ISAGA Summer School 2026 | Akademia Leona Koźminskiego Warszawa

ISAGA Summer School 2026

Dates

6th-10th July 2026

Location

Kozminski University, Warsaw, Poland

ISS Chair

Dr Marcin Wardaszko

Theme

Simulation game design and research for organisational and communal interventions

ISAGA Summer School’s mission is to bring the knowledge and practice of simulation gaming to the community. Over 25 years, ISS has been visited by many scholars and practitioners seeking high-quality knowledge on game design and game-based research. During the 5-day program, you will be able to learn about design, facilitation, and evaluation of simulation games or about designing game-based research, methodologies, analyzing results, and implementing outcomes. In both cases, you will be able to work on your own ideas with the coaching and help of our very experienced teachers coming from the simulation gaming community.

Working with organisations and communities in turbulent times requires skills in representing complex realities and conveying the challenges those times represent to organisations and communities. ISS 2026 aims to provide knowledge and skills on how to build such simulation games and create research around them for successful interventions, policy building, and testing.

Program

Sunday, July 5th - Get together in the evening – venue TBA

Monday, July 6th

Game design Track

9.00-9.30 Registration
9.30-11.00 Joint lecture I. Simulation gaming as a discipline
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-12.30 Simulation Game-play workshop
12.30-13.30 Lunch break
13.30-16.00 Workshop 1. “Defining the scope and goals for the game or project?”

Game-based research Track

9.00-9.30 Registration
9.30-11.00 Joint lecture I. Simulation gaming as a discipline
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-12.30 Simulation Game-play workshop
12.30-13.30 Lunch break
13.30-16.00 Workshop 1. “Game mechanics and representation of complexity.”

Tuesday, July 7th

Game design Track

9.30-11.00 Joint lecture 2. On simulation, gaming, and complex systems
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-12.30 Game design workshop.
12.30 - 13.30 Lunch break
13.30-16.00 Workshop 2. “Draw, dance, or play the problem you want to represent or simulate.”

Game-based research Track

9.30-11.00 Joint lecture 2. On simulation, gaming, and complex systems
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-12.30 Lecture and discussion. Simulation games and gamification interventions in organizations. Example of research on gaming and through gaming.
12.30-13.30 Lunch break
13.30-16.00 Workshop 2. “Reading seminar on organisational interventions and game-based change”

Wednesday, July 8th

Game design Track

9.30-11.00 Joint lecture 3. Validity, fidelity, and game testing
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-12.30 Simulation game-play workshop - we play simulation games
12.30-13.30 Lunch break
13.30-16.00 Workshop 3. “Advanced game elements and mechanics - time and events modeling” and game design workshop

Game-based research Track

9.30-11.00 Joint lecture 3. Validity, fidelity, and game testing
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-12.30 Simulation game-play workshop - we play games
12.30-13.30 Lunch break
13.30-16.00 Workshop 3. “No surprises, just chaos as usual - introducing simulation games to organisations and communities”.

Thursday, July 9th

Game design Track

9.30-11.00 Joint lecture 4. Facilitation and debriefing of simulation games
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-12.30 Workshop 4. “Game design workshop - work in groups.”
12.30-13.30 Lunch break
13.30-16.00 Social program.

Game-based research Track

9.30-11.00 Joint lecture 4. Facilitation and debriefing of simulation games
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-12.30 Workshop 4. “Research proposal formulation and discussion”
12.30-13.30 Lunch break
13.30-16.00 Social program.

Friday, July 10th

Game design Track

9.30-11.00 Closing lecture - summary and implementing simulation games into reality.
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-13.00 Workshop 4. “Game design workshop.”
12.30-13.30 Lunch break

Game-based research Track

9.30-11.00 Closing lecture - summary and implementing simulation games into reality.
11.00-11.15 Coffee break
11.15-13.00 Workshop 4. “Formulation of the research design papers.”
13.00-13.45 Lunch break

Both Tracks