Kultima Annakaisa

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Postdoctoral Researcher at Aalto University

In this research article, we survey existing quantum physics-related games and, based on this survey, propose a definition for the concept of quantum games. We define a quantum game as any type of rule-based game that either employs the principles of quantum physics or references quantum phenomena or the theory of quantum physics through any of thr...

In this paper, we explore Quantum Game Jam (QGJ) as a method for facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and creating science game prototypes. QGJ was a series of game development events, science game jams, organized five times 2014-2019. In these events game makers and quantum physicists created games about quantum mechanics, games for quantu...

This paper reports the research method of the “Game Expats Story (GES)” project that used qualitative longitudinal research (“QLR”) incorporated with art-based research (“ABR”) in the context of game research. To facilitate greater participant engagement and a higher retention rate of longitudinal participants, we created comic artworks simultaneou...

Text-to-image generation (TTIG) models, a recent addition to creative AI, can generate images based on a text description. These models have begun to rival the work of professional creatives, and sparked discussions on the future of creative work, loss of jobs, and copyright issues, amongst other important implications. To support the sustainable a...

In this paper, we explore the historical development of playable quantum physics related games (\textit{\textbf{quantum games}}). For the purpose of this examination, we have collected over 260 quantum games ranging from commercial games, applied and serious games, and games that have been developed at quantum themed game jams and educational cours...

p>In this article, we explore the concept of quantum games. We define quantum games as any type of playable games that are related to or reference quantum physics through any of three proposed dimensions: the perceivable dimension of quantum physics, the dimension of quantum technologies, and the dimension of scientific purposes. The rise of quantu...

p>In this article, we explore the concept of quantum games. We define quantum games as any type of playable games that are related to or reference quantum physics through any of three proposed dimensions: the perceivable dimension of quantum physics, the dimension of quantum technologies, and the dimension of scientific purposes. The rise of quantu...

In this paper, we reflect on a research project in which streaming gameplay on Twitch was utilized as part of data collection for a game design praxiology study. The project was conducted in Spring 2021 as a collaboration between Aalto University and The Finnish Museum of Games. It involved various sources of data collection to gain a comprehensive...

Text-to-image generation (TTIG) models can generate images based on a text description, and have begun to rival the work of professional creatives, and sparked discussions on the future of creative work, loss of jobs, and copyright issues, amongst others. To support the sustainable adoption of TTIG, we must provide rich, reliable and transparent in...

Digital distribution and new business models have transformed mobile games from products to services. This servitization turn has enabled consumers to extend their identity in mobile games through prolonged engagement. Drawing on a qualitative study of 17 consumers and 16 producers of mobile games, we elucidate how servitization can have certain ne...

The Covid-19 pandemic has influenced people's views on work, and a significant portion of the global game industry converted to remote work during the pandemic. To explore the status of game development in this pivotal moment, we have conducted semi-structured interviews with 27 immigrant/expatriate game developers ("game expats") in Finland analyz...

Game jams are so incredibly varied, creative and flexible that they almost defy any attempt at taxonomy or categorisation. Recognising this important quality of game jams, we select three fairly popular and documented approaches to engagement with the activity. The approaches are game jams for kids, educational jams and game jams for companies or o...

Game jams have expanded in multiple directions, and they impact the future of game making in various interesting ways. What will happen in the future? Where are game jams going to? How will they develop? In this chapter, we dive into the speculative world of game jam futures.

The video game industry has grown from manufacturers of coin operated arcade machines in dedicated spaces, to producers of mass media and omnipresent software as “constantly updated media services” (Sotamaa & Svelch, 2021, p. 9). News and financial statements are often dominated by major blockbusters (e.g. Call of Duty series (Activision, 2003 - )...

In this paper, we describe the initial process of developing what we call the Game Production Pipeline (GPP), an effort to assist and guide educators in making educational games within higher education. Noting the need to push the boundaries of engaging virtual learning principles in the wake of the pandemic, the GPP seeks to address the epistemic...

In this article, we explore the concept of quantum games and define quantum games as any type of playable games that are related to or reference quantum physics through any of three proposed aspects. The rise of the quantum computers has made it possible to think about a new wave of computer games, namely quantum computer games, games on quantum co...

In less than a year's time, March 2022 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the first documented game jam, the Indie Game Jam, which took place in Oakland, California in 2002. Initially, game jams were widely seen as frivolous activities. Since then, they have taken the world by storm. Game jams have not only become part of the day-to-day process...

In less than a year’s time, March 2022 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the first documented game jam, the Indie Game Jam, which took place in Oakland, California in 2002. Initially, game jams were widely seen as frivolous activities. Since then, they have taken the world by storm. Game jams have not only become part of the day-to-day process...

In this chapter, we propose that academic papers on ephemeral development events, such as game jams and hackathonsHackathons, pay more attention when providing identifiable details of the events, or have a dedicated reference section (‘jamography’)Jamography detailing the referenced events in an identifiable manner in order to improve transparency...

Digital games transform our lives; they provide an opportunity to engage with other worlds in a playful way, in many ways similarly to what other forms of audio-visual communication (like movies, paintings or photos) have offered for a longer time. However, learning materials still use rather traditional ways for accompanying media, ranging from st...

This article explores how game jams, a rapid collaborative game production format, can work to support the revitalisation of Indigenous self-narratives in the context of Sámi culture. The study focuses on the Sami Game Jam, an event designed and carried out in the Northern Finish Sámi community in Utsjoki, in February 2018. Using an ethnographic me...

Game jams are intensive events focusing on creation. Their popularity and visibility have soared in recent years. The phenomenon has attracted the attention of scholars interested in education and learning, and the potential of game jams has been studied in various ways. Increasingly, game jams have come to be viewed as a site for learning. They ar...

In this workshop, the participants bring their own research topics and concepts to create small games with the game making tool - Construct 3. We invite the participants of Academic Mindtrek to think about and experiment with how, for instance, figures in their research papers would translate into interactive experiences. What if instead of picture...

In this paper, we examine the motivations and experiences of game jam organizers in Finland. For the purpose of the study, 13 game jam organizers were interviewed in 2018 - 2019. We found that motivations for organizing game jams are diverse but interlinked and can be roughly divided into six categories: Community Building, Community Driven, Educat...

In this paper, we present the findings of a study on the motivations and experiences of exceptional game jam participants in Finland. These "superjammers" have had experience on jamming at over 20 game jam events online or with physical locations, such as Global Game Jam and Ludum Dare. The jammers in this study reported how game jams have been imp...

In this paper, we explore the experiences and lessons learned from Sami Game Jam 2018. Sami Game Jam 2018 was organized in Utsjoki, in a small Sámi village next to the border of Finland and Norway. The group of 44 jammers consisted of local Sámi participants and Finnish as well as international game students and professional developers. The event h...

Background. Taking Klabbers’ call for a coherent game science as a starting point, we argue for an alternative way to approach the multidisciplinarity of research into games. Aim. Building on game studies and design research, this article reviews the history and forecasts the future of studying games. Application. All scholars of games could benefi...

This paper presents the findings of a pilot study for game jam organizers' design values. The study builds on top of previous research on game design values and emphasizes the role of game jam organizers as cultural intermediaries within the game ecosystem. For the purpose of the pilot study, the survey was directed towards 27 main organizers of Gl...

This article presents findings of an ideation experiment conducted during a four-year period (2009--2012). An idea generation game based on morphological technique was utilized to further understand the role of stimuli for generating game ideas. In the experiment 40 participants brainstormed ideas in pairs. Each pair was provided with the same word...

This article presents a qualitative study conducted between 2010 and 2012 of the office design of game studios based on interviews and photographs. In the interviews, the representatives of the companies explained the interiors and their studio philosophy tied to the physical spaces. The focus of this study is in how and why game companies integrat...

Are shaggy seats which make cute noises playful or disruptive in a conference setting? This article pushes the limits of game scholars’ lusory attitude by breaching an academic seminar with a playful experiment. Five MurMur Moderator seats, interactive and interruptive furniture prototypes, were set up at a game research seminar where they were use...

In this paper we present the findings of a case study of Finnish Game Jam. Finnish Game Jam is a game creation event organized as a Global Game Jam event in Finland. The development of the Finnish jamming scene has been strong for the past six years paralleling the success of game industry and the growth of game education in Finland. This study con...

In this article, the notion of game design value is proposed and explored utilizing three design theory frameworks: Holm's design values, Lawson's guiding principles and Schön's appreciative systems. Game design, as other design fields, is affected by the designers' personal attitudes, beliefs and values. To gain a deeper understanding of design wo...

In the beginning of the 2010s one of the common trends among toy and game industries was the rise of a wide variety of play products that combined material and digital interaction elements in their design. Working as an explorative study, this paper focuses on uncovering the focal points of that emerging new industry centered on these 'hybrid' play...

This article is exploring the results of an online survey directed at game developers and their innovation practices in 2010. Game idea generation is not the only idea-related activity that game developers conduct: ideas are recorded and stored in various ways, they are shared and re-used with different tools, and the attitudes towards innovation v...

In this article, a playful intervention called “There Are No Rules” (TANR) is analyzed on three levels: interactions, play 􀁅􀁈􀁋􀁄􀁙􀁌􀁒􀁕􀁖􀀏􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁓􀁏􀁄􀁜􀀃􀁈􀁓􀁌􀁖􀁒􀁇􀁈􀁖􀀑􀀃􀀬􀁑􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁘􀁕􀁖􀁈􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀃥􀁙􀁈􀀃􀁐􀁒􀁑􀁗􀁋􀁖􀀏􀀃􀁖􀁗􀁘􀁇􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁖􀀃 and staff of University of Tampere engaged with an art installation placed in OASIS, a group work area that also functions as a living lab. The experiment per...

In this paper, we present the findings of an interview study of game developers participating to a constrained game development event, Survival Mode 2016 game jam. Survival Mode 2016 was organized in Finnish Lapland as the northernmost jamming site of Global Game Jam (GGJ) 2016. The event differed from the typical Global Game Jam site in Finland in...

Game prototyping projects and various types of game development events teach different skills important for working in industry. This includes aspects such as advancing development and project management skills, but also improved effort estimations, first prototypes for portfolios, and strengthening networking and communication skills. Other prospe...

Some of the future’s most important product innovations will be made at the borderline of physical and immaterial realities. New technologies enable development where immaterial products become materialized in novel ways, while material products and environment will be augmented with digital services. In this evolution immaterial, digital services...

In this article, the results from an experiment of playful videos are presented. In the experiment, leaders of an academic community participated in workshops where they playfully envisioned the future of the workplace. These workshops were videotaped and edited into short videos, which were made public within the community and used as a probe for...

In this article we present findings from a design experiment of MurMur Moderators, talking playful seats facilitating playful atmosphere and creativity at office environments. The article describes the design and technological composition of our two prototypes, and our experiences exposing the concept to audiences at science fairs and an office env...

In this article, the findings of an interview study on game developers' perspectives on iteration is presented. A two-part interview study conducted in 2010 and 2013-2014 suggests that from the perspective of game developers, iteration is an essential, natural and important part of the game development – if not even a trivial part of the process. H...

In this paper, notions of game studies, games research, game design, and design research are examined. As a most popular keyword on game research papers 'game design' connects the interdiscipline of game studies. However, it is typical that notions of 'design' and 'design research' are not explicitly reflected on the research papers with in the aca...

A research experiment to facilitate playful interaction and community learning within an academic organization of about 170 employees was conducted. A 2-player card game including 61 'staff character cards' and 39 question cards was implemented to be played by the relatively new community. The game period, including supporting events, ran for 5 wee...

In this paper, an analysis of game jam descriptions and definitions in academic papers is presented. A total of 20 papers from various publication venues from 2006 to 2014 are analyzed in terms of their conceptualizations of a " game jam ". The background of the papers and their contribution to game jam research are also critically examined. A furt...

In this paper, the tentative results of an online ethnography on the Global Game Jam 2012 Theme Committee are presented. The role of the committee was to come up with a globally distributed theme and a list of optional design constraints for the participants of Global Game Jam 2012. Within the brainstorming and discussions, several different ideas...

This entry discusses the phenomenon of casual games as a “casual turn” that has had considerable impact on digital game cultures and the game industry. An overview of the common examples of games and game genres is provided, together with a consideration of the perspectives of the audience and potential of these games. Eventually, the phenomenon is...

The article discusses the concept of MurMur Moderators, talking playful seats designed to facilitate playful atmosphere and creativity at office environments. The concept of MurMur Moderators consists of five different personalities, grumpy Mur, goofy Mus, mellow Muh, sensitive Mut and shy Mum. The article describes the experiences and reactions to...

In this article we present the concept of MurMur Moderators, talking playful seats facilitating playful atmosphere and creativity at office environments. The article describes the design and technological composition of our first prototype, and our experiences exposing the concept to audiences at two science fairs in Italy (2013) and Finland (2014)...

In this article we examine playful hybrid products located in the intersection of toys and games. By hybrid, we mean games and toys that utilize digital environments to provide added value to tactile, physical or material experiences. The paper aims to create a preliminary model for mapping hybrid dimensions. Our initial analysis paints a picture o...

Computer games are a genre of software systems that in many ways differs from more traditional applications. In particular, when designing games, the end result of game development resembles work of art rather than that of engineering, emphasizing the need for creativity and artistic abilities. However, as technology, tools, methods, and artifacts...

Agile development benefits from fast feedback from various stakeholders. If implemented in a suitable way, formal methods can enhance the agile development process. With an executable formal specification, it is possible to analyse and simulate the behaviour of the target system before it is being built. However, for the users' and developers' natu...

In this article we present the findings of a game idea experiment run at the Global Game Jam (GGJ) 2010 and 2011 events in Tampere, Finland. We were examining how well the game-based ideation method Verbs, Nouns, and Adjectives (VNA) and similar approaches fit the constrained game design processes. GGJ 2010 and 2011 both had a theme for which ideas...

In this article we present the findings of a game idea experiment run at the Global Game Jam (GGJ) 2010 and 2011 events in Tampere, Finland. We were examining how well the game-based ideation method Verbs, Nouns, and Adjectives (VNA) and similar approaches fit the constrained game design processes. GGJ 2010 and 2011 both had a theme for which ideas...

In this paper, we introduce and discuss a theoretical framework that can be used for designing and understanding game experiences in their situated contexts. The framework illustrates the fact that the design process for casual games, which values acceptability, accessibility, simplicity, and flexibility in game design, has become relevant for more...

Producing new ideas may feel like an easy and automated task or even something mysterious, as ideas seem to come out of nothing, sometimes in weird situations, and designers rarely run out of them. Based on the interviews of 23 Finnish game designers and game professionals responsible for new ideas from 8 different companies, it is clear that ideas...

In this paper, we present the findings of an interview study that was conducted in 2009, which collected data on three major game industry conferences. The study indicates a rise of instrumentalist views within the game industry parallel to personal, more artistic views. Processes are seen more and more as a matter of control rather than as “creati...

In this article, I examine the phenomenon of casual games and the underlying transformation of digital play which the rise of this particular segment of the games industry is exposing. I argue that instead of a genuinely new phenomenon, we are facing a change that can be more accurately characterized as "the normalization of digital play". The expa...

GameSpace was a new kind of a research project: it involved close collaboration between academic researchers and the game industry, and it looked at the methodological issues involved in game creation rather than focusing on a single game product or technology. The project was funded by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Teke...

This paper introduces idea generation games designed for the use of game designers. Three games designed especially for generating new game ideas were developed in the GameSpace project that studies methods for design and evaluation of casual mobile multiplayer games. GameSpace idea generation games have been developed through an iterative process...

Digital games have become a remarkable cultural phenomenon in the last ten years. The casual games sector especially has been growing rapidly in the last few years. However, there is no clear view on what is "casual" in games cultures and the area has not previously been rigorously studied. In the discussions on casual games, "casual" is often take...

Innovation and novelty are seen as important elements in game design but systematic tools and methods for producing creative ideas may be little known or poorly available, and creativity itself can be seen as something mystical [2] that cannot be methodologically enhanced. However, modern creativity research claims that creativity is in the scope o...