Luiza Gossian

Queen Mary University of London

Luiza is a multidisciplinary researcher, game designer and developer interested in translating real world concepts into engaging game mechanics. She is passionate about creating games that can encourage an understanding of ourselves and the socially connected world we live in.  

Luiza is also an experienced painter, graphic designer and photographer and uses her visual skills and psychology background to prototype experimental game designs, design game documentation and craft atmospheric experiences.

A description of Luiza's research:

Luiza’s research centres on how video games might be designed as interventions for prejudice reduction between conflicting groups and draws on theories of intergroup and cultural psychology, as well as persuasive game design.  

She is currently exploring how different game designs might impact player’s perceptions of their own and others’ group memberships with an aim to increase understanding and reduce prejudice between those groups.  

So far she has developed a casual game that abstracts the ten stages of genocide to be used as an educational primer, an experiential game that depicts the realities of refugees evicting their homes, and is currently working on a multiplayer game based on the principles of the Intergroup Contact Hypothesis, which is the leading methodology for reducing prejudice levels between conflicting groups.