Center for Transformational Play
@cmuctp.bsky.social
We're a research group at Carnegie Mellon University. We bring together expertise from across CMU to design, build, and study transformational games that shape how people think, feel, and behave.
🎉 We’re excited to announce that in Fall 2026, we’re partnering with the Entertainment Technology Center to offer a concentration in Transformational Play as part of the Master’s of Entertainment Technology! Learn more about the program and how to apply. Applications are due by Jan. 1, 2026!
ETC Transformational Play - Center for Transformational Play - Carnegie Mellon University
The Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University will be offering as part of the Master’s of Entertainment Technology an optional concentration in Transformational Play through the Ce...
www.cmu.edu
November 18, 2025 at 2:35 PM
🎉 We’re excited to announce that in Fall 2026, we’re partnering with the Entertainment Technology Center to offer a concentration in Transformational Play as part of the Master’s of Entertainment Technology! Learn more about the program and how to apply. Applications are due by Jan. 1, 2026!
👀 What a milestone! (And what a bar for our own students to reach for … no pressure 😉) #researchgoals #GoogleScholarFamous 🎓💻
‘Godfather of AI’ becomes first person to hit one million citations
The milestone makes machine-learning trailblazer Yoshua Bengio the most cited researcher on Google Scholar.
www.nature.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:26 PM
👀 What a milestone! (And what a bar for our own students to reach for … no pressure 😉) #researchgoals #GoogleScholarFamous 🎓💻
🤖🌐 CTP Director Dr. Jessica Hammer was delighted to be part of PA State @repdanmiller.com’s latest Community Webinar. The panel discussion centered on the intersection of artificial intelligence and its use for social engagement. Check out the video! 👉 pahouse.com/miller/communitywebinars
November 6, 2025 at 3:53 PM
🤖🌐 CTP Director Dr. Jessica Hammer was delighted to be part of PA State @repdanmiller.com’s latest Community Webinar. The panel discussion centered on the intersection of artificial intelligence and its use for social engagement. Check out the video! 👉 pahouse.com/miller/communitywebinars
Our friends over at en.seethegood.app are working to bring their innovative and playful classroom programs to schools in Pennsylvania. Learn more - and see Pittsburgh represented on the news in Finland! 🇫🇮 📰
See the Good! in USA
This is "See the Good! in USA" by See the Good! on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
vimeo.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Our friends over at en.seethegood.app are working to bring their innovative and playful classroom programs to schools in Pennsylvania. Learn more - and see Pittsburgh represented on the news in Finland! 🇫🇮 📰
🎃🐈⬛ Celebrate Halloween with a cheeky horror tragicomedy - Slay the Princess. A mysterious voice says you must kill a princess in a cabin in the woods. If you fail - it will bring about the end of the world. We saved the spookiest for last: Three out of five 👻👻👻
Link 👉 blacktabbygames.com/press-stp
Link 👉 blacktabbygames.com/press-stp
October 31, 2025 at 2:57 PM
🎃🐈⬛ Celebrate Halloween with a cheeky horror tragicomedy - Slay the Princess. A mysterious voice says you must kill a princess in a cabin in the woods. If you fail - it will bring about the end of the world. We saved the spookiest for last: Three out of five 👻👻👻
Link 👉 blacktabbygames.com/press-stp
Link 👉 blacktabbygames.com/press-stp
Let’s keep up the creepy with Home Safety Hotline. In this analog game players take on the role of a telephone operator who must answer incoming callers’ questions about what’s inside their home. Spookiness Rating of two out of five 👻👻
Link 👉 igdb.com/games/244303/presskit
Link 👉 igdb.com/games/244303/presskit
October 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Let’s keep up the creepy with Home Safety Hotline. In this analog game players take on the role of a telephone operator who must answer incoming callers’ questions about what’s inside their home. Spookiness Rating of two out of five 👻👻
Link 👉 igdb.com/games/244303/presskit
Link 👉 igdb.com/games/244303/presskit
A slightly spookier game recommendation: Cult of the Lamb casts players in the role of a possessed lamb saved from annihilation by an ominous stranger… but now you must repay the debt. This one gets a Spookiness Rating of two out of five 👻👻
Link 👉 igdb.com/games/cult-of-the-lamb/presskit
Link 👉 igdb.com/games/cult-of-the-lamb/presskit
October 29, 2025 at 2:30 PM
A slightly spookier game recommendation: Cult of the Lamb casts players in the role of a possessed lamb saved from annihilation by an ominous stranger… but now you must repay the debt. This one gets a Spookiness Rating of two out of five 👻👻
Link 👉 igdb.com/games/cult-of-the-lamb/presskit
Link 👉 igdb.com/games/cult-of-the-lamb/presskit
Tuesday’s Halloween treat is a life-sim game about camping on a haunted, ever-changing island. In Cozy Grove you’re a spirit scout wandering the forest, finding hidden secrets, and helping soothe the local ghosts. Spookiness Rating: One out of five 👻
👉 www.qag.io/cg/
👉 www.qag.io/cg/
October 28, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Tuesday’s Halloween treat is a life-sim game about camping on a haunted, ever-changing island. In Cozy Grove you’re a spirit scout wandering the forest, finding hidden secrets, and helping soothe the local ghosts. Spookiness Rating: One out of five 👻
👉 www.qag.io/cg/
👉 www.qag.io/cg/
In support of a happy Halloween, The CTP is spending the week sharing some “spirited” favorite games. First up: Spiritfarer. You play Stella, ferrymaster to the deceased. Build a boat to explore the world!
Spookiness Rating: One out of five 👻
Spookiness Rating: One out of five 👻
Spiritfarer Press Kit | Thunder Lotus
Spiritfarer is a cozy management game about dying. You play Stella, ferrymaster to the deceased, a Spiritfarer. Build a boat to explore the world, then
thunderlotus23.mill3.dev
October 27, 2025 at 7:46 PM
In support of a happy Halloween, The CTP is spending the week sharing some “spirited” favorite games. First up: Spiritfarer. You play Stella, ferrymaster to the deceased. Build a boat to explore the world!
Spookiness Rating: One out of five 👻
Spookiness Rating: One out of five 👻
Reposted by Center for Transformational Play
CHI PLAY's Work In Progress (WIP) contributions provide a unique opportunity for authors to present reports on original yet incomplete work that seeks to advance our current knowledge in games and play through innovative or thought-provoking ideas. Great work all who presented! tinyurl.com/y27zs65w
October 15, 2025 at 3:23 PM
CHI PLAY's Work In Progress (WIP) contributions provide a unique opportunity for authors to present reports on original yet incomplete work that seeks to advance our current knowledge in games and play through innovative or thought-provoking ideas. Great work all who presented! tinyurl.com/y27zs65w
Our Project Baseplate partners over at cmu.edu/gelfand and mattsmakerspace.org are continuing to amplify learning in Pittsburgh and beyond!
Read more 👉 tinyurl.com/5xmuvnxb
Read more 👉 tinyurl.com/5xmuvnxb
October 8, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Our Project Baseplate partners over at cmu.edu/gelfand and mattsmakerspace.org are continuing to amplify learning in Pittsburgh and beyond!
Read more 👉 tinyurl.com/5xmuvnxb
Read more 👉 tinyurl.com/5xmuvnxb
The CTP is honored to celebrate the 2025 Andy Awards @cmu.edu and to be recognized in three categories:
🏆Commitment to Community Engagement
🏆Commitment to Excellence
🏆Teamwork and Collaboration
Congratulations to all the nominees and thank you for all you do to support CMU! 👉 tinyurl.com/3enrj7b7
🏆Commitment to Community Engagement
🏆Commitment to Excellence
🏆Teamwork and Collaboration
Congratulations to all the nominees and thank you for all you do to support CMU! 👉 tinyurl.com/3enrj7b7
October 2, 2025 at 4:46 PM
The CTP is honored to celebrate the 2025 Andy Awards @cmu.edu and to be recognized in three categories:
🏆Commitment to Community Engagement
🏆Commitment to Excellence
🏆Teamwork and Collaboration
Congratulations to all the nominees and thank you for all you do to support CMU! 👉 tinyurl.com/3enrj7b7
🏆Commitment to Community Engagement
🏆Commitment to Excellence
🏆Teamwork and Collaboration
Congratulations to all the nominees and thank you for all you do to support CMU! 👉 tinyurl.com/3enrj7b7
The CTP’s Director, Dr. Jessica Hammer, shared her expertise to support producers of the long-running @pbs.org series NOVA as they explored collaborative science learning through the mediums of livestreams like Twitch. Check out the results of the research!
New Media Offers New Ways to Spark STEM Learning - Center for Transformational Play - Carnegie Mellon University
Support from CMU researchers and the Center for Transformational play is helping the long-running PBS series NOVA explore collaborative science learning through the medium of livestreams on Twitch
www.cmu.edu
September 23, 2025 at 12:58 PM
The CTP’s Director, Dr. Jessica Hammer, shared her expertise to support producers of the long-running @pbs.org series NOVA as they explored collaborative science learning through the mediums of livestreams like Twitch. Check out the results of the research!
We’re thrilled to share The Center for Transformational Play's Project Baseplate partner Emily Sanders is helping support playful learning at two elementary schools thanks to a collaboration with mattsmakerspace.org! 🧱👷⛹️
Hempfield to pilot Lego-based therapy program at 2 elementaries
Two Hempfield Area elementary schools will pilot a Lego-based therapy program this school year. Carnegie Mellon University partnered with a Western Pennsylvania nonprofit called Matt’s Maker Spa...
triblive.com
September 22, 2025 at 4:58 PM
We’re thrilled to share The Center for Transformational Play's Project Baseplate partner Emily Sanders is helping support playful learning at two elementary schools thanks to a collaboration with mattsmakerspace.org! 🧱👷⛹️
When you smile, the whole world smiles with you. Thanks to Professor Emeritus Scott Fahlman, we send smiles a thousand miles through our keyboards. September 19, 1982 marks the birthday of the emoticon: A simple :-) sent over a CMU message board. #CTPScotty was thrilled to swing by the celebration!
September 19, 2025 at 4:45 PM
When you smile, the whole world smiles with you. Thanks to Professor Emeritus Scott Fahlman, we send smiles a thousand miles through our keyboards. September 19, 1982 marks the birthday of the emoticon: A simple :-) sent over a CMU message board. #CTPScotty was thrilled to swing by the celebration!
Our friends @geekwire.com have launched season two of the Does Compute podcast. On this week's episode, learn more about how play creates connections and cultivates empathy as The CTP's Director, Dr. Jessica Hammer, explains how play can open doors for people of all ages.
There’s No Age That’s Too Old To Play
YouTube video by GeekWire
www.youtube.com
September 16, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Our friends @geekwire.com have launched season two of the Does Compute podcast. On this week's episode, learn more about how play creates connections and cultivates empathy as The CTP's Director, Dr. Jessica Hammer, explains how play can open doors for people of all ages.
Reposted by Center for Transformational Play
📢Registration Update! We have extended the deadline for Early Bird registrations until Monday, 15.09. (AoW)!
Find out more about our registration fees and register here: chiplay.acm.org/2025/registr...
@acm-sigchi.bsky.social
#chiplay
#chiplay2025
Find out more about our registration fees and register here: chiplay.acm.org/2025/registr...
@acm-sigchi.bsky.social
#chiplay
#chiplay2025
September 11, 2025 at 12:18 PM
📢Registration Update! We have extended the deadline for Early Bird registrations until Monday, 15.09. (AoW)!
Find out more about our registration fees and register here: chiplay.acm.org/2025/registr...
@acm-sigchi.bsky.social
#chiplay
#chiplay2025
Find out more about our registration fees and register here: chiplay.acm.org/2025/registr...
@acm-sigchi.bsky.social
#chiplay
#chiplay2025
Reposted by Center for Transformational Play
📢 Get ready for #chiplay2025!
You can now register for online and on-site attendance.
Find out more about our registration fees and register here: chiplay.acm.org/2025/registr...
#chiplay
@acm-sigchi.bsky.social
You can now register for online and on-site attendance.
Find out more about our registration fees and register here: chiplay.acm.org/2025/registr...
#chiplay
@acm-sigchi.bsky.social
August 21, 2025 at 8:49 AM
📢 Get ready for #chiplay2025!
You can now register for online and on-site attendance.
Find out more about our registration fees and register here: chiplay.acm.org/2025/registr...
#chiplay
@acm-sigchi.bsky.social
You can now register for online and on-site attendance.
Find out more about our registration fees and register here: chiplay.acm.org/2025/registr...
#chiplay
@acm-sigchi.bsky.social
Thrilled to highlight our partners at the Richard King Mellon Foundation and their great work showcased on @oppinsights.bsky.social's new Community Impacts page. Our collaboration includes funding for research exploring how play can help build cross-class relationships among children. 📊👏 🧱
Community Impacts | Opportunity Insights
These examples highlight how individuals and organizations across the country are putting this data into action in their own communities—across areas like housing, education, philanthropy, and more.
opportunityinsights.org
August 20, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Thrilled to highlight our partners at the Richard King Mellon Foundation and their great work showcased on @oppinsights.bsky.social's new Community Impacts page. Our collaboration includes funding for research exploring how play can help build cross-class relationships among children. 📊👏 🧱
Work led by researchers @cmu.edu's Center for Transformational Play has the potential to not only make video editing a less complicated process, but also make AI a creative partner for video content creators 🎶💻
Designing for Vibes: Text-to-music AI generation - Center for Transformational Play - Carnegie Mellon University
New work led by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Transformational Play allows video content creators to use text-to-music AI or Artificial Intelligent generation to search for ...
www.cmu.edu
August 18, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Work led by researchers @cmu.edu's Center for Transformational Play has the potential to not only make video editing a less complicated process, but also make AI a creative partner for video content creators 🎶💻
Our colleagues at @scsatcmu.bsky.social have come up with a tool that could change the future of manufacturing, one brick at a time 🤖🧱
The AI Tool That Could Make Manufacturing Faster and More Efficient — by Using Lego Bricks
A new AI-powered tool created by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science could change the way we manufacture and build things.
www.cmu.edu
August 15, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Our colleagues at @scsatcmu.bsky.social have come up with a tool that could change the future of manufacturing, one brick at a time 🤖🧱
We love to see CMU alumni make good… especially when they find a way to help people learn how to say “gamification” in multiple languages 😉🗺️🗣️
Duolingo’s founder on billionaire life: ‘I guess it’s nice not to worry’
Raised by a single mother in a nation at war, Luis von Ahn transformed the internet as a student — then did it again with his all-conquering language app
www.thetimes.com
August 11, 2025 at 2:40 PM
We love to see CMU alumni make good… especially when they find a way to help people learn how to say “gamification” in multiple languages 😉🗺️🗣️
Our friends over at Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science are doing their part to ensure that we never have to worry about Triffids... (and other, actually real invasive species either) 🌿🔬 🧪
Using Generative AI in the Battle Against Invasive Plants
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, together with scientists at a conservation ranch in Montana, developed a method that trains machine learning models to detect invasive species more effective...
www.cmu.edu
July 31, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Our friends over at Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science are doing their part to ensure that we never have to worry about Triffids... (and other, actually real invasive species either) 🌿🔬 🧪
Games like Minecraft can be more than just a fun place to play. For some people, especially vulnerable children, they can serve as a powerful means of self expression and mental health support. 🧱♥️
‘The way a child plays is the way they live’: how therapists are using video games to help vulnerable children
Minecraft and other creative games are becoming recognised as powerful means of self-expression and mental health support, including for traumatised Ukrainian refugees
www.theguardian.com
July 29, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Games like Minecraft can be more than just a fun place to play. For some people, especially vulnerable children, they can serve as a powerful means of self expression and mental health support. 🧱♥️
July 24th is Amelia Earhart Day, marking the 1897 birthday of the famed aviator. Why not celebrate by taking flight from your desktop? Check out the linked ranking of flight simulator options for your PC …and tell your boss you’re just practicing for a “smooth takeoff” on that next project.🧑✈️🛩️
The best flight sims on PC
Take to the skies, blast off into space, dogfight or sight-see—here are our favorites from each variety of winged sim.
www.pcgamer.com
July 25, 2025 at 1:27 PM
July 24th is Amelia Earhart Day, marking the 1897 birthday of the famed aviator. Why not celebrate by taking flight from your desktop? Check out the linked ranking of flight simulator options for your PC …and tell your boss you’re just practicing for a “smooth takeoff” on that next project.🧑✈️🛩️