DR. PB
BERGE
Dr. PB Berge
(Pronouns: they/them, she/her)
Studying trans play đđČ, toxic technocultures đ»đ, and ludoarsony đ„đź.
Email: hello@psberge.com | Website: persephone.blue | BlueSky: @persephone.blue | Itch: gravesnail.itch.io
About
Dr. Persephone Blue (PB) Berge is an Assistant Professor of Experimental Game Design in the Media & Technology Studies Program at the University of Alberta. She is an award-winning game designer studying the so-called âunplayable.â Their work can be found in Game Studies, New Media & Society, Feminist Media Studies and the proceedings of DiGRA, ICIDS, and elsewhere.
In publications, Dr. Bergeâs name has been stylized both as âPS Bergeâ and âPB Berge.â
Research Areas:
Games and media, trans play, critical platform research, tabletop roleplaying games, personal games, XR, critical making.
Contact
đ§ hello@psberge.com
đ unplayable.games
đŠ @persephone.blue
đČ gravesnail.itch.io
đ©âđ PB Berge (G Scholar)
Academic Appointments
2024-Present
Assistant Professor of Experimental Game Design, Media and Technology Studies Program & Department of Women & Gender Studies at The University of Alberta.
Education
2020-2024
Ph.D. Texts and Technology (Digital Media), Universty of Central Florida
- Dissertation: âUnplayable Games: a ludoarsonistâs manifesto on trans play and possibility in digital and analog gamingâ
- Chair: Dr. Anastasia Salter
- Committee: Dr. Mel Stanfill, Dr. Brandy Dieterle, Dr. Amanda Phillips, Dr. Bo Ruberg
2016-2020
M.F.A. Creative Writing, University of Alabama
- Thesis: DARKGLOW: A HEAVY-METAL BALLAD (Interactive Media Novel)
2016-2019
M.A. Composition, Rhetoric, and English Studies
- Thesis: âLost in the Rift: Exploring the Rhetoric of Immersion and Identity in VRâ
- Advisor: Dr. Amber Buck
2014-2016
B.A. English (Creative Writing), University of Washington
2012-2014
A.A. Integrated Studies, Cascadia Community College
- Certificate in Programming Foundations
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Journal Articles
2024
David Kocik, PS Berge, Camille Butera, Celeste Oon, & Michael Senters. (2024). âImagine a Placeâ: Power and Intimacy in Fandoms on Discord. In Maria Alberto, Effie Sapuridis, and Leslie Willard (Eds.) Transformative Works and Cultures 42 âFandoms and Platforms.â https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/2497 [Open Access Online]
2023
PS Berge. (2023). The Table and the Tomb: Positioning Trans Power and Play Amid Fantasy Realism in Dungeons & Dragons. Games & Culture 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120231204145 [PDF]
2023
PS Berge. (2023). #AnswerUsYoutube: Predatory Influencers and Cross-Platform Insulation. Feminist Media Studies, 0(0), 1â21. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2023.2231655 [PDF]
2023
Rebecca K. Britt & PS Berge. (2023). âMegathreads and âwaifu warsâ: A structural content analysis of r/persona5 as a community of practice,â Participations Journal of Audience and Reception Studies 19(2).
https://www.participations.org/19-02-07-britt.pdf [PDF]
2021
PS Berge & Rebecca K. Britt (2021). âDance With Me, Claude: Creators, Catalyzers, and Canonizers in the Fire Emblem: Three Houses Slash-Ship Fandom,â Game Studies 21(4). http://gamestudies.org/2104/articles/berge_britt [Open Access Online]
- đ Winner of the Top Paper Award from the NCA Game Studies Division.
2021
PS Berge & Daniel G. Heslep (2021). Mapping Discordâs darkside: Distributed hate networks on Disboard. New Media & Society, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211062548 [PDF]
- Authors contributed equally to this research.
Conference Proceedings - Articles
2025
PB Berge. (2025). Anti-Games, Fantasy Consoles, and the Rise of Speculative Game Development on Itch.io. In International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (FDG â25), April 15â18, 2025, Graz, Austria. ACM, New York,
NY, USA, 11 pages. [https://doi.org/10.1145/3723498.3723739] [PDF]
- đ Best Paper Award Winner
2022
PS Berge, Daniel Cox, Jack Murray, & Anastasia Salter. (2022). Adventures in TwineSpace: An Augmented Reality Story Format for Twine. In M. Vosmeer & L. Holloway-Attaway (Eds.), Interactive Storytelling (pp. 499â512). Springer International Publishing. Presented at the International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling 2022, Santa Cruz, California.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22298-6_32 [PDF]
- đ Nominee for Best Student Paper Award.
2022
PS Berge. (2022). âLET ALL PARTAKE IN THE SUFFERINGâ: MĂRK BORG as a Visual-Material Toolkit for Fan Remix. In Proceedings of the 2022 DiGRA International Conference: Bringing Worlds Together, 1â19. Presented at the Digital Games Research Association 2022 Conference. Guadalajara, Mexico. http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/DiGRA_2022_paper_2231.pdf [PDF]
2021
PS Berge. (2021). Monster Power. Rebel Heart. Gay Sword. Queer Structures and Narrative Possibility in PbtA Tabletop Roleplaying Games. In A. Mitchell & M. Vosmeer (Eds.), Interactive Storytelling (pp. 179â192). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92300-6_16 [PDF]
- đ Most downloaded paper of the International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling 2021 Proceedings.
2021
PS Berge. (2021). Rotten and Possessed: Control and Hellblade: Senuaâs Sacrifice as Models of Outmersive Game Design. In Proceedings of the 32nd ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media (HT â21). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 35â44. Presented at the ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media. August 30 â September 2, 2021, Virtual Event, Ireland. https://doi.org/10.1145/3465336.3475094 [PDF]
Accepted Manuscripts in Process
PS Berge & Madison Schmalzer. (Forthcoming May 2025). Un-Moving Play and the End of Time: Code Injections and the Trans Abrogation of Media Objects. Journal of Cinema and Media Studies. (In press).
Maria Alberto, PS Berge, Brandon Blackburn, Adrianna Burton, & Hibby Thach. âYou Strange and Violent Queersâ: A Collaborative Disaster-Queer Autoethnography of Playing Thirsty Sword Lesbians. (Forthcoming 2024). In S. Hedge (Ed.) Essays on Indie Tabletop Roleplaying Games. McFarland Publishing. (In press).
PS Berge & Madison Schmalzer. (Forthcoming). âI took a deep breath and came out as GCâ: Gender Critical Storytelling, Radicalization, and Discursive Practice on Ovarit and Mumsnet. Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies. In Kat Fuller and Quinnehtukqut McLamore (eds.) special issue on âDynamics of Transphobic Content and Disinformation.â (Article conditionally accepted for publication in forthcoming special issue).
PS Berge & Madison Schmalzer. (Forthcoming). âSpeedrunning.â Invited chapter for Keywords in Game Studies by Christopher B. Patterson and Amanda Phillips (eds.). (Chapter conditionally accepted for forthcoming publication).
Other Publications
Conference Proceedings - Extended Abstracts
2021
PS Berge. (2021). âGO BACK IN YOUR FETUS CAVE:â HOW PREDATORY INFLUENCERS MANIPULATE AUDIENCES THROUGH PLATFORM RETREATS. AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research, 2021. https://doi.org/10.5210/spir.v2021i0.11869
2021
Daniel G. Heslep, & PS Berge. (2021). MAPPING DISCORDâS DARKSIDE: DISTRIBUTED HATE NETWORKS ON DISBOARD. AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research, 2021. https://doi.org/10.5210/spir.v2021i0.12183
2021
PS Berge. (2021) [DC] âSHOW YOUR DEDICATION:â VR Games and Outmersion. IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops, 2021, pp. 737-738, doi:10.1109/VRW52623.2021.00251.
Book Reviews
2024
PS Berge. (2024). Book Review: Beyond the Deck: Critical Essays on Magic: The Gathering and Its Influence. Journal of Fandom Studies. 3, 276â280. https://doi.org/10.1386/jfs_00092_5
2022
PS Berge. (2022). Book Review: Cosplay: The Fictional Mode of Existence. The Journal of Anime and Manga Studies, 3, 276â280. https://doi.org/10.21900/j.jams.v3.1132 [PDF]
Academic Blog Posts
2024
PS Berge. âDiscord Research Roundup: February 2024.â (February, 2022). The D/ARC Blog. darcmode.org/scraping-disboard/
2022
PS Berge. âScraping Disboard Data.â (January, 2022). The D/ARC Blog. darcmode.org/scraping-disboard/
2022
PS Berge. âAnnouncing the Discord Academic Research Community.â (January, 2022). The D/ARC Blog. darcmode.org/announcing-the-darc/
GRANTS & FUNDING AWARDS
External
2024-2025
Contributor and game designer: âA Trans Game Zine: Issue #1.â ACLS Digital Justice Seed Grant. (PIs: Dr. Ari Gass, Drexel University; Dr. Teddy Pozo, Occidental College)
Internal
2025
PI: Strategic Research Initiative Fund (SRIF) award. $186,346 (CAD) awarded for the âInterdisciplinary Media Production, Research, and Experimental Spaces (IMPRESS)â project to support lab equipment, renovations, and graduate student support.
2025
Co-Investigator: KIAS Collaborative Outreach Grant. âCommon Ground Workshop: Tools for Constructive Dialogue.â $5,000. (PI: Dr. Jared Wesley)
2024
PI: Endowment for the Future: Support for the Advancement of Scholarship Award. Fall 2024. $5,000.
Awards & Fellowships
External
2025
đ Winner, Best Paper Award, Foundations of Digital Games Conference, 2025
2023
đ Honorable Mention, SCMS 2023 Video Game Studies Special Interest Group Emerging Scholar Award
2022
đ Nominee, ICIDS 2022 Best Student Paper Award
2021
đ Winner, IEEE VR Doctoral Consortium Best Presentation Award
2021
đ NSF Conference Attendance Funding Award, IEEE VR
2020
đ Winner, Top Paper Award, NCA Game Studies Division
Internal
2024
đ Winner, Order of Pegasus Award, University of Central Florida
2020-2024
đ Presidential Doctoral Fellowship, University of Central Florida
2022
đ Departmental Conference Travel Funding Award
2020
đ Extraordinary Service Scholarship, University of Alabama
2019
đ Winner, Outstanding Teaching by a Masters Student Award, University of Alabama Graduate School
2019
đ Nominee, Outstanding Thesis by a Masterâs Student Award, University of Alabama English Department
2016-2019
đ Truman Capote Literary Trust, University of Alabama
2018
đ Carolyn P. Handa Teaching Award, University of Alabama
2018
đ National Graduate Council Fellowship, University of Alabama
Published Media Projects
Full Media Portfolio
A portfolio of my design work, including published games, software, and ongoing media projects is available on my website at psberge.com/portfolio.
Games
Most games are available at gravesnail.itch.io.
2023
FINAL BROADCAST
7-page PDF. A storytelling game about the sun exploding, played by burning a sheet of paper. https://gravesnail.itch.io/final-broadcast
- Submission to the Queerness and Games Jam by QG Con
2023
the ice: a tragic roleplaying game
18-page PDF. A tragic LARP about surviving an arctic hellscape over the course of seven scenes. https://gravesnail.itch.io/the-ice
- Made in collaboration with adriiadventures
2022
Songs for Giants
A short interactive essay on lyric games built in Twine, Bitsy, Tracery, P5.js, Python, and Glitch. This essay weaves together minigames, myth, and scholarship to paint an opaque portrait of lyric game design. https://gravesnail.itch.io/songs-for-giants
- Featured in the Console-ing Passions 2022 Arcade
2021
Fish & Dagger
Comedy spy-thriller game made in Twine (Sugarcube / Harlowe), A-Frame, AR.js, and JavaScript. https://www.springthing.net/2021/play.html#FishAndDagger
- đ Voted âBest In Showâ at the 2021 Spring Thing Interactive Fiction festival
- đ Winner of three audience awards: âBest Multimedia,â âMost Innovative,â âBest Humorâ
- đ Winner of the 2021 XYZZY Award âBest Use of Multimediaâ
- đ Nominee for âBest Use of Innovationâ at the 2021 XYZZY Awards
2021
Hovel of Miseries: Fort-based âsurvivalâ for MĂRK BORG
18-page fort-building supplement for the MĂRK BORG roleplaying game.
https://gravesnail.itch.io/hovel-of-miseries
- Featured in the Ex Libris MĂRK BORG Kickstarter
- Featured in Volume 3 of the FĂLK-LORE zine by Rughose Kohn
2021
PUNy PUNchable PUNk!
1-page dark-comedy creature supplement for the MĂRK BORG roleplaying game. https://gravesnail.itch.io/punpunpun
- Published in the Babalonâs Hangover: Volume II charity zine by stebro
2021
CODEX SADISTICA: A Heavy-Metal Minigame
Short sacrilicious parser game with some âheavyâ puzzles; developed in Inform 7.
https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=ihrvzvqkerv7idkn
Tools and Software
2021-2023
Disboard Scraper and Analysis Notebook
PS Berge. A Google Colaboratory notebook and toolkit for collecting and analyzing data about Discord server networks (with no additional coding required). Made in Python. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.7305670. Available at: https://darcmode.org/scraper
- Presented at D/ARC workshop âWorking with Networked Discord Data.â
2022
TwineSpace
Cox, D., PS Berge, Murray, J., & Salter, A. A Twine 2 story format supporting mixed-reality storytelling using AR.js and A-Frame. Made in JavaScript, HTML, CSS, A-Frame, and AR.js. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.6915351. Available at: https://twinestory.space/
- Presented at the International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling 2022.
- Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Digital Interactive Narratives.
Conferences and Talks
Invited Talks - External
2025
PB Berge. Invited speaker for a featured panel on experimental game pedagogy at the Canadian Game Studies Association, 2025. Invited by the CGSA Executive Team. (Forthcoming).
2024
PS Berge. Featured Guest Speaker at the Anyoneâs Game Tabletop Game Conference. February 2024. Hosted by Ringling College of Art and Design.
2023
PS Berge. I SET MY GAMES ON FIRE: A Ludoarsonistâs Guide to World-Ending, Emulation, and Burning Games. Featured talk. December 2023. Hosted by the American Library Associationâs Games & Gaming Round Table.
2023
PS Berge. Discussion of âRotten and Possessed: Control and Hellblade: Senuaâs Sacrifice as Models of Outmersive Game Designâ. Featured talk. April, 2023. Institute of Digital Games Book Club, University of Malta.
2023
PS Berge & Dan Cox. Presentation of TwineSpace: An Augmented Reality Story Format for Twine. Hosted by the Association for Research in Digital Interactive Narratives (ARDIN). March, 2023.
2022
PS Berge. âDice, Zines, and (Gay) Pirate Queens: Queer Horizons and Tabletop Roleplaying Gamesâ. Featured talk. December, 2022. Hosted by the American Library Association Games & Gaming Round Table.
2022
PS Berge. Discussion of âRotten and Possessed: Control and Hellblade: Senuaâs Sacrifice as Models of Outmersive Game Designâ. Featured talk. September, 2022. Game Philosophy reading group.
Peer-Reviewed Conference Presentations
Additional presentations may found as published proceedings, listed above.
2025
PS Berge (chair), Madison Schmalzer, Elliot Yu, and Brandon Blackburn. (Forthcoming June 2025). âđ„ Critical Methodologies For Post-Game Studies (or, why games never worked in the first place and thatâs the whole damn point).â To be presented as part of the Candian Game Studies Association 2025 conference. June 7-10. Montreal, QuebĂ©c.
2025
Adeline K. Piercy & PS Berge. (Forthcoming June 2025). âMin-Maxing Relaxing: Playtime and Privilege in the Post-Pandemic.â To be presented as part of the Candian Game Studies Association 2025 conference. June 7-10. Montreal, QuebĂ©c.
2025
PS Berge. (April 2025). âPlaying After Industry: Fantasy Consoles, Itch Bundles, and the Political Economy of Speculative Play.â To bve presented as part of âPolitical Economy of Games Nowâ at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies 2025 Conference. April 3 - April 6 2025. Chicago, IL. Panel Chair: Evan Torner.
2024
PS Berge. (November 2024). ââI took a deep breath and came out as GCâ: Excavating Gender Critical Information Literacy Practices and Anti-Trans Radicalization on Ovarit and Mumsnet.â Presented as part of âRisks to Trans & Queer Livesâ at the Association of Internet Researchers 2024 Conference. October 29 - November 4 2024. Sheffield, UK. With: Kathryn Brewster, Oliver Haimson; Michelle Robin Stewart, Samuel Laperle, Dominique Gagnon; and Debbie Ging, Catherine Baker, Maja Brandt Andreasen.
2024
PS Berge; wendi yu; Hibby Thach & Wells Lucas Santo; and Madison Schmalzer. (2024). âWe Can Always Never Tell: Giggling Faces, Gender Machines, and Un-Recognizing Play.â Presented as part of âB{ending} Trans Media Studiesâ at the Second International Trans Studies Conference. September 4-7 2024. Hybrid event; Northwestern University.
2024
PS Berge. (2024). âTime to (âŻÂ°âĄÂ°)âŻïž” â»ââ» : Exclusionary Game Platforms and Flipping the âGood Tableââ at Generation Analog 2024.
- Presentation Video: https://youtu.be/4ANzut_nU-s?si=fbDxpcdOGm0auhzI&t=2896
2024
PS Berge (chair). (2024). âNow Thatâs What I Call 95% femaleConfidence! Verified Girls, Saving Face, and the Play of Being a Bad Copyâ. Presented at on â(Re)Producing the âRealâ: Bad Copies, Trans* Media, and Unindexable Techno-Gendersâ at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies 2024 conference. Boston, MA. With: Madison Schmalzer, Kit Chokly, and MK Travis-Knudsen.
2023
PS Berge (2023). âThe Ludoarsonistâs Playground: Doom, Clocking, and The Ends of the Tableâ. Presented at Generation Analog 2023. [Virtual Event].
- Presentation Video: https://youtu.be/v6O0vPsXRWQ
2023
Amanda Cote (chair), PS Berge, Steven Dashiell, Aaron Trammell. (March 2023). ââHack It âTill Itâs Yoursâ? Learning to âUnplayâ Dungeons & Dragonsâ. Presented on âDice-y Interventions: Dungeons & Dragons, Identity, and Challenges to Inclusive Representationâ at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies 2023 conference. Denver, CO.
2023
Hibby Thach (co-chair) and Oliver Haimson, Ari Gass (co-chair), Madison Schmalzer and PS Berge, Jack McLaren. (March 2023). ââWe really just pressed buttonsâ: Trans Vectors of Desire, Arbitrary Code Execution, and Unplaying Zelda in Triforce%â presented on âTrans Play and the Boundaries of Game Studiesâ at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies 2023 conference. Denver, CO.
2022
David Kocik, Celeste Oon, Camille Butera, PS Berge, Michael Senters. (October 2022). âEmerging Fandom Networks on Discord.â Presented on the âIntimacy and Hierarchy in Fan Discord Serversâ panel at the Fan Studies Network - North America 2022 Conference. [Virtual Event].
2022
PS Berge. (July 2022). âThe Table and the Tomb: Positioning Trans Power and Play in Dungeons & Dragonsâ. Presented at Generation Analog 2022. [Virtual Event].
- Presentation Video: https://youtu.be/m_zHH0vyrCY
2022
PS Berge and Daniel G. Heslep (2022). ââ!pls deletethisâ: How Discord Bots Perform and Center White Cismasculinity.â Presented at the Console-ing Passions 2022 Conference. Orlando, FL.
2022
PS Berge. (2022). ââBut First We Need to Talk About Parallel Universes:â Vectorizing Trans Power in Videogames.â Presented at the Queering and Questioning Video Games Conference. Hosted by MultiPlay. [Virtual Event].
2022
Nikki Barnes, PS Berge, and Farah Cato. (2022). â#UploadELO2022: Electronic Narratives of Hybridity.â Presented at the Electronic Literature Conference. Como, Italy.
2022
Anastasia Salter, Stuart Moulthrop, Mark Marino, David Ciccoricco, Chloe A. Milligan, PS Berge. (2022). âAdventures Through Twine & Space: Re-Imagining Geolocative IF Platformsâ. Presented in âAre We Platforms? Rethinking Pandemic Pedagogies of Electronic Literatureâ at the Electronic Literature Conference. Como, Italy.
2022
PS Berge (chair), Ryan Rose Aceae, Cass Zegura, Jack Murray. (2022). âTHERE IS NO ESCAPE: Roguelike Romance and Queer Discovery in Hades.â Presented in Opacity, Community, Discovery: Structures of Queer Visibility in Videogames at the 2022 Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference. Chicago, IL.
2021
PS Berge. (2021). âMonster Power. Rebel Heart. Gay Sword. Queer Structures and Narrative Possibility in PbtA Tabletop Roleplaying Games.â Presented at the International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling. December 7â10, 2021, Tallinn, Estonia.
- Presentation Video: youtu.be/gH6P3JiT6dE
2021
PS Berge. (2021). âPlaying Against the Clock: Doomsday and Queer Inevitabilities in Roleplaying Games.â Presented at the Queer Temporalities in Literature, Cinema, and Video Games International Conference. December 2â4, 2021, Murcia, Spain, [Virtual Event].
2021
PS Berge. (2021). ââGO BACK IN YOUR FETUS CAVEâ: HOW PREDATORY INFLUENCERS MANIPULATE AUDIENCES THROUGH PLATFORM RETREATSâ. Paper presented at AoIR 2021: The 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Internet Researchers. October 13â16, 2021 [Virtual Event]. Retrieved from http://spir.aoir.org.
- Presentation Video: youtu.be/sVvyz2lnP5M
2021
Daniel G. Heslep and PS Berge. (2021). âMAPPING DISCORDâS DARKSIDE: DISTRIBUTED HATE NETWORKS ON DISBOARDâ. Paper presented at AoIR 2021: The 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Internet Researchers. October 13â16, 2021 [Virtual Event]. Retrieved from http://spir.aoir.org.
2021
PS Berge. (2021). âSHOW YOUR DEDICATION:â VR Games and Outmersion. In 2021 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), March 27 â April 3, 2021, Lisbon, Portugal [Virtual Event], p. 737-738. Extended abstract. doi: 10.1109/VRW52623.2021.00251.
- đ Winner of the IEEE VR Doctoral Consortium Best Presentation Award.
2021
Ahmad Awadhi, PS Berge, Sarah Dwyer, Elliot Lovett, Sheila McQuaid, Lauren Woolbright (2021). Role-Playing Peer Review: Games and Gatekeepers. Engaged Learning Experience accepted for presentation at the College Conference on Composition and Communications. April 7â10, 2021, Spokane, WA [Virtual Event]. (Re-accepted from 2020. Cancelled due to COVID-19).
2020
PS Berge, & Rebecca K. Britt (2020). Dance with me, Claude: Shippers, queerbaiting, and meaning making in the Fire Emblem: Three Houses Twitter Fandom. Presented at the National Communication Association, Game Studies Division. November 19â22, 2020, Indianapolis, IN [Virtual Event].
- đ Winner of the NCA Game Studies Division Top Paper Award.
2020
Rebecca K. Britt, & PS Berge (2020). r/persona5 as a community of practice: A computational content analysis of expressed communication based on a Japanese role-playing game. Presented at the National Communication Association, Japan-US Communication Association. November 19â22, 2020, Indianapolis, IN [Virtual Event, Converted for COVID-19].
2019
PS Berge, James Eubanks, Lacee Nisbitt, & Amanda Stevens (2019). âExploring the Rhetoric of Immersion and Identity in Virtual Reality.â Presented in Performance Expression and Identity within Multimodal Technologies at the College Conference on Composition and Communications. March 13â16, 2019, Pittsburgh, PA.
Workshops Led
2024
PS Berge. Cut Here: designing self-destructing games and un-ending play. UCLA Game Lab. Invited Workshop. March, 2024.
2024
PS Berge. Playing With Fire: a Workshop on Designing Self-Destructing Games. Anyoneâs Game Conference. Ringling College of Art & Design. February, 2024.
2022
PS Berge. Working With Networked Discord Data. The Discord Academic Research Community (D/ARC). February, 2022.
2022
PS Berge. âTwine & Designâ. Digital rhetoric course. March 2022, University of Central Florida.
2019
PS Berge. âA Dip into Design: Building for âFunââ. Games Writing course. October 2019, University of Alabama.
2017
PS Berge. âGoing meta in our writingâ. Creative Writing course. February 2017, University of Alabama.
2016
PS Berge. âBuilding Imagesâ. Creative Writing course. September 2016, Univeristy of Alabama.
Guest Lectures
2024
PS Berge. âRepresentation and Its Discontents.â February 2024. Course on Roleplaying Games & Improvisation. University of California, Irvine.
2022
PS Berge. Collecting and Analyzing Discord Data. Social media research course. November 2022, University of Central Florida.
2022
PS Berge. âUnderstanding Extremism and Social Mediaâ. Developmental psychology course. April 2022, University of Minnesota.
2020
PS Berge. âEmergent pedagogy in online environmentsâ Graduate teaching assistant training. May 2020, University of Alabama.
2020
PS Berge and Davenport, LM. Reading from âGreat Opportunities: Stories from the Multiverseâs Shittiest Space Colonyâ. MFA Reading Series. February 2020, University of Alabama.
2019
PS Berge. âTeaching with ePortfoliosâ. Graduate assistant training. November 2019, University of Alabama.
2019
PS Berge. âPerforming Video Game and Virtual Reality Researchâ. Games writing course. October 2019, University of Alabama.
2019
PS Berge. âTechnology research in virtual reality and video gamesâ. Gaming journalism course. February 2019, University of Alabama.
2019
PS Berge. âCollaborative Writing, Print to Digitalâ. Research methods graduate course. February 2019, University of Alabama.
2018
PS Berge. âVideo game pedagogy and roleplaying in the classroomâ First-Year Writing Programâs Creative Composition Series. March 2018, University of Alabama.
Courses Taught
Instructor of Record
Bradley University (2023-2024)
Game Seminar [Online Course]
- Masters-level course in Bradleyâs M.S. in Game Design program. Students engaged current research in critical game studiesâfrom queer and feminist design principles to platform and industry studiesâand performed critical play reflections and surveys of current issues in gaming culture.
University of Alabama (2016-2020)
âPress Start: Writing for Gamesâ (Applied Topics in Creative Writing) [Hybrid Course]
- Advanced studio course on game writing and design principles. Students engaged accessible design tools (e.g., Twine, Bitsy, Homebrewery) and developed a game portfolio: a critical review, an analog game prototype, and a collaborative digital game.
âWriting and the World of Video Gamesâ and âInvestigating the World of Video Gamesâ (Advanced English Composition)
- Advanced course developing critical media research skills. Students explored multimodal design and researched social issues surrounding digital gaming. Culminated in a critical discourse analysis and collaborative development of a video game.
âThe Writerâs Journeyâ (Introduction to Creative Writing)
- Introductory multigenre, media-focused course. Students explored writing elements (Character, Narrative, World, and Sonics) through an adventure-game structure.
English Composition II
- Introductory course centering semester-long, student-centered research projects. Students developed a discourse analysis and designed an interactive project.
English Composition I
- Introductory course on expository writing and genre exploration. Students wrote in new genres and produced media projects.
Graduate Teaching Assistant
University of Alabama (2016-2017)
British Literature II
British Literature I
Student Supervision
University of Alberta: Current â Supervisor/Co-Supervisor
2024-present
Adeline K. Piercy, Digital Humanities, MA Candidate
2024-present
Yasmine Abdel Razek, Gender and Social Justice, MA Candidate
2024-present
Aysha OâBrien, Gender and Social Justice / Digital Humanities, MA Candidate
2025-present
Miriam Martin, Computer Science, Undergraduate Research Initiatives (URI) Scholar
University of Alberta: Current â Committee Member
2024-Present
Cat Bevan, Digital Humanities, MA Candidate
2024-Present
Becka Grose, Digital Humanities, MA Candidate
York University: Current â External Supervisor
2024-present
Zhenia Puzankov, Design Media Arts, PhD Candidate
Service to Profession
2023-Present
Design Lead and Organizing Committee Member, Electronic Literature Organization 2024 Conference, July 20-22 2024
2021-Present
Lead Director and Cofounder, The Discord Academic Research Community (D/ARC)
2025-Present
Community Co-Chair, The Content Creator Studies Network (CCSN)
2022-Present
Cofounder, Tabletop Research in Practice (TRiP)
2024-2025
Lightning Talk Track Chair, Foundations of Digital Games Conference.
2023
Cover Designer, Peitho Vol 25.4 Special Issue, Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition
2022
Designed and implemented the official Association of Internet Researchers Graduate Student and Early Career Group Discord Server
2022
Designed the conference program and official Discord server for the Console-ing Passions 2022 conference
2022
Community Management Consultant, Game in Lab
2022
Book Reviewer, JAMS: The Journal for Anime and Manga Studies
2021-2022
Organizing committee, Console-ing Passions 2022 Conference
2019-2021
CCCCâs Council for Play and Game Studies, active member and panelist.
Peer Reviewer, Various Presses, Journals, and Conferences
Minnesota Press (2025), TOPCHI (2024-2025), CHI Play (2023-2025), Press Start (2021-Present), New Media & Society (2022-Present), AoIR (2022-Present), Queer Studies in Media and Popular Culture* Special Issue (2022), Transformative Works & Culture (2023-Present), FDG (2024-Present), ELO (2024-Present).
Panels Organized and Chaired
2025
âđ„ Critical Methodologies For Post-Game Studies (or, why games never worked in the first place and thatâs the whole damn point).â Candian Game Studies Association, 2025.
2024
âB{ending} Trans Media Studies,â The 2nd International Trans Studies Conference 2024.
2023
â(Re)Producing the âRealâ: Bad Copies, Trans* Media, and Unindexable Techno-Genders,â SCMS 2024.
2022
âOpacity, Community, Discovery: Structures of Queer Visibility in Videogames,â SCMS 2022.
2019
âPerformance Expression and Identity within Multimodal Technologies,â CCCC 2019.
University Service
2025-Present
Curriculum Review Committee, Media & Technology Studies Program
2025-Present
Admissions Committee, Digital Humanities MA Program
2024-2025
IMPRESS committee, Media & Technology Studies
2022
Designed website for new faculty, University of Central Florida English Department
2020-2024
Digital Culture Research Group, active member, University of Central Florida
2020
Carolyn P. Handa Undergraduate Scholarship Award Committee, University of Alabama
2019-2020
Digital Pedagogy Community of Practice, University of Alabama
2020-2021
Creative writing online instructor training and development, Univeristy of Alabama
2019-2020
Creative writing online curriculum development, University of Alabama
2019-2020
ePortfolio Assessment Group, University of Alabama
Selected Work and Leadership Experience
2022-Present
Tabletop Research in Practice (TRiP)
Cofounder, Sponsored Researcher
2021-Present
The Discord Academic Research Community
Director, Cofounder, Community Manager
2022-2023
University of Central Florida
Procedural Narrative + Augmented Reality Research Assistant
2022-2023
University of Texas, Austin
Writing Assessment Specialist, OnRamps Rhetoric Program
2022
Game in Lab
Community Management Consultant
2016-2019
University of Alabama
Digital Literacy Mentor, Graduate Teaching Assistant
2012-2016
Freelance Game Design
Unity Programmer, Writer, Team Founder and Manager
Media and Press
Edmonton Journal. Quoted as a subject expert regarding social media bots and election interference. (April 2025). https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/foreign-influence-canada-democratic-elections
Rascal News. Featured as a subject expert regarding the use tabletop roleplaying games in the classroom. (November 2024). https://www.rascal.news/play-as-learning-ttrpgs-in-the-classroom/
The Globe & Mail. Interviewed as subject-matter expert regarding anti-trans extremism, political violence, and sports bills. (November 2024). https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta/article-alberta-tables-legislation-regulating-pronouns-in-school-gender-in/
The Associated Press. Interviewed as subject-matter expert by journalist regarding Discord and social media and radicalization among youths for forthcoming article. (January 2024).
PBS Frontline and The Washington Post. Interviewed as subject-matter expert by journalists and documentarians regarding Discord, extremism, gaming culture, and platform dynamics for a series of articles and a documentary. (July - December, 2023). https://www.washingtonpost.com/discord-leaks/. In particular:
- Interviewed for and quoted at length in ââProblematic pocketsâ: How Discord became a home for extremists,â The Washington Post, December 12, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/12/12/discord-app-extremism/.
- Interviewed for and credited in The Discord Leaks Documentary, PBS Frontline. Aired December 12, 2023. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/the-discord-leaks/.
Nicholson School of Media. (September, 2022). Featured in spotlight article âUCF student designs video games to combat lack of queer representationâ. http://www.nicholsonstudentmedia.com/life/ucf-student-designs-video-games-to-combat-lack-of-queer-representation/article_ba337dfe-361b-11ed-b263-87e91d6770af.html
Kotaku. (June, 2022). Interviewed as a subject-matter expert expert for âOnline Voice Chat Is Often A Sexist Nightmare (But It Doesnât Have To Be)â. https://kotaku.com/discord-voice-chat-anxiety-harassment-girl-gamers-1849016726
UCF College of Arts & Humanities. (June, 2021). Featured in spotlight video âResearch Spotlight: PS Berge, Texts & Technology Ph.D. Programâ. https://www.youtu.be/watch?v=73M4qz9998E.
Technical Skills
Languages: Python, C#, HTML + CSS, Javascript, C++, Markdown, Java
Web & Design: Adobe Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects, Illustrator) · WordPress · Weebly · GitHub Pages · Jekyll · Hugo
Game Design: Twine (Harlowe, Sugarcube 2) · RenâPy · Unreal Engine 4 · Unity · Inform 7 · Bitsy + Borksy · A-Frame + AR.js
This CV was last updated . View updates at www.cv.psberge.com.