The Center for Historical Games and Heritage at the University of Gdańsk announces the 2nd Unconference on Games with History and Heritage, to be held by the Faculty of History UG from 21 to 23 February 2026.
We invite scholars, educators, game developers, designers, curators, and players to engage with this year’s theme: “Uses and Abuses of History in Games”. Let’s hear how you approach historical content in games: what works, what doesn’t, what pitfalls to avoid, what others can learn from you – and what we can do together.
UGHH is a meeting point for professionals from academia, game industry, heritage, education, wargaming, and more – a space for intersectoral networking and exchange of ideas and opportunities. Here, we forge partnerships, recruit collaborators, and plan new joint projects. Come make some history with us.
What is an unconference?
A participant-driven event where everyone contributes, learns, experiments, and connects. Expect collaborative workshops and small group sessions, where people share projects, test ideas, and co-create tools for engaging with history and heritage through games. We keep it small and cosy – no more than 40 heads – so everyone has a real chance to talk to one another.
Highlight of the 2026 edition
We will play “The Great Gambit” – an edu-simulation of pre-WWI Germany – facilitated by its creators Yauheni Luchaninau and Anders Kjellberg. A unique opportunity to experience and discuss the game directly with the authors, who are open to exploring partnerships for future adaptations and expansions.
Participation fee 275 PLN / 65 EUR
The fee covers evening snacks on Saturday (21 February) and breakfasts and lunches on Sunday–Monday (22–23 February).
PAYMENT DETAILS
Fee: 65 EUR or 275 PLN
Payment description:
KU0W-26 + Your Name
(Please remember to include the code in the transfer title.)
Bank account holder:
Uniwersytet Gdański
Bank account number:
30 1240 1271 1111 0011 6098 2515
Bank details for foreign transfers:
SWIFT: PKOPPLPW
IBAN: PL30 1240 1271 1111 0011 6098 2515
Contact for invoice requests:
Katarzyna Szafrańska, Finance Department
tel. +48 58 523 24 75
katarzyna.szafranska@ug.edu.pl
Registration
Please register using the link below. Submissions are reviewed at the end of each month, and results will be communicated within 7 days. Registration will close once capacity is reached.
Previous edition
UGHH#01 (2025) welcomed guests from Falmouth University (UK), Charles University (CZ), Central Connecticut State University (USA), University of Luxembourg (LU), European Humanities University (LT), Jagiellonian University (PL), Polish Academy of Sciences (PL), Nicolaus Copernicus University (PL), Kazimierz Wielki University (PL), WSG University (PL), AGH University of Kraków (PL), Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology (PL), Brickmouse Games (UK), BelGameDev in Exile (BY), False Prophet (PL), National Film Archive (CZ), and the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk (PL).
The highlight of UGHH#01 was a hands-on workshop in rapid board game prototyping, based on the Historical Problem-Space framework developed by Jeremiah McCall. The author facilitated the session remotely, joining us live from the USA.
PARTNER-POWERED THEMES-ACTIVITIES
Museum of the Second World War
Activity (Side Event): Free museum tour with audio guides
When: Saturday, 21 February – morning to early afternoon, before the start of the main programme at the Faculty of History
Leader: Bartosz Odorowicz, Head of Programmes and Cooperation
Join a complimentary guided visit to one of Poland’s most renowned museums. Participants can explore the permanent exhibition with audio guides before the main unconference begins.
Phalanx
Theme: Drafting a one-semester course on designing historical games and wargames
Activity: Collaborative curriculum design
Leader: Jaro Andruszkiewicz, CEO
Academic curriculum developers and game industry practitioners will co-create a model course that bridges academic theory and professional practice in historical game and wargame design.
The Great Gambit
Theme: Historical game-based learning
Activity: Play session of “The Great Gambit” facilitated by the creators
Leaders: Yauheni Luchaninau and Anders Kjellberg
Experience The Great Gambit first-hand in a session run by its creators.
Rebel.pl
Theme: Industry-led non-formal tabletop game design education – designer camps and game jams
Activity: Roundtable discussion
Leader: Krzysztof Szafrański, Business Development Director
A conversation about non-formal education in tabletop game development, with insights from Rebel.pl’s long-standing experience in supporting designer camps, game jams, and community-driven creative events.
Magnus Ducatus Foundation
Theme: Ukrainian and Belarusian games and gamedev after the Russian invasion
Activity: Presentation and debate on prospects for partnership-building
Leader: Yaraslau I. Kot, President
An exploration of the challenges and resilience of the Ukrainian and Belarusian game development scenes since 2022, with a focus on cultural preservation, collaboration, and cross-border partnerships.
Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation (IPN)
Theme: Playing Justice – Games, Memory, and Historical Accountability
Activity: Moderated discussion
Leader: Łukasz M. Pogoda, unofficial head of the board games section at IPN
How can games meaningfully address historical crimes, justice, and moral responsibility without trivialising or sensationalising the past? This session explores the potential of games as tools for critical engagement with difficult history.
Fundacja Żywej Historii (Living History Foundation)
Theme: A new genre of historical game design – games based on COBI building blocks
Activity: Collaborative game ideation and prototyping
Leader: Artur Machlowski, Director at FŻH and Brand Manager at COBI
Participants will co-develop prototype concepts for a new category of historical games built from COBI blocks, blending construction play, storytelling, and educational design.
Co-organising Partner: WSG University in Bydgoszcz
Activity: organisational support for the C-HIGHER team behind the scenes.
Warhorse Studios
Theme: Historical consulting for Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Activity: Q&A session
Leader: Joanna Nowak
A conversation with Joanna Nowak, historical consultant for KC:D and KC:D2. In this Q&A session, she will share behind-the-scenes insights into bringing medieval Bohemia to life in these award-winning productions.
C-HIGHER (HOST)’s THEMES-ACTIVITIES
Historical Games-ed Jam
Theme: Academic Degrees in Historical and Heritage Games
Activity: Collaborative ideation and prototyping of MA curricula in historical games
We invite participants to co-create concepts for Master-level programmes focused on history- and heritage-themed games. Our key initiative is a practice-oriented degree in Historical Applied Games — spanning historical education, wargame simulation, and peace-gaming. Planned for launch in October 2027, this programme will serve as a model we are happy to adapt and develop with partner institutions.
Theme: Study Visit – BA in Historical Game Design at the University of Gdańsk
Activity: Study visit
Join us for a visit to our BA in Historical Game Design, now at the midpoint of its first run. The inaugural cohort, enrolled in October 2024, will have just completed Semester 3 (of 6). Meet students and staff, playtest their works-in-progress, exchange ideas, and share your feedback.
Theme: Historiographical Game Design
Activity: Roundtable – Debate, game ideation, research planning
A discussion on the present and future of historiographical game design and development.
How can a historical game become a historiographical one?
How can we advocate for institutional recognition of historiographical games as legitimate research outputs, alongside peer-reviewed publications?
And are we ready to start such projects today?
Theme: Central and Eastern European Collaboration on History and Heritage Games
Activity: Roundtable – Experience sharing, mapping opportunities, planning partnerships
Educators and game creators from across the CEE region meet to exchange experiences, explore cross-border collaboration, and identify opportunities in game development, education, and research.
Theme: Grant Funding for Research and R&D in Historical Games
Activities:
- Roundtable – Experience sharing, mapping opportunities, planning partnerships
- (Optional) Drafting grant proposals in small working groups
We will review funding options and collaboration models for education, research, R&D, and serious game development. If promising joint initiatives emerge during the event, we’ll dedicate time on the final day to outline or draft shared proposals.