Miami to Host NASAGA 2025: A Path to Playful Learning
The 2025 North American Simulation and Gaming Annual Conference will be held at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio from October 15-18, 2025.
Miami University will host the North American Simulation and Gaming Association (NASAGA) conference this fall. The conference will be held Oct. 15–18, 2025, at the Marcum Hotel and Conference Center. For Miami students, faculty, and staff, this global gathering offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn, connect, and grow, right here on campus.
NASAGA is a 60+ year-old organization dedicated to exploring how games and simulations spark active learning. The annual conference draws participants from across the world, including teachers, corporate trainers, facilitators, designers, and community leaders, all who use play to transform the way people learn and interact. Sessions are highly interactive, emphasizing doing rather than listening. Participants can expect everything from tabletop playtesting to immersive roleplay to storytelling.
For Miami’s campus community, the chance to attend a NASAGA conference without leaving Oxford is rare.
“I started attending the conference in 2012 and it has been an amazing experience that led to fully improving the way I approach most everything I do at Miami,” said JS Bragg, assistant director for student organizations in the Office of Student Engagement and Activities and chair of the 2025 conference. “Folks don't go to sessions to be talked at- they interact and learn through the activities.”
Who should attend?
NASAGA 2025 is especially valuable for anyone interested in:
- Teaching and training: Discover innovative approaches to classroom instruction and professional development.
- Leadership and student engagement: Learn interactive strategies for building community, developing leadership skills, and creating more engaging programs.
- Game design and creativity: Learn from and with professionals who are building the next generation of learning games (tabletop, digital, or hybrid).
Beyond gaining new skills, NASAGA is about community. Over four days, participants will collaborate, experiment, and leave with practical tools they can immediately apply in their work. For Miami students, it’s a chance to network with professionals from around the world. For faculty and staff, it’s an accessible way to bring cutting-edge practices back into classrooms, workshops, and programs.
Conference details
Dates: October 15–18, 2025
Location: Marcum Hotel & Conference Center, Miami University
Registration: Rates begin at $325 for NASAGA members and $425 for non-members, with day passes and scholarships available. Membership is $30.
The theme for this year’s conference is “A Path to Playful Learning” or paahpioni iiši-neepwaantiinki, listed in both English and the Myaamia language in celebration of the university-tribe relationship.
As host campus, Miami has a front-row seat to one of the most dynamic learning conferences in North America. Whether you’re a student curious about game design, a faculty member rethinking classroom engagement, or a staff member building leadership programs, NASAGA 2025 offers a rare opportunity to explore “a path to playful learning.”
