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Between September and December 2025, Luciana Lima published three peer-reviewed papers presented at international conferences in Human–Computer Interaction and game studies. Together, these works address reflexive research methodologies, gender inequities in the digital games sector, and the recovery of overlooked contributions to Portuguese game history.

Techno-Biographical Reflexive Atelier: A Method for Exploring Personal Narratives and Sociotechnical Transformations

Luciana Lima, Cláudia Silva, Lorena Ramos, Ana Cristina Pires
Published in the proceedings of INTERACT 2025, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-05005-2_25

This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the Techno-Biographical Reflexive Atelier (TeBRA), a collaborative autoethnographic method designed to explore the intersection of personal narratives, sociotechnical systems, and socio-cultural contexts. The method supports critical reflection on how power relations and inequalities shape engagements with technology, contributing a new approach for reflexive practice in HCI research and design.

Mnema: Bridging Research and Art to Combat Gender Inequity in the Gaming Sector

Luciana Lima, Inês Costa, Carolina Bonzinho, Sheila Correia, Carolina Martins
Presented at WIPlay 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-01426-9_5

This paper describes the collaborative creation of Mnema, an animated short film developed by women researchers and artists in HCI and gender studies. Based on interviews with Portuguese women working in the video game industry and archival research on gaming culture in Portugal, the project combines academic research with audiovisual storytelling, translating research insights into an accessible cultural form that raises awareness of gender inequities in the games sector.

Unveiling Hidden Pioneers: Carla Vieira Faria’s Legacy in Portuguese Digital Game History

Luciana Lima, Maria Júlia Vieira
Best Paper Award, Videojogos 2025
DOI: To be published (Springer Communications in Computer and Information Science)

Awarded Best Paper at Videojogos 2025, this study examines the trajectory of Carla Vieira Faria, a pioneer in the development of educational games for people with disabilities in Portugal during the 1990s and early 2000s. Through archival research and an in-depth interview, the paper recovers her largely unacknowledged contributions, highlighting how women have expanded the scope of digital games while remaining underrepresented in historical accounts.

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Image credits: © Luciana Lima

Joana Pestana, together with Mariana Pestana, Miguel Carvalhais, and Nuno Jardim Nunes, presented the pictorial Designing with an Assembly of Many: Eden X on rivers, their constituents and rights at CHItaly 2025, the 16th Biannual Conference of the Italian SIGCHI, held in October 2025.

The pictorial introduces Eden X, a digital assembly that re-imagines how nonhuman entities can participate in decision-making processes around environmental concerns. Focusing on rivers and their constituents as precursors of nature rights, it showcases a method for establishing a more-than-human constituency where diverse voices deliberate, make proposals, and vote democratically through digital technologies.

Drawing on Ron Wakkary’s notions of constituency and speaking subject, this work contributes an exploratory design methodology that de-centers the human as the sole point of decision-making, offering concrete approaches for engaging nonhuman perspectives within HCI and design practice.

Publication details
Designing with an Assembly of Many: Eden X on rivers, their constituents and rights
Authors: Joana Pestana, Mariana Pestana, Miguel Carvalhais, Nuno Jardim Nunes
Proceedings of CHItaly ’25 – 16th Biannual Conference of the Italian SIGCHI
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3750069.3750443

Image credits: © Authors / CHItaly ’25

Ana Cristina Saial, researcher at the Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI), has recently published two studies that examine how digital technologies shape intimate relationships among emerging adults and how interactive, game-based approaches can contribute to the prevention of violence in these contexts.

The first study, “Between Kisses and Bytes: Cyber Dating Abuse and Internet Use in Emerging Adulthood,” was presented at INTERACT 2025, held in September in Brazil. Authored by Ana Cristina Saial, Alda Portugal, Élvio Rubio Gouveia, Paulo Nascimento, Muhammad Satar, and Ana Paula Relvas, the research explores the use of the Internet and Information and Communication Technologies by emerging adults aged 18–29 in their intimate and romantic relationships. The study characterizes problematic Internet use and diagnoses the prevalence of online dating violence within this age group. The findings highlight the need to invest in prevention measures and strategies specifically addressing dating violence in digital contexts. The authors emphasize the importance of engaging young people through interactive and technology-based approaches, such as digital games and mobile applications, to promote awareness and support attitude change.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-05008-3_33

Building on this focus, the second study, “When Play Gets Serious: Can a game-based mobile application serve as an intervention for preventing intimate partner violence among emerging adults?”, was presented at CHI Play 2025, held in October in Pittsburgh. Authored by Ana Cristina Saial, Élvio Rubio Gouveia, Alda Portugal, Beatriz Jardim Peres, Muhammad Satar, and Ana Paula Relvas, the study examines young adults’ perceptions of games and mobile applications as tools for preventing violence in intimate relationships. The research involved a workshop that utilised interactive games to address various types of violence, risk factors, consequences, warning signs, and help-seeking behaviours. Participants reported that the playful and informal format created a safe environment for discussing a sensitive topic, facilitated reflection without diminishing the seriousness of the issue, and supported self-reflection without direct exposure. Notably, 68% of participants stated they would use a mobile application for the prevention of violence in intimate relationships, highlighting benefits such as accessibility and confidentiality.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3744736.3749356

Together, these studies highlight the potential of digital and game-based approaches to foster empathy, awareness, and reflection around online and intimate partner violence among emerging adults. They also contribute to ongoing work towards the development of a gamified digital intervention for the prevention of intimate partner violence, being co-created with young adults and health professionals.

DCitizens is a research and innovation project led by Instituto Superior Técnico and Interactive Technologies Insitute, that aims to foster Digital Civics in Lisbon, exploring how digital technologies can empower citizens and communities to co-create services, shift from transactional to relational models, and reconfigure relations between citizens, communities, and institutions.

The project held its final lab retreat in Newcastle, UK, from 19–20 November 2025. The retreat corresponded to the wrap-up consortium meeting and was co-located with the Early Stage Researcher (ESR) training. The event was hosted by Northumbria University, at the School of Computer and Information Sciences.
From the ITI, participants included Hugo Nicolau, Ana Henriques, Patricia Piedade, Tainna Souza, and Jing Zhao.

During the consortium meeting, partners reviewed deliverables, and major achievements, prepared the final report and review processes, and advanced one of the project’s key outputs: the Research & Innovation Agenda for Lisbon. The programme also included discussions on future research collaborations.

Alongside the consortium meeting, Early Stage Researchers participated in training sessions focused on research communication, methodological exchange, and science communication, including a 3-Minute Thesis workshop, a method swap session, and a research showcase.

The final session featured presentations from community partners. Paulo Rosa presented WearAccess, a bespoke accessibility service for a teenager with multiple disabilities, developed through the co-creation of an always-available smartwatch-based support for everyday communication and entertainment. The session concluded with Rui Estrela presenting Balcão do Bairro, a community-based walk-in service desk in Lisbon designed to improve access to digital services, operating as a “middle-out” institution between grass-roots initiatives and institutional hierarchies.

🔗 Event page: https://dcitizens.eu/news-events/dcitizens-meets-in-newcastle/

Image credits: © DCitizens.eu

Teresa Almeida, Assistant Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico and researcher at the Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS), delivered a keynote talk at the Human-Centered Design Week (HCDWeek 2025), organised by Fraunhofer AICOS and held in Porto from November 17 to 20, 2025.

The keynote, titled “Awkward by Design”, explored awkwardness as both a research tool and a lens for design practice, particularly when engaging with sensitive topics such as intimate health and care. Drawing on a series of studies, the talk highlighted how intentionally incorporating awkwardness into design can disrupt norms, provoke reflection, and create opportunities for deeper engagement, fostering more memorable and meaningful experiences.

Teresa Almeida’s interdisciplinary work critically engages with the design of technologies related to health(care) and wellbeing, feminist data practices, and the security and privacy of intimate data, combining research-through-design and participatory methods to address stigmatized topics and include marginalized communities of practice.

🔗 Event page:
https://www.aicos.fraunhofer.pt/en/scientific-areas/human-centred-design/hcdweek/2025.html

Image credits: © Fraunhofer AICOS / HCDWeek 2025

The International Journal of Games and Social Impact has opened submissions for a new Special Issue titled “Exploring the Intersections of Gender, Power, and Collective Resistance in Gaming Cultures.”
This issue is guest edited by two researchers from the Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS):

• Luciana Lima – Integrated Researcher at ITI/LARSyS, Universidade de Lisboa
• Ana Pires – Integrated Researcher at ITI/LARSyS and Invited Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa

The Special Issue invites contributions that analyse and transform gaming cultures through the lenses of gender equity, power dynamics, toxicity, representation, and collective mobilisation. The editors encourage work that moves beyond critique, advancing actionable and justice-oriented approaches to reimagine game design, community practices, and cultural participation.

Topics of interest include:

• Community mobilisation against misogyny, toxicity, and exclusion
• Inclusive and participatory design practices
• Power, representation, and resistance in games
• Feminist, queer, decolonial, and art-based interventions
• Strategies of collective action for transforming toxic cultures

Key dates

• Full Paper Submission Deadline: 31 April 2026
• Notification of Acceptance: 31 July 2026
• Publication: First semester of 2027

Full Call for Papers:
https://revistas.ulusofona.pt/index.php/ijgsi/announcement/view/250

This Special Issue reinforces the contribution of ITI researchers to critical, interdisciplinary discussions shaping more inclusive and equitable gaming futures.

ITI-affiliated researcher Filipe Tomé recently presented two of his game research projects at international conferences in Japan and the Netherlands.

At KAMC 2025 in Kyoto, he presented the paper “Designing Prolonged Grief: Cinematic Storytelling and Interactive Narrative in Eidolon.” The project investigates how video games can explore Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) through a hybrid narrative that combines cinematic aesthetics, digital interaction, and AI-driven memory reconstruction. Eidolon is a first-person psychological thriller inspired by the five stages of grief and films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Manchester by the Sea. The story follows a protagonist trapped in an AI-generated dream simulation, with visual metaphors, escape-room-inspired puzzles, and time-based tension shaping the gameplay. The game uses Unreal Engine’s MetaHuman framework alongside live-action footage. Preliminary playtesting with 20 participants suggests that players reflected on their own experiences of loss. The paper was authored by Filipe Tomé, Ana Pires, Francisco Vasconcelos, and Pedro F. Campos.

At GALA 2025 in Utrecht, he presented a short pitch and poster on “Excellium: Designing a Psychological Visual Novel to Foster Reflection on University Students’ Mental Health.”
Excellium is a psychological visual novel that addresses issues such as anxiety, burnout, and isolation among university students. The project utilises the concept of “positive discomfort” and draws inspiration from Squid Game to inform its narrative approach. The work explains how mental health research on Portuguese university students informed the development of character and the design of the interactive experience.
The project was authored by Filipe Tomé, Carla Ponte, Carlos Coelho, Pedro Ferreira, Rúben Campos, Ana Pires, and Pedro F. Campos.

These presentations highlight ongoing research on how digital games can engage with mental health themes and create reflective player experiences.

Both Eidolon and Excellium were developed within the scope of the eGames Lab, a national consortium dedicated to advancing research, innovation, and industry capacity in transformational game design, interactive storytelling, and emerging technologies for the videogame sector in Portugal.

The Bauhaus of the Seas Sails project held its final event, “Making Waves – Designing Regenerative Coastal Futures”, on 15th November at Ocean Space, in Venice, Italy.
Coordinated by ITI–LARSyS, Bauhaus of the Seas Sails is the only New European Bauhaus Lighthouse Demonstrator led by a Southern European country — Portugal. The project involved 18 partners and mobilised seven coastal pilot regions — Lisbon, Oeiras, Rotterdam, Malmö, Venice, Genoa, and Hamburg — to explore how coastal futures can be regenerative, inclusive, and resilient.

The one-day event brought together more than 120 participants in a hybrid format, including representatives from cultural institutions, academia, municipalities, and local communities.

• Talks and conversations with artists, architects, scientists, and community activists, including researcher Laura Tripaldi and architect and artist Andrea Molina Cuadro.
• A long table transformed into a “cabinet of curiosities”, where local pilot teams presented original explorations on ocean literacy, architectures for landscapes affected by sea-level rise, regenerative menus, inclusive digital narratives, and biofilic materials.
• Discussions focused on the process dimension of the project, covering multi-species assemblies, co-design approaches, narrative development, and resources and strategies for replication.
• An exhibition in Ocean Space’s research room showcasing the constellation of people and creative agentsinvolved in the project and the storytelling methods used to communicate its objectives and outcomes.
• A closing session reflecting on lessons learned and outlining future actions, including the Tidal Arts project (with ITI as partner) and ongoing inquiries from Digital Media PhD students.

The final event was organised by TBA21 Academy, partner and leader of the local pilot projects, in collaboration with Magellan Circle and ITI–LARSyS, the coordinator of the entire initiative.
The event also counted on the support of all institutions in the consortium and numerous local agents, reflecting the project’s integration of design research, artistic creation, and technological innovation. Bauhaus of the Seas Sails is one of the first six Lighthouse Demonstrators of the New European Bauhaus, an initiative of the European Commission launched in 2020 to accelerate the Green Deal by promoting more sustainable, inclusive, and aesthetically grounded futures for Europe.

📸 Credits: Bauhaus of The Seas Consortium © Ginevra Formentini
Making Waves – Designing Regenerative Coastal Futures @ TBA21 Ocean Space – Venice. November 15th, 2025.

Professor Nuno Jardim Nunes, President of LARSyS and a researcher at the Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI), participated in the “Beyond Competitiveness Partner Conference” organised by EIT Culture & Creativity at UPTEC, Universidade do Porto.

The event brought together European partners from academia, industry, and the cultural sector to discuss how creativity, innovation, and technology can contribute to shaping the next phase of Europe’s creative economy.

Prof. Nunes joined the panel “Artistic and Artificial Intelligence: Generating and Appropriating Knowledge in Shaping Desirable Futures”. In his intervention, he talked about how generative AI is emerging as an epistemic technology, supporting creative production while also actively generating new forms of knowledge. He highlighted how artists, as problem-makers, can challenge the “enchanted determinism” of opaque AI systems and turn them into spaces of critical inquiry and imaginative experimentation.

📸 Photos from the conference are included below.
Credits: EIT Culture & Creativity partner conference Beyond Competitiveness @ Casa da Música, Porto, Portugal 2025.11.07 © André Henriques — IG @ahphoto_gigs

Professors Valentina Nisi and Nuno Jardim Nunes, from the Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI), were invited to participate and present ITI’s work at the Digital Heritage Forum 2025, hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) from 3–5 November at the Cultural Foundation.

The Forum brought together innovators, academicians, and practitioners to explore how technology is transforming the ways cultural heritage is recorded, interpreted, and shared. Through keynotes, talks, panel discussions, and immersive showcases, the event served as a dynamic platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration—connecting ITI to leading global experts in digital heritage and collectively envisioning the future of cultural preservation through technology.

ITI’s participation included the session “Data of Experience: AI and Extended Reality in Cross-Cultural Heritage” (4 November), co-convened by Roch Thibault and Dr. Alanood AlShaikh, and featuring Prof. Dr. François Giligny, Prof. Toshikatsu Kiuchi, and Prof. Hye Seung Shim alongside the ITI researchers. The discussion explored how artificial intelligence and extended reality (XR) are reshaping the preservation and communication of cultural heritage, fostering new forms of participation and intercultural understanding.

All images by Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi