“Bob De Schutter [bɒp də sçʏ.’tɛr] is a tall Belgian man who exclusively wears dark slim-fit shirts and jeans. He is a washed-up basketball prospect, a terrible guitar player, and the proud owner of a far too large Heroscape collection. It is easy to befriend him if you have a bottle of Islay whisky to share or a volleyball to set.”
Biographical Statement
Bob De Schutter (MFA, PhD) is an award-winning game designer, researcher, educator, and advocate for meaningful play in later life. As a Professor of Game Design at Northeastern University, jointly appointed in the College of Arts, Media and Design and the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, he leads initiatives on games for age-friendly game design, intergenerational play, and health, and directs Northeastern’s graduate program in Game Science and Design.
His publications and talks challenge stereotypes of older players and explore how games can support health, learning, social connection, and help people flourish throughout life. He has delivered invited presentations and refereed talks worldwide, including at GDC, SXSW, CES, GAConf and many other industry events. His creative portfolio includes Brukel, a biographical game that received multiple international awards and was exhibited at the Smithsonian American Art Museum Arcade among other venues. He is the founder and past chair of the Gerontoludic Society, a lifetime member of the International Game Developers Association and IndieCade, and a frequent advisor to industry and non-profits on age-friendly design.
Prior to Northeastern, he served as the C. Michael Armstrong Professor of Applied Game Design at Miami University, where he directed the Engaging Technology Lab and was a research fellow at the Scripps Gerontology Center. Earlier in his career, he was a researcher and lead game designer for the e-Media Lab of KU Leuven campus Group T.
Picture Gallery
Left-click on any other the pictures below to download a high res version that you can use freely.
