Celia Hodent - Classes & Talks -

Learn more about game UX and cognitive science! All my public masterclasses and talks are listed here. If you’d like me to speak at your event/school or to run a private masterclass or workshop at your company (in English or in French), contact me.

Check my YouTube channel for videos of Game UX talks and more. You can also check my IxDF Game UX course.

Upcoming events: public masterclasses, keynotes, & more

My IxDF Game UX course (over 18 hours of content on cognitive science, the psychology of players, usability and engagement in games or for gamification) is now live!
- Get 3 months free with this link: https://ixdf.org/courses/game-ux-design-ultimate-guide/?ep=celia-hodent
August 24. Gamescom Dev. Ethical Games: Code of Ethics Update & Next Steps. Cologne, Germany.
August 25. Gamescom Dev. Workshop Game UX: Dive into Player Motivation (duration 1h30). Cologne, Germany.
August 25. Gamescom Dev. Workshop Game UX: Dive into Player Emotion and GameFlow (duration 1h30). Cologne, Germany.
September 10. Reykjavik Game Summit. Iceland.
Oct 12-14. Chairing the Game UX Summit 2026. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Contact me if you’d like to book me for a private masterclass at your company, or if you have at least 10 other people interested to organize a public masterclass (online or in person) on a specific topic at a specific date/time.

Past events

2026

July 21-22. Fireside with Manon Dave. Games for Change Festival. Ethical Games. New York City.
Jun 22-26. Dagstuhl Seminar: ‘Harms in Digital Games: Sociotechnical Solutions for Prevention’ (26261)
Jun 16. DiGRA workshop: How academia and the game industry can co-shape a transdisciplinary agenda to support and inform guidelines within the Ethical Games Initiative (Fran Blumberg, Bruno Dupont, Kimberly Voll, Rachel Kowert, Celia Hodent)
May 19. GamesBeat Summit. “Ethical Games: How to actively make the game industry a force for good” panel with Jessica Murrey and Jenova Chen. Los Angeles.
Apr 11. Night of Ideas San Francisco. 7:30pm: Ethics in Video Games panel, with Nathalie Mathe (moderated by Carly Severn). Children Center B at the San Francisco Public Library.
Apr 4. Night of Ideas LA. 2:30pm: Why Do We Like Video Games? Forum with kids and parents. Rooftop, The Wende Museum, Los Angeles.
Apr 4. Night of Ideas LA. 7:30pm: Cognitive Biases at Play: In Video Games & Beyond, in the classroom, The Wende Museum, Los Angeles.
March 24. Panel France Esports avec Florent Castelnérac, Marc de Saxcé et Guillaume Rambourg (modéré par Nicolas Besombes). Paris et en ligne.
March 11. GDC Forum: “Developing Ethical Games: Why and How“, with Dr Rachel Kowert.
March 10. GDC “Cultivating UX Community: UX Maturity & Resilience Networking Session” with Steph Chow, San Francisco.
March 9. GDC Masterclass: “Game UX Mindset: Principles and Methods“, San Francisco.
March 8. Panel at Beyond Play in San Francisco. With Céline Tricart and Tom Guillermin (moderated by Jason de la Rocca).

2025

Jan 8. Conférence au Patronage Laïque Jules Vallès (in French). Paris, France
Dec 12. In-person Masterclass “Game UX and Cognitive Science in Games” in London (UK).
Dec 3. In-person Masterclass: Game UX & Cognitive Science in Montevideo (Uruguay).
Nov 7. Keynote “The Science of Player Engagement & Emotion” at EVA 2025 in sala Argentina at Palacio Libertad, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Nov 4. All-day Game UX Masterclass, organized by Digi Learnnials at Image Campus in Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Oct 25. In-person Game UX Masterclass at VG Chile 2025 event in Santiago de Chile.
Sept 15-16. Academic talk “Ethical Game Design: On the Content, Appeal...” at Inclusive Digital Society. In person, KU Leuven (Belgium).
Sept 10. Masterclass “Cognitive Science & Game UX” at the Game UX Summit in Antwerp (Belgium), in person.
Sept 8-10. Game UX Summit (chair). Hosted by AP University & Gamaste. In person, Antwerp (Belgium).
Aug 21. Keynote “The Power of Ethical Games” at Gamescom Congress (Cologne, Germany)
Aug 18. Talk “AI in the Game Industry: Algorithm and Blues” at Devcom (Cologne, Germany).
Aug 18. Workshop “Intro to Game UX Part 1: Cognitive Science & Usability” at Devcom (Cologne, Germany).
Aug 18. Workshop “Intro to Game UX Part 2: Engageability & UX Strategy” at Devcom (Cologne, Germany).
Jun 19. Talk and roundtable “Vers l’élaboration d’une charte éthique dans l’industrie du jeu?” (en Français). Indie Asylum (Montréal), 5pm.
Jun 12. Talk “Advancing UX Strategy & Ethics in the Game Industry” at the XP Game Summit. In person, Toronto (Canada).
June 11. Workshop “Game UX and Cognitive Science in Games” at XP Game Summit. In person, Toronto (Canada).
May 24. Talk “Jeux vidéo, UX et éthique” au Forum BrainPlay à Paris (France) – en français.
May 23. Master classe “Stratégie UX pour le développement de jeux vidéo“. En personne, Lyon (France).
May 22. Master classe “Sciences cognitives & UX appliquées aux jeux vidéo“. En personne, Lyon (France)
May 20. Panelist at the European Consumer Summit 2025: A better future for consumers and competitiveness. Brussels, Belgium. You can watch it here.
May 19. Talk “UX as a Strategy in Game Development” – Digital Dragons, in person, Krakow (Poland). You can watch a recording of the talk on YouTube.
May 18. Masterclass “Cognitive Science in the Game Industry” at Digital Dragons, in person, Krakow (Poland).
March 17. Advisor for the GDC UX Summit. In person, San Francisco (US).
March 19. Talk: “A Code of Ethics for the Game Industry” – GDC, in person, San Francisco. Watch this talk here.
Feb 13. Roundtable “What Could be a Code of Ethics for the Game Industry?” – DICE Summit, in person, Las Vegas (US).
Jan 23. Congrès de l’Encéphale (Paris). “L’éthique dans les jeux vidéo”. En visio.

2024

Dec 19. Game UX Summit 2024. Online.
Dec 5. Journée de la Fédération des Comités d’Éthique et de la Recherche. “L’éthique dans les jeux vidéo”. En personne, Lille (France).
Nov 15. Devgamm. Talk “UX as a Strategy for your game & studio”. In person, Lisbon.
Nov 14. Web Summit panel “The Rise of Dark Patterns and the Importance of Fairness by Design in an AI-Driven World“. In person, Lisbon (Portugal).
Oct 17. Gamescom Asia keynote “The UX of Fortnite“. In person, Singapore.
Oct 12. IGDX Keynote “UX & Cognitive Science in Game Development“. In person, Bali (Indonesia).
Sept 11-12. Master classes Game UX avec Gamaste. En personne, Paris.
Aug 19-20, in person (Cologne, Germany) – Keynote on “UX maturity in gamedev” & Masterclasses at Devcom
June 27, in person (New York, NY) – Towards a Code of Ethics for the Video Game Industry, Games for Change Festival, 12:25am Theatre 2.
May 27, in person (Montreal, Canada) – Full day masterclass in French: Game UX stratégie (COMPLET / SOLD OUT) – Indie Asylum.
May 24, in person (Montreal, Canada) – Full day masterclass in French: Psychologie cognitive, UX et “gamification” en développement produit – Maison Notman, 9am-5pm.
May 23, in person (Montreal, Canada) – Keynote (in French) & meetup: L’approche UX dans le développement de jeux – Indie Asylum, 5-7pm.
Jan 15-16 – Full-day Masterclasses in Lyon (in French) Day 1: Sciences Cognitives et UX Appliquées aux Jeux Vidéo / Day 2: Stratégie UX pour le Développement de Jeux Vidéo
Jan 11-12 2024 – Introducing the Ethical Games Conference online
Jan 9 – Full-day Masterclass in Montpellier (in French): Sciences Cognitives et UX Appliquées aux Jeux Vidéo

2023

Dec 19-20 – Full-day Masterclasses in Paris (in French). Day 1: Sciences Cognitives et UX Appliquées aux Jeux Vidéo / Day 2: Stratégie UX pour le Développement de Jeux Vidéo
Dec 12 2023 – Game UX Summit 2023 online
Oct 15 – FROG Vienna. Online keynote: Implicit Bias and Inclusion in the Workplace. 13:30 CEST.
Sept 15 – Chicago Camps, Leadership by Design closing keynote. 1:30pm CDT (online)
Aug 22 – Keynote: Emotions in Games Through the Lens of UX. Devcom (Cologne, Germany)
Aug 21 – Masterclasses on Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation in Video Games. Devcom (Cologne, Germany)
July 20, in person (Manhattan, New York City) – Cognitive science & Game UX, 9am to 5pm in the Empire State Building.
July 19 – Games for Change Festival. Keynote: “Implicit Biases & Inclusion in Games and Society” | Main Stage of The Times Center at 1:45pm EDT (New York City).
July 13, online – UX Strategy Inspired by Games (part 2): Engagement & Ethics (3-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). Learn the theories behind engagement and how to apply them efficiently in games and other products (especially for “gamification” purposes).
July 12, online – UX Strategy Inspired by Games (part 1): Human Brain Limitations & Usability (3-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). Learn about the main limitations of the brain (perception, attention, memory), the main learning principles, and how to apply this knowledge to improve the usability of games or other products.
July 11, online – Implicit biases and inclusion (2-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). This masterclass is for anyone interested in understanding the psychology and cognitive science behind our biases and how to combat them to be more inclusive in the workplace.
June 3 – Ethique et jeux vidéo (en ligne). Forum BrainPlay, Sorbonne Université, Paris.
May 23 – UX Strategy Inspired by Games (part 1): Human Brain Limitations & Usability (3-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). This masterclass is targeted to professionals OUTSIDE of the game industry.
May 24 – UX Strategy Inspired by Games (part 2): Engagement & Ethics (3-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). This masterclass is targeted to professionals OUTSIDE of the game industry.
Apr 14 – Implicit biases and inclusion (2-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). This masterclass is opened to anyone.
March 20-24 (tbd): GDC panel ‘The current and future ethical challenges in games: XR and the metaverse‘. San Francisco, USA.
March 20-24 (tbd): GDC talk with Katherine Isbister ‘Educators Summit: Essential Game UX Every Student Should Know‘. San Francisco, USA.
Feb 9 – UX Strategy Inspired by Games (part 1): Human Brain Limitations & Usability (3-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). This masterclass is targeted to professionals OUTSIDE of the game industry.
Feb 10 – UX Strategy Inspired by Games (part 2): Engagement & Ethics (3-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). This masterclass is targeted to professionals OUTSIDE of the game industry.
Feb 2: IxDF 1-hour Masterclass Webinar ‘How to Design Engaging Products: Insights from Fortnite’s UX‘, at 4pm UTC. Video accessible through IxDF.
Jan 24: panelist ‘Content creators, platform designers and software engineers are the new social engineers‘ at the Learning Planet Festival, free online event. 5:30pm CET
Jan 11: Afterwork Game In ‘Stratégie UX dans l’industrie du jeu vidéo’. La Plaine Images, Tourcoing, France. Watch the video here (in French).

2022

Dec 8 & 9 – GDC Masterclass “Game UX and Psychology”. 8 hours online (4 hours each day, 8am to 12pm Pacific time).
Nov 3 & 4 – GDC Masterclass “Game UX and Psychology”. 8 hours online (4 hours each day, 8am to 12pm Pacific time).
Sept 21-23, 2022: Game UX Summit hosted by Bungie.
Aug 23: Cognitive Science and UX in Game Development at Devcom, in person (Cologne, Germany). 1pm-2:30pm CET.
Aug 22: Video Games and Ethics at Devcom, in person (Cologne, Germany). 11:30am-12:30pm CET.
July 15 & 18 – Online masterclass “UX strategy inspired by games & brains”, divided in 2 sessions of 3 hours each. Session 1 on July 15 (8am PDT) The Human Brain & Usability & Session 2 Engagement and Ethics on July 18 (8am PDT)
June 9: Keynote à la journée d’étude La frontière vidéoludique : ce que le jeu vidéo fait au réel. Université de Rouen Normandie (ERIAC), France.
May 20: Keynote ‘Sciences cognitives et enjeux éthiques en design’ at Journées Réseaux de l’Enseignement et la Recherche (en français). Marseille, France. Watch the video (in French) here.
Jan 24: Invitée au podcast UX Pod animé par Jean-François Poulin.

2021

Dec 14 – Guest at Radio Nova’s show Un Nova jour se lève (in French), at 8am CET.
Dec 10 – Design Buddies Game Jam kick off talk.
Dec 9 & 10 – GDC Masterclass “Game UX and Psychology”. 8 hours online (4 hours each day, 8am to 12pm Pacific time).
Dec 3 – organizer and moderator for the Game UX Summit 2021 online “Game UX & friends”.
Nov 19 – GRUX online panel “How to get into games UX”, moderated by Vivian Ortenzi, 11:30am CET.
Nov 18 – Speaker at The India Game Developer Conference (online): How to Engage Players: A UX Approach to Onboarding & Motivation.
Nov 11 – Online Masterclass Game UX and Psychology for Epiphany’s Game X Conference (Pakistan).
Nov 10 – Online Panel at Business of Gaming Forum (Comic Con Africa): “The creative process designing games with players’ thinking in mind” (with Fawzi Mesmar and Abigail Rindo), Johannesburg, South Africa, 17h SAST.
Nov 10 – Online Meetup for Ages 12-16 “Introduction to UX”, Ladies that UX Seattle, 6:30pm PST.Oct 19 – CHI Play Masterclass (online): Transitioning from Academia to Industry Game User Research (a Primer), 21h10 to 21h50 EDT (7:10pm PDT).
Oct 7 – Panelist at TIGS (The International Games Summit on Mental Health Awareness). Ethics in Games. Online, 9am PDT.
Oct 6 – Keynote speaker at Game Global Event. “Implicit biases and inclusion”. Online, 6pm CEST.
Sept 29 & 30 – GDC Masterclass “Game UX and Psychology”. 8 hours online (4 hours each day, 8am to 12pm Pacific time).
Sept 24 – Speaker at Bernstein Conference PhD Symposium: “Gaming Meets Neuroscience”. Berlin, 17h30 CEST.
Sept 21 – Speaker at Level up Rome Developer Conference “How Cognitive Science and UX Can Impact Game Design”, 5pm CEST (in English)
Sept 18 – Panel “Idées reçues autour des jeux vidéo” avec Vled Tapas aux Rencontres de l’Esprit Critique. Toulouse (France), 17h30 CEST (in French)
July 21 – GDC “Rules of the Game 2021: Five Unique Techniques from Distinguished Designers” at 9:40am PDT.
July 19 – GDC UX Summit “LIVE State of Game UX” (with Anouk Ben-Tchavtchavadze) at 8:30am PDT
July 19 – GDC UX Summit “Live Q&A session” (with Anouk, Kelli Dunlap, Joe Florey, Alexandra Perry) at 11:30am PDT
July 7 – Clash of Realities, Cologne (Germany) – online at 5pm CEST
July 7 – La Finale de L’After Produit (France)
June 30 – Panel “Les écrans et les jeux vidéos: Quels impacts sur nos jeunes ?” (français) à 18h (CEST)
June 24 – UX Strategy Inspired by Games (part 2): Engagement & Ethics (3-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). This masterclass is targeted to professionals OUTSIDE of the game industry.
June 22 – UX Strategy Inspired by Games (part 1): Human Brain Limitations & Usability (3-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). This masterclass is targeted to professionals OUTSIDE of the game industry.
June 14 – Panel “LGBTQ+ representation & inclusion in video games” (PlaytestCloud), at 6pm CEST. You can watch the video here.
Jun 10 – Master Classe Stratégie UX inspirée des jeux vidéo. Session 2 : Engage-abilité (3h). En français, dédiée aux professionnel-les EN DEHORS de l’industrie du jeu vidéo. Plaine images (en ligne), 16-19h CEST (France).
Jun 9 – Pocket Gamer Masterclass (3h online): Cognitive Science and a UX Framework to Improve your Games, 4pm to 7pm GMT+1 (UK).
Jun 3 – Master Classe Stratégie UX inspirée des jeux vidéo. Session 1 : Limites du cerveau humain et utilisabilité (3h). En français, dédiée aux professionnel-les EN DEHORS de l’industrie du jeu vidéo. Plaine images (en ligne), 16-19h CEST.
May 25 – L’approche Game UX Appliquée à la Conception d’une Ressource Ludo-Éducative (en français). Forum In-Fine. 17h30-18h30 (CEST).
May 20 – Masterclass Unconscious Biases and Inclusive Design (1h online), Cultural Services French Embassy in the United States, 1pm EST.
May 18 – Master Classe Game UX et Ludo-Éducation (2h, en français, dédiée aux enseignant-es). Forum In-Fine. 17h-19h (CEST – France).
May 6 – S’inspirer des jeux vidéo pour améliorer l’expérience produit. Plaine Images (en ligne), 17h-18h CEST.
Apr 26, 27, & 28 – DEVCOM Master Class: Game UX & Cognitive Science (8 hours total over 3 days, online): 5pm to 8pm GMT+1 the first 2 days, then 5-7pm GMT+1 on Apr 28.
Apr 22 – The Gamer’s Brain keynote at Business of Gaming Forum, 16h30 SAST (Johannesburg, South Africa).
Apr 1st – UX Strategy Inspired by Games (part 3): Processes & Maturity (2.5-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). This masterclass is targeted to professionals OUTSIDE of the game industry.
Mar 30 – UX Strategy Inspired by Games (part 2): Usability & Engagement (3-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). This masterclass is targeted to professionals OUTSIDE of the game industry.
Mar 21 – Centre for Cognitive & Brain Science, IIT Gandhinagar (India), Brain Awareness Week, 11am IST.
Mar 20 – Intervention dans le cadre de la Semaine du Cerveau (France), en ligne 18h30 (CET). Récréasciences. La vidéo de la session peut être visionnée ici.
Mar 18 – UX Strategy Inspired by Games (part 1): Human Brain Limitations (3-hour online masterclass via Zoom) at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8). This masterclass is targeted to professionals OUTSIDE of the game industry.
Mar 10 – Implicit Biases & Inclusion (2h) online masterclass via Zoom at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8).
Mar 4 & 5 – GDC Masterclass: Psychology and Game UX (8h) – via Zoom, 8am-12pm Pacific Time on both days.
Feb 18 – NYFA Master of Game Design Series with Scott Rogers, 4pm PST online (free, with registration).
Feb 18 – Ergonomie et Emotions (French), 18h (CET) en ligne (conférence organisée par les étudiants du Master 2 ECIT-FH et du Master 2 Ergonomie de l’Université de Toulouse Jean-Jaurès).
Feb 4 – Game UX, part 4/4: UX Strategy & Ethics (2h) online masterclass via Zoom at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8)
Feb 2 – Game UX, part 3/4: Engage-ability (3h) online masterclass via Zoom at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8)
Jan 29 – Game UX, part 2/4: Usability Guidelines (2h) online masterclass via Zoom at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8)
Jan 27 – Game UX, part 1/4: The Brain (cognitive science) (3h) online masterclass via Zoom at 8am Pacific Time (GMT-8)
Jan 26 – Meetup UX Design Brest “L’approche UX sur Fortnite” (in French), 18h30 CET.
Jan 19 – Keynote “How Cognitive Science and UX Can Impact Game Design”, 3pm CET. Open to any HomaJam registrants (hypercasual game jam).
Jan 6 – Podcast L’after Produit (in French) “Psychologie dans le monde de l’UX Game”, 19h30 (CET). Regardez la vidéo de l’émission ici.

2020

Dec 11 – Host, Game UX Summit 2020 online (all day, PST).Dec 3 – GDC Online Masterclass Psychology & Game UX (8h) from 8am to 5pm Pacific Time (GMT-8).
Dec 10 – Speaker, Implicit Biases & Inclusion, SIGGRAPH Asia, 1pm SGT.
Dec 9 – Keynote, Advancing Games UX & Ethics, Build2Last conference (online) at 7pm CEST.
Nov 27 – GRUX Online, speaker (Q&A session)
Nov 20 – Game UX, part 3/3: Engage-ability (3h) online masterclass via Zoom at 9am Pacific Time (GMT-8)
Nov 19 – Advancing UX Maturity in Game Studios, GIC online. Watch the video here.
Nov 19 – Emotional connections through virtual experiences, Lively.
Nov 18 –Game UX, part 2/3: Usability & Scientific Method (3h) online masterclass via Zoom at 9am Pacific Time (GMT-8)
Nov 17 – Game UX, part 1/3: The Brain (cognitive science) (3h) online masterclass via Zoom at 9am Pacific Time (GMT-8)
Nov 16 – Implicit Biases & Inclusion (3h) online masterclass via Zoom at 9am Pacific Time (GMT-8)
Nov 13 – PG Connects Digital #4, speaker: Research on the Psychology of Video Games, at 16:30 GMT.
Nov 4 – Biais inconscients et inclusion (3h) formation en ligne via Zoom, en français, à 13:00 GMT-10 (Polynésie). La CCiSM est partenaire de cette formation. (Annulée)
Nov 5 – Psychologie cognitive, approche UX et “gamification” appliquées (7h) formation en ligne via Zoom, en français, à 8:00 GMT-10 (Polynésie). La CCiSM est partenaire de cette formation. (Annulée)
Oct 30 – this.2020, speaker: Understanding the Success of Fortnite, at 3:30pm CET
Oct 28 – Panelist: Rountable Everyone Plays (Subnation), at 1pm PT
Oct 26 – Online Masterclass Brain biases & limitations: a UX perspective (3h) at 9am Pacific Time (GMT-7)
Oct 21 – Online Masterclass Implicit Biases & Inclusion (3h) at 1pm Pacific Time (GMT-7).
Oct 2 – Ethics by Design, Keynote (en français). Ethique et Jeux Vidéo, 10/2 at 6:40pm CET (France). Vidéo de la conférence disponible ici.
Sept 17 – WIRED25, panel with Drew Blackard and Irene Au. Watch the video.
Sept 5 – EVA, speaker, UX & Ethics in Video Games, Argentina.
Aug 23 – SIGGRAPH, speaker, Unconscious Bias & Inclusion.
Aug 20 – DEVCOM, speaker, Game UX & Ethics, 8/20 at 7pm CET (Germany).
Aug 20 – Epiphany, fireside guest: Secrets of Game Design, 8/20 at 8am PT – 3pm GMT.
Aug 6 – GDC Summer, Panel moderator, Addressing Ethics & Content Responsibility as Game Developers.
Aug 4 – GDC Summer, Emotion in Game Design (A UX Perspective), 10am Pacific Time.
July 16 – Games for Change Festival. Panelist: Raising Good Gamers Research.
July 14 – Games for Change Festival (NYC, online), panel moderator: Addressing Ethics in the Game Industry. Watch the video.
July 1 – Ludicious (Zürich, online): Human Flaws and the UX of Society: Implicit Bias & Inclusion in the Game Industry. July 1st, 1pm CET. Read the Game Industry Biz write-up.
June 8 – PG Connects, speaker, Building Your Game’s UX Strategy Using a Scientific Approach.
April 14: Free online webinar – Answer questions from students and aspiring video games UX folks (how to get into the game industry, paths to game UX, etc.).
Feb 26 – Speaker, The Psychology of Fortnite. Dunedin, New Zealand,.
Feb 25 – Masterclass trainer, Game-based UX & Cognitive science. Dunedin, New Zealand.
Feb 18 – Masterclass trainer, Game-based UX & Cognitive science. Christchurch, New Zealand.
Feb 14 – Masterclass trainer, Game-based UX & Cognitive science. Wellington, New Zealand.
Feb 13 – Speaker, Meetup Game Devs of W., Feb 13th at 6:30pm in Wellington, New Zealand
Jan 30 – Speaker, Le UX de Fortnite : comment les sciences cognitives et le UX peuvent impacter la conception de jeux. Montreal, Canada.
Jan 17 – Masterclass trainer, Implicit Biases and Games, Zurich University of the Arts (Switzerland).
Jan 16 – Speaker, Serious Games for Ethics Training in Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland at the Collegium Helveticum /Zurich University of the Arts (program here)
Jan 8 – Masterclass trainer, Game-based UX & Cognitive science on January 8th in Lyon, France (in French)

2019

Masterclass trainer, Unconscious Bias & Inclusion at the Workplace in Culver City, CA on December 9th, 2019.
Speaker, WIRED Festival Brasil, November 29th in Rio de Janeiro.
Masterclass trainer, Game-based UX & Cognitive science in Helsinki, Finland, November 20th.
Speaker, Press Start and Slush, Helsinki, Finland, week of November 18th.
Masterclass trainer, Game-based UX & Cognitive Science in Berlin, Germany, October 15th.
Masterclass trainer, Unconscious biases, Inclusion, and Ethics in the Game Industry, Oct 4, Lille Area, France as part of the Game UX Summit 19 (participants need to attend the summit to be able to get a masterclass ticket)
Chair, Game UX Summit ’19, Oct 2-3-4, Lille Area, France.
Masterclass trainer, Game-based UX & Cognitive science in Lille, France, October 1st, 2019
Masterclass trainer, Game-based UX & Cognitive science in London, UK on September 30, 2019
Speaker, Trojan Horse was a Unicorn (THU), September 23-28, Malta.
Panelist, UXPA LA: UX of Play, July 17th, Hollywood, CA.
Speaker UX LA Meetup, July 11th, Los Angeles, CA.
Keynote Speaker, Game Camp, June 24-25, Lille, France.
Masterclass trainer, Game-based UX & Cognitive science in Madrid, Spain on June 21st, 2019 (in English)
Keynote Speaker, Experience Fighters, June 20, Madrid, Spain.
Keynote Speaker, Games for Change Festival, June 18, New York, NY.
Masterclass trainer, Game UX & Cognitive science in New York City, NY on June 17th, 2019
Masterclass trainer, Game UX & Cognitive science in Culver City, CA on June 14th, 2019
Masterclass trainer, Game-based UX & Cognitive science in San Diego, CA on Friday June 7th, 2019
Masterclass trainer, Unconscious Bias & Inclusion at the Workplace in Culver City, CA on June 6th, 2019.
Masterclass trainer, Game UX & Cognitive science in Culver City, CA on May 23rd, 2019 (sold out)
Keynote Speaker, UXPA Boston, May 10, Boston, MA.
Podcast Guest, TWiT Triangulation. Watch here / listen here.
Speaker, GamesBeat Summit, April 24, Los Angeles, CA. Discussion with Andrea Rene about Unconscious biases, UX, and inclusion. Watch it here.
Speaker, Devoxx France, April 19, Paris, France.
Speaker, Reboot Develop Blue, April 11-13, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Speaker, GDC, “Ethics in the Game Industry”, March 20th 9am, San Francisco CA.
Panelist, GDC, “Ethics in Artificial Intelligence”, March 19th (AI Summit), SF.
Speaker, GDC UX Summit, Developing a UX Mindset on Fortnite, March 18th 4:40pm West Hall 2001.
Advisor, GDC UX Summit, March 2019, San Francisco CA.
Speaker, SXSW, “UX and Cognitive Science in Game Design”, March 15th 2019, Austin TX. This talk is supported by the Cultural services of the French Embassy in the U.S.
Panelist, Viacom Spark, “So You Think You Want to Make a Game”, February 21st, Nickelodeon Burbank Studio, CA.
Speaker, DICE, “Unconscious Biases & Inclusivity Workshop”, February 13th 2019, Las Vegas NV.
Speaker, IxDA Interaction 19, “The UX of Fortnite“, February 6th 2019, Seattle WA.
Masterclass trainer, “Game UX and cognitive science” in Montpellier, France, January 25th (in French).
Guest speaker, Université Paul Valéry, January 24th, Montpellier, France.
Masterclass trainer, “Game UX and cognitive science“, January 23rd, London, UK (sold out)
Speaker, Pocket Gamer Connects, January 21st, London UK.
Meetup, CNIL, January 17th, Paris Gobelins
Meetup, Women In Games France, January 16th, Paris.
Meetup & Speaker, School of PO, January 15th, Paris.

2018

Masterclass trainer, “Game-Based UX and cognitive science” in Sydney, Australia on December 12.
Guest speaker, Santa Monica College, November 13th, Santa Monica CA.
Guest speaker, Bradley University, November 9th, Peoria IL.
Masterclass trainer, “Game UX and cognitive science” in San Diego, CA, November 2nd.
Speaker, San Diego Meetup, November 1st, San Diego CA.
Speaker, Colombia 4.0, October 23-26, Bogotá, Colombia
Speaker, DEVHR, October 22nd, Mexico City
Speaker, 4C: Prague, October 5th (Prague, Czech Republic)
Chair, Game UX Summit ’18, hosted by EA Vancouver. September 26-28 (Vancouver, Canada)
Guest, CRI Université René-Descartes, September 20th (Paris, France)
Guest, Prix Femmes du Digital Ouest, talk d’ouverture, Nantes (France), September 19th
Masterclass trainer, “Game UX and cognitive science” in Bordeaux, France, on September 17 (in French)
Masterclass trainer, “Game UX and cognitive science” in Lille, France, on September 14 (in French)
Speaker, Social Media Club, Adobe, Paris, September 12th
Speaker, DICE Cannes, September 10th (Cannes, France)
Video, 10 Things You Might Not Have Noticed in Fortnite, Ars Technica
Masterclass trainer, “Game UX and cognitive science” in Melbourne, Australia, on September 4
Masterclass trainer, “Game UX and cognitive science” in Brisbane, Australia, on August 19
Masterclass trainer, “Game UX and cognitive science” in Vancouver, Canada, August 10
Speaker & Masterclass trainer, Tehran Game Convention, July 5th (Tehran, Iran)
Podcast guest, The Psychology of Video Games, host: Jamie Madigan
Speaker & Masterclass trainer, CGX Ottawa, June 23rd (Ottawa, Canada)
Featured in Palmarès 2018 des Femmes Influentes (2018 selection of 50 influential women)
Featured in Le Monde – Pixel – Celia Hodent, la psychologue française derrière le succès du jeu vidéo Fortnite (may 2018). English translation here.
Featured in Newsweek – Fortnite UX lead reveals how science, talent, & luck made Battle Royale successful (June 2018)
Featured in The Guardian – I was a video game sceptic but now I’m a fan, by Jessica Furseth (January 2018)
Featured in CRC Press Author Q&A Session: Celia Hodent on January 2018 on ODBMS (a free chapter of my book can be downloaded)
Mentor for Dan Ariely’s Center for Advanced Hindsight (since 2016)
Speaker, Switchpoint Ideas, April 26-27 near Chapel Hill, NC.
Chair, Game UX Summit Europe 18, April 4th in France
Masterclass trainer “Game UX and cognitive science” – sessions in France (in French) in Paris and Lyon in late March 2018
Advisor, GDC UX Summit, March 19th in San Francisco
Masterclass trainer “Game UX and cognitive science” session in San Francisco on March 15th
Speaker / Special Guest Netexplo Innovation Forum at UNESCO on February 13th 2018 in Paris, France. Watch the video
Masterclass trainer “Game UX and cognitive science” – Digital District in Beirut, Lebanon, on February 10th, 2018
Meetup guest / speaker – UX Applied to Game Development with Celia Hodent, Feb 9th 2018 in Beirut (Lebanon)
Speaker at SUBOTRON Academy (January 25th 2018, Vienna, Austria) Fake News and Video Games
Speaker at Butterfly Effect School in Bratislava, Slovakia (Jan 24th 2018)
Speaker at Pixel Federation on January 23rd 2018 in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Speaker at ISART Digital School in Paris (France) on January 18th, 2018

2017

Featured in VentureBeat guest post (September 2017). The Gamer’s Brain excerpt: Good UX is key to crafting fun
Featured in O21 Le monde – Conférence “Se réaliser” (November 2017 in Nancy, France)
Featured in Complément d’enquête (Les pirates de l’attention), documentary on French National TV (France 2), Nov 23rd 2017
Featured in Creative Bloq How UX and neuroscience impact video game design, by Matt Suckley (September 2017)
Featured in Polygon What will the game industry look like in five years?, by Patrick Stafford
Featured in Pocket Gamer How the rise of UX has brought cognitive science to mainstream game development, by Matt Suckley (August 2017).
Featured in Gameblog De la difficulté de la difficulté, by Grégory Szriftgiser (August 2017)
Featured in Gamekult‘s podcast In Dev With Celia Hodent (September 2017, in French)
Featured in Rock, Paper, Shotgun Don’t hate on tutorials, by Alex Wiltshire (June 2017)
Featured in Three conversations: UX, transitions, and theatre, by Robin Kwong (May 2017)
Featured in IGN (February 2017). Unsung heroes of the Games Industry: UX Specialists by Dan Staines
Speaker at GEC (December 17th, Islamabad, Pakistan — giving the lecture remotely)
Masterclass trainer at MIGS (December 11th and December 12th, Montreal, Canada)
Speaker at The Camp (November 16-17, Aix-en-Provence, France)
Speaker at MRMW Europe (Nov 9th, Berlin, Germany)
Speaker at Clash of Realities (November 7-8 2017, Cologne, Germany).
Masterclass trainer at Game Connection Europe (November 3rd, Paris, France)
Chair, Game UX Summit 17 hosted by Ubisoft Toronto (October 4-6 2017, Toronto).
Speaker at DEVHR (September 2017, Mexico City, Mexico — cancelled because the earthquake).
Speaker at Game for Change Festival (August 2017, New York City, NY). What Do Fake News and Video Games Have in Common? Exploration of some human mind limitations and their impact on our behavior and our society
Speaker at FMX (May 4th 2017, Stuttgart, Germany). Impact of Neuroscience and UX on Game Design.
Speaker at GDC (March 2 2017, San Francisco, CA). The Gamer’s Brain, part 3: The UX of Engagement and Immersion (or Retention)
Advisor, GDC17 UX Summit, February 2017, San Francisco, CA
Marraine (Godmother, or Mentor) at ENJMIN (Angoulême, France) for year 2016-2017
Mentor at GLITCH (Guild Leader in 2017)

2016

Host, curator, and masterclass trainer for the Game UX Summit (May 2016, Durham, NC).
Book chapter in the Encyclopedia of Computer Graphics and Games (Springer, 2016): Cognitive Psychology Applied to User Experience in Video Games, which you can read here
Article: The Elusive Power of Video Games for Education. Gamasutra, August 1st, 2016.
Interview with Classcraft at Games for Change Festival 2016 (video).
Featured in Polygon (January 2016). Brain Wave: The PhDs Changing the Games, by Patrick Stafford
Featured in a Rosenfeld post by Laura Klein (July 2016) Whose Job Is User Research? An Interview with Celia Hodent
Speaker at Practice 2016 (November 2016, NYU Game Centre, NY)
Speaker at Hopscotch Design Festival (September 2016, Raleigh, NC)
Speaker at Game for Change Festival (June 2016, New York City, NY). UX in Educational Games
Speaker at Nordic Game (May 2016, Malmö, Sweden). How Neuroscience and UX Can Impact Design
Speaker at GDC (March 2016, San Francisco, CA). How We Introduced UX to Epic Games’ Production Pipeline (with Heather Chandler)
Speaker at GDC (March 2016, San Francisco, CA). The Gamer’s Brain, part 2: UX of Onboarding and Player Engagement.
Speaker at NCSU Libraries (February 2016, Raleigh, NC). Video Games, Psychology, and the User Experience

2015

Masterclass Trainer at MIGS (November 2015, Montreal, Canada). Whole-day training on Neuroscience and UX applied to video game development.
Masterclass Trainer at Game Connection (October 2015, Paris, France). Whole-day training on Neuroscience and UX applied to video game development.
Speaker at Innovate Raleigh’s Summit (September 2015, Raleigh, NC), as Leadership Lab facilitator.
Interviewed for The Psychology of Video Games. Podcast 6 (August 2015) Using Psychology to Craft User Experiences, by Jamie Madigan.
Interviewed for Game Compatible’s Throwback Thursday (April 2015).
Speaker at NC State University nexUX Meetup (April 2015, Raleigh, NC). The Gamer’s Brain: How Neuroscience and UX can impact Design.
Speaker at ECGC (April 2015, Raleigh, NC). The Gamer’s Brain: How Neuroscience and UX can impact Design.
Quoted in The Psychology of Video Games (April 2015). Three GDC 15 Talks on Psychology and Video Games, by Jamie Madigan.
Interviewed for Full Sail On Air Studio (March 2015, Orlando, FL). Watch the video here.
Panel Speaker at Full Sail Hall of Fame (March 2015, Orlando, FL). Why UX might be the Two Most Important Letters in Gaming, with Theresa Becker, Adams Greenwood-Erickson, Grant Shonkwiler, and Shawn Stafford (moderator).
Speaker at GDC (March 2015, San Francisco, CA). The Gamer’s Brain: How Neuroscience and UX can impact Design. *Top-ranked*
Speaker at GUR Summit (March 2015, San Francisco, CA). UX Invaders: We come in peace! How we can collaborate with game developers to frame “fun”.
Article: 5 Misconceptions about UX (User Experience) in Video Games. Gamasutra, April 6th 2015.

2014

Speaker at MIGS (November 2014, Montreal, Canada). How we are using UX practices on Fortnite.
Speaker at GDC Europe (August 2014, Cologne, Germany). Developing UX Practices at Epic Games.
Speaker at Games for Change Europe (June 2014, Paris, France). User Experience in Playful Learning.
Article: Serious Games for Health: Features, Challenges, Next Steps – Moderators: Fran C., Burke Lauren C. Participants: Celia Hodent, Evans Michael A., Lane H. Chad, and Schell Jesse. Games for Health Journal. October 2014, 3(5)
Quoted in Maheux, F. and Morin-Simard, A, (2014). Les jeux vidéo au coeur de l’art, de la culture et de la société. Les Musées de la Civilisation du Québec. Variations, Objets et Savoirs, 1.
Quoted in Polygon (2014). Epic Games wants to stray from red vs. blue, female character re-designs more ‘combat ready’, by Jenna Pitcher.
Book chapter: Hodent, C. (2014). Toward a Playful and Usable Education. In Blumberg, F.C. (Ed.) Learning by playing: Frontiers of Video Gaming in Education. Oxford University Press.
Panelist in the Epic Game’s Unreal Tournament Live Stream (July 2014). Unreal Tournament Concept Art Review and User Experience.

2010 – 2013

Speaker at Escapist Expo 2013 (October 2013, Durham, NC). From the Garage to the Laboratory: How Science Impacts Game Design and Development.
Speaker at UQAM (2011, Montreal, Canada). Cerveau, Jeux vidéo, et Utilisabilité (brain, video games, and usability). Colloque “Informatique cognitive et sa place dans l’industrie”.
Speaker at UX Masterclass (2010, Montreal, Canada). Brain, Usability, and Video Games.
Interviewed for Le Lien Multimédia (2010). Le cerveau et l’expérience de jeu.
Interviewed for Doc Pro News. CNRS Hebdo, 2010.

2007 – 2009

Speaker at Musée Suisse du Jeu (2009, La-Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland). The positive impacts of video games.
Speaker at Game+Learning+Society Conference (2008, Madison, WI). From pure entertainment to playful learning.
Speaker at Festival du Jeu Video (2008, Paris, France). The benefits of playing video games.
Speaker at Festival du Jeu Video (2007, Paris, France). Video games and the child development.
Speaker at Institute of Psychology (2007, Fribourg University, Switzerland). Benefits and limitations of the use of digital educational toys and games by young children.
Interview Marchand, G. (2009). Neuropédagogie: Les jeux forment la jeunesse. Le Monde de l’Enfance, 5.
Interview de Mallevoüe, D. (2008). Le troisième âge devient accro aux jeux vidéo. Le Figaro.
Audition – Can Video Games Promote Intergenerational Play & Literacy Learning? Research & Design Workshop conducted by the Game Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California, the University of Michigan School of Education and Learning Sciences, and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop (2009).
Audition – L’Enfant et les écrans. Academy of Sciences, France (2006).
Article: Hodent-Villaman, C. (2007). Les jeux vidéo sont-ils bons pour le cerveau? (Are video games good for the brain?). Sciences Humaines, 178.
Article: Hodent-Villaman, C. (2007). Les jeux éducatifs (educational games). Cerveau & Psycho, 24.
Book chapter: Hodent-Villaman, C. (2007). Psychanalyse et neuroscience: Conflit ou réconciliation? In Molinié, M. (Ed.) La Psychanalyse: Points de vue pluriels. Editions Sciences Humaines.