The aim of the course is to familiarize students with both the concept of the fantastic genre—in its various meanings and traditions—and “Game Studies,” as applied to the analysis and creation of games linked to the fantastic. The aim is for students to develop an awareness of the boundaries and definitions of the fantastic in literature and other arts; to approach video games as a valid and complex object of study, inherently intermedial; and finally, to experiment with the creation of simple games using online tools.

 

Thus, the course adopts a theoretical-practical approach: in the first sessions, an introduction to the concept of fantasy and “fantastic fiction” will be offered, with examples drawn from the Anglo-American and Hispanic-American traditions; subsequently, an initial introduction to the concept of “Game Studies” will be provided, with application to various games of the fantasy genre. Finally, the last two sessions will provide the foundations for the concept of “worldbuilding,” as well as an opportunity to develop an online storytelling experience using the Twine tool.

 

 

 

 

 

Date: June 15–19, 2026

 

Time: 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM

 

Location: Faculty of Letters, University of Lisbon | Rooms B112D (Mon–Wed), C109A (Thu), and C010B (Fri)

 

Organization: Center for Comparative Studies | Center for English Studies

 

ECTS: 3

 

Target Audience: General public

 

Price: €50 general public / €25 students and unemployed individuals

 

More information: santiagoperez@edu.ulisboa.pt

 

Registration

 

 

 

 

 

Course Program:

 

Session 1 - Introduction to the Study of Fantasy

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Fantasy: Origins and Contextualization

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: BREAK

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM: The fantasy genre: definition and traditions

6:30 PM – 7:00 PM: Discussion

 

Session 2 - Introduction to the Study of Video Games

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: From Hypertextual Literature to Gamification

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: BREAK

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM: The Study of Video Games: Theories and Methodologies

6:30 PM – 7:00 PM: Discussion

 

Session 3 - Fantasy, from Literature to Video Games

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Tolkien and Fantasy: Patrícia Passos de Sá

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: BREAK

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Video Game Analysis

6:30 PM – 7:00 PM: Discussion

 

Session 4 - Worldbuilding: Definition and Practice

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Worldbuilding

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: BREAK

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM: Introduction to Video Game Creation Tools in the Humanities

5:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Discussion

 

Session 5 - Twine Workshop

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Introduction to Twine

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: BREAK

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Implementing the short story in Twine