The University of New Brunswick: Resolve(ing) Tabletop Games

Joel Rumson 

Fredericton, New Brunswick, 22 of January, 2025 — Resolve, an applied game design research group at UNB, releases their new game, Project AUDE: The UNB History Card Game.

The game is set in the near future, when disaster strikes the University of New Brunswick’s Archives; a large fire has swept the campus destroying everything. With irreplaceable documents, photos, papers, artifacts all lost to the fire, you and a team of professors must travel back in time to make things right. The professors emerge, sharing their long-secret project: AUDE (Accelerated Universal Dimensional Engine). Being the world’s first functional time machine, it is your team’s goal to send the top student assistants back in time to recover the long-lost content. 

According to Resolve, 

“Resolve is an applied game design research group led by Dr. Scott Preston, an Associate Professor in the Department of Culture and Media Studies at the University of New Brunswick. We design games that educate, inform, engage, and inspire change.”

Resolve commits to this philosophy through hands-on game development, offering UNB undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities for research, internships, and employment positions. 

Between 2022 and 2024, seven students from the Faculty of Arts contributed to the creation of Project AUDE through work-study programs, course credit, paid internships, and summer jobs. The game was entirely designed, illustrated, and developed at UNB, showcasing student talent and the group’s commitment to education through tabletop gaming.

The Brunswickan reached out to involved students, Deviina Hajela, Thomas Tam, and Autumn Roy to gather their perspectives. 

 “What does it mean to you to be a part of Project AUDE?”

Hajela stated, 

“much like the theme of the game that brings together the past and present of UNB, I was really honoured to be part of a project that allowed me to explore the stories that made up UNB’s history. From the first day of our research, we realized that there was just so much to capture and through sourcing the material for this game, I think we all really reflected on what aspects of history remain relevant to our lives today, what aspects reveal how time, technology and culture have changed with time and especially so much about the importance of the Archives.”

While Tam, another student involved in the project explained, 

“for me, being part of Project AUDE was one of the highlights during my time at UNB. I got to work with a team of like-minded people and learn a lot of the history of the university in the process.”

Following that, The Brunswickan asked: 

 “Why do you feel efforts like this game (AUDE) are beneficial?”. 

Hajela mentioned, “I think this game really creates a fun and accessible way to explore what makes UNB what it is today — especially for current students and Alumni. Folks may go through their entire degree without learning more about UNB than they have to — which isn’t necessarily wrong, but this project provides a great bridge between the thick pages of UNB’s history and everyone who has in some ways been a part of that history.”

Meanwhile, Tam explained the significance behind the game, “[AUDE] is beneficial because many people don’t know the history of their university, and may not want to spend the time reading through articles about UNB history online…games like Project AUDE allow those people to learn more about UNB in a more entertaining way.”

Roy shared similar sentiments. 

“It is one thing to collaborate on a project privately in an office for years. It is a whole other feeling to then have your community support that work in such significant ways,” she said. “The positive reception of Project AUDE has inspired a new level of gratitude in being part of the game’s creation, and satisfaction in its release. Project AUDE is a way to give back to the University and honor its history, amplifying voices that often go unheard.”

Beginning on January 28, 2025 and continuing for four weeks, Resolve will be celebrating the Project AUDE with a series of events on the UNB Fredericton and UNBSJ campuses. 

Copies of the game will be available for purchase at the Bookstore in the Student Union Building on the Fredericton campus, at various bookstores and game stores in Saint John and Fredericton, or online by emailing the team at tabletop@unb.ca. 

The name Resolve encompassess the determination to understand how games function. By embracing this philosophy, Resolve demonstrates that we can uncover solutions to challenges, ultimately contributing to positive change in the world around us.

The UNB History Card Game helps raise awareness of tabletop board games, highlighting the rich and diverse history of topics — which are often left unaddressed — fostering shared experiences, and promoting social change among students and community members.