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 Let’s hear how you approach historical content in games: what works, what doesn’t, what pitfalls to avoid, what others can learn from you – and what we can do together.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 will be shared after the first round of sign-ups.
Registration
Online registration opens on October 31. Submissions will be reviewed monthly, and notifications of acceptance / rejection sent within 10 days. Registration will close once capacity is reached. If places remain, it will continue into the next month.
The registration link will be available here from 31 October.
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.