impact.

📖 Open Access Publication 🎮 Serious Games Competition 🏛️ University of L’Aquila

ℹ️ About the Book of Abstracts

The GALA 2026 Serious Games Competition & Exhibition, organized by the Serious Games Society (SGS) in collaboration with the University of L’Aquila, celebrates the best digital and physical games for learning, training, healthcare, and behavioral change in the world.

To ensure permanent academic visibility, authors of shortlisted finalist games are invited to submit extended abstracts documenting the purpose, pedagogical framework, mechanics, and evaluation of their games. These works are peer-reviewed and archived as formal open-access volumes through institutional repositories.

Books of Abstracts

Open Access
Volume Official Repository Archive

GALA 2026 Games Competition

15th Games and Learning Alliance Conference • L’Aquila, Italy (17–20 November 2026)

Competition Chairs & Editors

Kristina Risley & Mariana Rocha

Univ. of Southampton & TU Dublin

Institutional Repository

ePrints Soton (Univ. of Southampton)

Record ID: #515814

Access Type & License

Open Access • Full Text

Available worldwide

Evaluated Tracks

Academy, Business, and Student

Digital, XR, and Tabletop Games

Abstract

The GALA 2026 Games Competition & Exhibition: Book of Abstracts brings together the complete compendium of shortlisted serious games, extended descriptions, and project exhibits showcased at the 15th annual Games and Learning Alliance Conference (GALA 2026), held in L’Aquila, Italy. As an international flagship contest organized by the Serious Games Society in collaboration with the University of L’Aquila, the competition honors outstanding achievements in serious game design, applied educational play, and interactive learning media.

This volume compiles peer-reviewed contributions across three competitive tracks: Academy (serious games conceived, implemented, and empirically studied within university and research laboratories), Business (commercial and professional serious game solutions deployed by industry studios), and Student (novel works authored by emerging developers pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees). Each included entry details the gameplay mechanics, explicit learning or behavioral objectives, target user demographics, technical execution (across digital, virtual reality, augmented reality, and hybrid physical tabletop mediums), and playtesting or evaluation outcomes.

Archived permanently via the University of Southampton Institutional Repository, this publication ensures that the games demonstrated during the conference exhibition remain accessible to educators, psychologists, game designers, and academic researchers seeking state-of-the-art references in serious games for healthcare, environmental stewardship, STEM education, cultural heritage, and cognitive training.

Tracks Documented in this Volume

🔬
Academy Track

Scientific games designed within university faculties and research institutions, emphasizing validated methodologies and experimental learning assessments.

💼
Business Track

Commercial serious games produced by professional creative studios, showcasing high production values, market deployment, and user engagement.

🎓
Student Track

Fresh and imaginative games developed by student teams, recognized with travel grants and dedicated conference showcase opportunities.

Competition & Juried Assessment

Every game published in the Book of Abstracts undergoes thorough multi-dimensional review by an international jury of serious games scientists and practitioners. Submissions are scored on a 0–5 scale against 10 core dimensions:

🎯 Pedagogical & Practical Value

  • Effectiveness: Capability to reach defined learning and training objectives.
  • Efficiency: Attainment of goals without unnecessary cognitive load or wasted time.
  • Exploitability: Ease and feasibility of deployment in real-world educational contexts.
  • Reusability: Adaptability across diverse learning environments and cohorts.
  • Assessment Support: In-game feedback and performance evaluation features.

🎮 Playability & Experience

  • Usability: Learnability, accessibility, interface clarity, and intuitive ergonomics.
  • Player Engagement: Immersion and sustained motivation within core gameplay loops.
  • Topic Motivation: Ability to stimulate long-term curiosity about the subject matter.
  • Originality: Creative narrative design, distinctive characters, and innovative mechanics.
  • Technical Innovation: Advanced graphics, AI integration, and technical polish.

📌 How to Cite

If you refer to any abstract or project from the volume, please cite:

Risley, K., & Rocha, M. (Eds.). (2026). GALA 2026 Games Competition & Exhibition: Book of Abstracts. University of Southampton Institutional Repository (ePrints Soton #515814). https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/515814/

✉️ Competition Contacts

For inquiries concerning the competition, book publication, or exhibition attendance, please contact the Competition Chairs:

Kristina Risley (University of Southampton, UK)
K.Risley@soton.ac.uk

Mariana Rocha (TU Dublin, Ireland)
mariana.rocha@tudublin.ie

GALA Conf 2026

About

GALA Conference 2026 (15th edition) is an event organized by the Serious Games Society in collaboration with the University of L’Aquila.