Gaming industry professionals, academics, and digital game experts from around the world gathered in Istanbul on December 6–7 for the “Games for Change Turkey 2025 Festival.” Hosted by Bahçeşehir University (BAU), this year’s festival centered around the theme “City and Play.”
Organized by the BAU Game Lab (BUG Lab)—the European representative of the New York-based Games for Change platform—the event invited participants to rethink cities through games, design, and technology under the motto “Gaming the City, Modding the Future.” The festival featured a wide range of social-impact content, including speeches, presentations, and panels aimed at raising awareness for global issues such as the climate crisis, gender equality, preservation of cultural heritage, and animal rights. Additionally, students had the opportunity to showcase their original game projects at dedicated exhibition stands.
The festival hosted prominent names from the international gaming industry, including Adam Mirkowski (11 Bit Studios), Onat Hekimoğlu (Slow Bros), Cyrus Nemati (Little Bat Games), Felix Bohatsch (Broken Rules), Jérôme Cattenot (DOWiNO), Vincent Péquignot (Gamabilis), Dr. Oğuz Buruk (Tampere University), and Dr. Ekim Tan (Play the City).
Delivering the opening keynote, BAU Rector Prof. Dr. Esra Hatipoğlu emphasized the transformative power of gaming:
“Universities must not only follow global developments but also actively shape discussions regarding the future of culture, education, and technology. Games are among the most powerful tools today for addressing critical issues such as climate change, gender equality, cultural heritage, social justice, and animal rights.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Güven Çatak, Head of the BAU Digital Game Design Department and Founding Director of BUG Lab, shared his thoughts on the relationship between cities and games:
“I am truly excited by this year’s theme, ‘Gaming the City, Modding the Future.’ As an architect, I have always believed that cities are massive open-world games. They are full of missions, puzzles, problems, and opportunities for redesign. Games provide the perfect medium to explore all of these.”
Highlighting that Games for Change Turkey is a young organization just one year old, Çatak noted the significant impact created in a short time:
“We have become a meeting point for designers, academics, activists, institutions, and studios who believe that games can inspire change. Istanbul’s structure, where cultures, ideas, and stories meet, offers a unique atmosphere for this movement.”
Concluding his speech with advice for young participants, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Güven Çatak stated:
“Please keep experimenting, keep challenging norms, and never stop dreaming of better worlds. Because play is not the opposite of seriousness; on the contrary, it is a powerful tool that allows us to explore the most serious ideas.”
Hosted by Bahçeşehir University, the Games for Change Turkey 2025 Festival drew significant attention this year with its comprehensive content and international participation, showcasing the immense potential of games to create social impact.
TR
