PLAY17 - Creative Gaming Festival 2017

Thomas Kunze is the founder of the Games Institute Austria and the registered association Spielmacher, which focuses on the use of games, video games and game-like methods in new contexts like education or communication.

As a teacher and a linguist by profession and an avid gamer since his early days he brings together what is needed to be brought together: gaming culture as a whole and the world out there with its big questions and issues. He is convinced that gaming has an enormous influence on what the world is going to look like in the near future and doesn’t stop talking about it, be it in projects, seminars or talks all over Europe.

Additionally, he thinks that it would be a waste not to use the potential of gaming communities and their acquired knowledge on a topic, when it comes to the use of their favorite games. Be it “Kerbal Space Program”, “Minecraft”, “Cities: Skylines”, “Civilization” or co-operative games like “Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes” or “Secret Hitler” just to name a few, games have the potential to revolutionize our society and offer new and interesting perspectives on the world around us.

He works together with educators, game designers, companies and educational institutions to help realize the potential of play and gaming within new settings that focus on communication, education and training.