Federal Games Guild

The Federal Games Guild (FGG) is an informal community of practice of federal agencies who are interested in the correlation of games for federal initiatives. As a platform, the FGG connects federal entities and staff interested in the application of games in the federal space. Member organizations range in their relationship to using games, from those who support game development through funding, to those active in using innovative technologies in their practice, to those who design and research games as part of their agency’s outreach efforts around public education. While the ways games are part of federal agencies differs depending on agency initiatives, the purpose of this community is to bring federal agencies together to share, learn, and grow together. The group meets approximately every six weeks in the D.C. area (with virtual participation encouraged), supplemented by informal meet-ups at major tech and gaming conferences.

The FGG serves as a hub for those working in the federal government in games, and space to foster understanding how federal agencies incorporate games to meet agency missions, initiatives and goals. 

The Wilson Center's Serious Games Initiative is just one of the many agencies participating in the FGG. For more information about this group or how to join this group, please email Elizabeth.Newbury at wilsoncenter dot org. 

Wide Usage Practices in Federal Spaces

Funding: Member organizations such as the NSF, NEH, NIH, NEA, IMLS and Department of Education all foster game development through funding. Projects such as Walden, a game, Play the Past and FoldIt are examples of successful projects funded by the collaborative efforts of member organizations. A list of upcoming funding opportunities can be found above, as curated through the Federal Games Guild.

Federal Gaming Opportunities 

Outreach and Education: Members from many agencies take part in the development of games to meet key educational and public engagement goals. The Kennedy Center's Digital Resources Library, the Smithsonian Science Education Center, and the Wilson Center's Serious Games Initiative, specifically the Fiscal Ship, are just some examples.

Research: Members from the Wilson Center, CDC and NSF support or develop research programs to examine the ways in which games are effective tools for communication. 

• Development of Visual Elements for Accurate Simulation from Advances in Human Factors and Simulation (pp.287-299)

Past Public Activities

• The US Department of Education's ED Games Expo
• Meetups and panels at festivals like Games for Change and SXSW Edu
• Game arcades, such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum SAAM Arcade