People involved with community wellbeing are being invited to take part in a unique games event on Thursday 7 May as part of Demystifying Death Week at Strathcarron Hospice.

Strathcarron has partnered with CACE Cumbernauld, Glasgow School of Art -School of Innovation & Technology and the Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief Partnership on the interactive event designed to open up conversations about death, dying and bereavement.

The event showcases a range of interactive prototypes developed by Strathcarron Hospice in conjunction with CACE, students from Glasgow Art School and the Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief partnership. Local people from Cumbernauld and students from Glasgow School of Art have designed enjoyable game play which encourages reflection on life, death and grief. The games help open up challenging but fascinating conversation which can result in decisions about planning for death – how to prepare for that and how to communicate wishes to family, friends and community.

David Henderson - Lead Officer, Compassionate Communities, Strathcarron Hospice: "We are delighted to be working in collaboration with Glasgow Art School and the Good Grief Trust on this unique event which explores meaningful conversations about death, dying and loss. There is strong evidence to show that conversations and planning can help those facing mortality as well as their family and friends.

People can find it difficult to talk about these subjects for many reasons. They may not want to say the wrong thing, or cause distress, however events like this which give people the opportunity to navigate challenging conversations through game play which promote shared learning and experiences. Ultimately these games are about the power of community."

We would love your feedback. The event is open to

• community group members and volunteers
• carers and young carers
• youth groups and students
• people involved in community wellbeing activities

 

And will be of interested for people:
• contributing feedback to help develop community activities
• learning how these games could be used within community groups

 

Featured Highlights:

· The Escape Room: An immersive narrative experience developed by Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief.

Life Stations: A game designed jointly by CACE in Cumbernauld and Strathcarron Hospice and developed and tested by people from Cumbernauld.

· Student-Led Prototypes: High-level projects from GSA’s Innovation and Technology programmes that use game mechanics to facilitate difficult conversations.

· NHS-Developed Tools: Practical, evidence-based games currently being trialled within healthcare settings to improve "Grief Culture."

Undergraduate Serious Games Elective Games (Analogue)

Momento Memori - a memory flash game to learn about different death rituals from worldwide cultures. ( T. Winters, H. Hoskari, H. Xu, & 2024)

Feather and Stone - a game that teaches about death and Ancient Egyptian Lore through a serious game that emulates the Weighing of the Heart, Ancient Egyptian Death Ritual (A. Ewing, K.Kurdziel, A. Stokoe, Q.Ranruo, & E.Hardy, 2025)

Hull and Havoc - A role-playing serious game where players explore theme of life through a reflective game as the ghost of the Captain of a ship set in the Golden Age (S. Cooper-Friedlos, B. Zomchak, L. Brown, & S. Y, 2025)

Post Graduate Serious Games (Digital)

Gamifying the Silk Heritage of Mawangdui - A player-centred serious game that digitally reinterprets ancient funeral culture and silk funerary banners through iterative co-design to create an interactive framework for exploring historical death rituals (H. Xu, 2025).

Proposed MSc Projects for 2026 (Digital & VR Research)

These in-progress concepts explore the intersection of technology, social enterprise, and community wellbeing.

· Awe & Wonder (Zilin Zhang): Investigating how VR-driven multimodal design can influence and regulate human emotion, creating "sanctuary" environments for those experiencing acute emotional distress.

· Death & Dying 1 (Wenjing Wang): A VR serious game specifically for bereaved pet owners, utilizing virtual memorial spaces to help process grief and celebrate the human-animal bond.

· Death & Dying 2 (Tianjiao Li): A narrative-driven exploration of morality and ethics, using innovative storytelling to navigate the complex choices and personal legacies surrounding end-of-life.

· Death & Dying 3 (Yifei Liao): Researching the digitisation of mourning and remembrance, focusing on how technology can facilitate healthy memorialisation in a digital-first culture.

· Death & Dying 4 (Xiran Chen): A narrative game exploring the "world after" to bridge the gap between self-acceptance and the taboo of mourning loved ones, drawing on cultural perspectives of nature and continuity.

 

To book a space at the Demystifying Death Games Event book here: Play, Puzzle & Plan: Community Games for Demystifying Death Week Tickets, Thursday, May 7  •  2 PM - 4 PM | Eventbrite