Name: From Play to Research: Understanding Lake Balaton Through Cooperative Gaming
Start: Thu Oct 08 2026 11:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
End: Thu Oct 08 2026 12:30:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Location: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design

This 90-minute participatory workshop explores the lake as a complex ecological and social system through expert insights, cooperative gaming and collective reflection. 

The workshop builds on Save the Lake, a board game originally implemented as part of the Balatorium programme within the Veszprém–Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture initiative. Drawing on the experiences and core ideas of the original game, a new cooperative card game focusing on Lake Balaton is currently being developed within MOME MAG project. 

The workshop begins with a short ecological introduction by Ferenc Jordán, providing participants with insights into Lake Balaton as a complex ecological system and highlighting some of the key relationships and challenges that shape it. 

As the new Save the Lake card game is still under development, the workshop itself becomes part of the research and design process. Following the introduction, participants will test the demo version of the game in small groups. During a 45-minute playtesting session, each group will play at least three rounds, allowing participants to experience the game mechanics, collaborative decision-making and the ecological relationships represented through the game. 

The workshop concludes with group and collective reflection on the gameplay experience, the ecological dimensions communicated through the game, and the game mechanics themselves. Feedback gathered during the session will directly contribute to the further development and validation of the Save the Lake card game. 

By combining ecological knowledge, cooperative gameplay and reflection, the workshop explores how playful and participatory methods can support research and communicate complex ecological challenges. At the same time, participants become active contributors to an ongoing design process, helping to shape how Save the Lake can communicate the interconnected challenges surrounding Lake Balaton.

From Play to Research: Understanding Lake Balaton Through Cooperative Gaming

How can playing a board or cardgame help us understand the complex ecological relationships and challenges surrounding Lake Balaton?