* [Twitter](https://twitter.com/scholarsplay) * [Twitch Schedule](https://twitch.tv/scholarsplay/schedule)

Tamara Duplantis and Nick Junius Vtuber avatars are designed, drawn, and rigged by Noel ([@hexed_boy](https://twitter.com/hexed_boy))

**Q. Who are you?** **A.** We're a group of games scholars from UC Santa Cruz—and we're also gamers! We're on Twitch to hang out, nerd out, analyze/gush about games with you, and just generally have fun! Recurring scholars include: * Tammy Duplantis ([@Tambalaya](https://twitter.com/Tambalaya)) * Nick Junius ([@ntjunius](https://twitter.com/ntjunius)) * Isaac Karth ([@isaackarth](https://twitter.com/isaackarth)) * Jasmine Otto ([@jatazak](https://twitter.com/jatazak)) Scholars Emeritus: * Stacey Mason (Creator) ([@stcymsn](http://twitter.com/stcymsn/)) * Peter Mawhorter (Creator) ([@pmawhorter](http://twitter.com/pmawhorter/)) * Ben Spalding ([@bnspalding](http://twitter.com/bnspalding)) * Stella Mazeika ([@StellaMazeika](https://twitter.com/StellaMazeika)) * Johnathan Pagnutti ([@jag_pag](http://twitter.com/jag_pag)) * Cyril Focht ([@gamesandbowties](https://twitter.com/gamesandbowties)) * Devi Acharya ([@dacharya64](https://twitter.com/dacharya64)) * Batu Aytemiz ([@BatuAytemiz](https://twitter.com/BatuAytemiz)) * Mirek Stolee ([@mirekstolee](https://twitter.com/mirekstolee)) * Kara Stone ([@karaastone](https://twitter.com/karaastone)) * Max Kreminski ([@maxkreminski](https://twitter.com/maxkreminski)) Like most academics, we're always happy to talk about what we do! You're welcome and encouraged to chat with us about our specific areas of games research, what games we like, what we think of current events around gaming, how to get into video game research yourself, etc. We'd also love to hear about what games you're into, and if you do games research and criticism, we'd love to hear about it! *We don't speak for games scholars in general, nor do we speak for UCSC.* **Q. When do you stream?** **A.** During Summer 2020, we're live from 4:30-6:30pm Pacific (PST) every Friday, but we sometimes go later or fill in with extra streams here and there. Schedules change by academic quarter. **Q. What is a "games scholar?"** **A.** Good question! A "games scholar" could be a lot of different things depending on who you ask. Here are a couple of things that some of us study: - **Game Design.** How do you design a good game? What makes a game good? How do games communicate using their mechanics? - **Game Play.** How and why do people enjoy games? What cool things do players do with games? What kinds of meanings do people make with games? - **Game Narratives.** How do games tell stories? What kind of stories can only be told using interaction? How do game stories interact with gameplay? - **Games as Cultural Artifacts.** How do game communities form and operate? How does gameplay shape game cultures and vice versa? - **Games as Art.** How are games in dialogue with other art communities? What sorts of things do they borrow from other forms? What can they learn from the study of adjacent forms (such as visual arts, performing arts, literary arts) and their communities? **Q. Will you write/edit/take a look at my paper/homework?** **A.** Sorry, but we're busy with our own academic work. We love exchanging ideas and we're happy to chat with you during the stream about academic topics, but we can't do your homework for you. **Q. Will you analyze/stream [game]?** **A.** We're happy to take play requests! We try to play a variety of games from lots of different genres. We play everything from AAA action games to Twines, and everything in between. If you think a game would make for a fun analysis, by all means, let us know in chat or on Twitter! **Q. Will you beta test my game?** **A.** Sorry, we generally only play released games. If you'd like us to consult on a game, please contact us off-stream. **Q. What is your nefarious agenda?** **A.** To have fun! Also, to talk about stuff we find interesting, whether that's a new game coming out or a new paper that was just published.