UPDATE: Aug. 23, 2017. Please note that the deadline for submissions has been extended to Oct. 1, 2017.

iThrive Games, in cooperation with Carnegie Mellon's ETC Press, has released a call for submissions for a special peer-reviewed issue of the Well Played journal. We have recruited a team of highly respected game academics from around the United States to review papers submitted to us by Oct. 1, 2017. Papers can be data-driven or theoretical.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

•     Identifying personal strengths and abilities through gameplay
•     Designing games for empathy
•     Cooperative gameplay and prosocial outcomes
•     Games as a space for self-exploration and identity experimentation
•     Fostering growth mindset through gameplay
•     Cultivating optimism through gameplay
•     Gameplay to enhance persistence in real life
•     Promoting teen health and well-being
•     Building teens' self-awareness through gameplay
•     Boosting self-efficacy through gameplay
•     Games as a tool for social and emotional skill development
•     Developing resilience through gameplay

iThrive Games' vision for this special issue is to encourage new scholarship in the area of game design for personal growth and prosocial outcomes, to give academics and junior faculty a place to share their work, and to share the latest theories and studies within academia and the games industry as a means of advancing knowledge in this field. In other words...we want to know what cool studies are happening, and what case studies we can showcase!

There is no length requirement for papers, but please submit them in 12-point Times New Roman font, formatted in APA (American Psychological Association) style. Submissions should be sent to Heidi McDonald at heidi.mcdonald[at]ithrivegames.org by Sept. 1, 2017. Our team of peer reviewers will assess the papers through a blind process and notify all authors of their submission status by Nov. 1, 2017.

Well Played is a forum for in-depth readings of games that parse out the various meanings to be found in the experience of playing them. Contributors are encouraged to analyze sequences in a game in detail to illustrate and interpret how the various components of a game come together to create a fulfilling play experience unique to this medium. Follow Well Played on Twitter to learn more.

The ETC Press is an academic and open-source publishing imprint that distributes its work in print, electronic, and digital form. It represents an experiment and an evolution in publishing, bridging virtual and physical media to redefine the future of publication.

We look forward to reading your submissions! Please contact heidi.mcdonald[at]ithrivegames.org with questions.