The UK's first academic conference on therapeutic gaming kicks off today at UCL's Darwin Building, and it signals that the "games are good for you" corner of the hobby has reached the point where it needs proper research, not just good vibes. Game Therapy UK is running the event alongside the UCL Department of Clinical Psychology, with talks from 9.30am to 6pm at the Darwin Lecture Theatre on Gower Street.
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Start organising for freeFor anyone who has spent game night watching a nervous first-timer settle into their chair, or noticed how a co-op forces a quiet friend to finally speak up, this is familiar territory. The conference is pulling together researchers, therapists, designers, educators and people with lived experience to look at how games are being used in mental health, education and accessibility work across the UK. Expect panels on ethics, sessions on therapeutic applications, and plenty of chat about what the evidence actually shows.
Game Therapy UK formed to push for proper research into therapeutic gaming inside the UK population. The hobby already does a lot of this heavy lifting informally. Every club that welcomes neurodivergent players, every organiser who pairs up a shy newcomer with a chatty regular, every pub that runs a social deduction night is doing tacit therapy. Making it explicit and evidence-based is the next step.
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Find events near youIf your club already runs sessions that lean on these ideas, this conference is your corner of the conversation. And if you want to run a weekly session where newcomers can find a friendly table, list your game night on Backseat Gamer so they can actually find you.
Sources: Zatu Games | Tabletop Gaming | Game Therapy UK
