On February 21, 2026, Kazakhstan-British Technical University (KBTU) will host the first academic conference in Central Asia dedicated to video game research – DiGRA Central Asia Conference.
The conference will bring together researchers and game developers from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. The program combines academic and practical perspectives on video games as cultural, technological, and educational phenomena.
The conference program includes three thematic sections:
• Gamification and Education
• Game Development, Technologies, and Player Behavior Analysis
• Artificial Intelligence and Ethics in Game Design
In addition, within the framework of the conference, developers will present their video games, including educational and outreach projects, as well as games specifically designed for academic research purposes.
The conference is organized by the Central Asian chapter of Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) – the world’s largest global community of video game researchers. The DiGRA Central Asia chapter was established in April 2025. Its founding members include the GameLab KBTU video game development and research laboratory at KBTU, the Mixed Reality Laboratory of the International Information Technology University, the Portal College of Game Development and Interactive Media in Bishkek, as well as independent researchers from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
The full conference program, registration details, and participant information are available on the official website: digraca.org.
To attend the conference, prior registration is required.
Registration form: