Nico Valdivia Hennig (they/he) is an award-winning game designer and cultural studies researcher with over a decade of experience in game design. They are a PhD candidate in Hispanic Studies at the University of California, Riverside, with a Designated Emphasis in Speculative Fiction. Their research focuses on ludic activism, game design, and game production in Latin America. Nico co-founded Niebla Games, which has launched both board and video games for PC and mobile platforms. In 2022, their studio was selected for Google's Indie Games Accelerator program. Notable accolades include Best Game Design at EVA Córdoba 2019 in Argentina, Best Chilean Studio of 2021 Old Spice Hall of Fame,  nominations for the Explorer Award at the AMaze/Berlin Arthouse Games & Playful Media Festival 2024, as well as for Best Social Matters Game and Best Diversity Game at the BIG Festival/Gamescom Latam 2024 in São Paulo, Brazil.

Nico has extensive experience lecturing on game design and narrative within game development programs in Chile, and teaching lenguage and culture using open source game engines at UC Riverside. They also co-founded Río Junto Art Collective, a Latin American cultural exchange hub, and the Ludocrítica Network for Critical Game Research in Chile. Recently, Nico received the Barricelli Award for Interdisciplinary Research Dissertation and became a fellow-in-residence of the Speculative Play and Just Futurities program at Indiana University, Indianapolis, supported by the Mellon Foundation.

10/21/24

Nico Valdivia Hennig to Deliver Keynote at UNAM's "Semana del Videojuego"

Nico Valdivia Hennig, co-founder and creative director of Niebla Games, will present a keynote talk at the Semana del Videojuego, organized by the Faculty of Architecture and Design at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). In his talk, Nico will explore the practice of research-creation in Latin America, focusing on his work with Hawk and Puma, a minimalist game that honors the Andean chronicler Guaman Poma de Ayala.

The session will also spotlight diverse experiences in the region, ranging from Chile and Argentina to Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Guatemala, highlighting how cultural narratives and social activism intersect with game design across borders.

10/03/24
Nico to Moderate Critical Game Production Panel at UCR

Nico Valdivia Hennig will moderate a panel at UC Riverside titled Critical Game Production, featuring experts Brendan Keogh, Alenda Chang, and Phillip Penix-Tadsen. This discussion will explore the intersection of game production, cultural studies, and critical methodologies in contemporary game design. The panel is part of a broader event series focused on critical media practices and will address how games can be used as tools for social critique and transformation.

The event will take place via Zoom on October 8, 2024, from 3:00 to 4:45 PM Pacific Time. It will begin with individual presentations from each speaker, followed by a discussion moderated by Nico Valdivia Hennig, who will synthesize the speakers' contributions and reflect on their impact on research-creation practices in Latin America. The final part of the session will be dedicated to audience questions, providing an opportunity for interactive dialogue. The panel will be recorded and shared on YouTube, with Spanish subtitles added to ensure accessibility for Latin American audiences.

10/01/24
Hawk & Puma, a 15-minute video game about the conquest of the Americas

"Chilean game designer Nico Valdivia surprises the indie world with an adventure inspired by historian Guaman Poma and created in Bitsy.

👾 This is a free 15-minute video game inspired by Guaman Poma, a 17th-century Andean indigenous historian known for writing a text addressed to the King of Spain, denouncing the abuses committed by the empire against indigenous people.

👾 The nearly documentary-like game can be played for free on Itchio and is available in Spanish, English, and Quechua, thanks to collaboration with the ÑawpaÑan community from Peru’s Sacred Valley. @mergrazzini shares all the details of this title, which is truly a must-play for Latin America."

09/21/24
Nico Valdivia participated in the Game Arts International Assembly (GAIA)

Nico Valdivia, a Chilean game designer, was part of the Game Arts International Assembly, a gathering of artists, creators, and game designers from around the world to explore the intersection of art and game design. The event focused on fostering collaboration, innovation, and dialogue in the global game arts community.

09/15/24
Chile Diseño - Jury Member of for the National Design Awards, Chile

We are proud to announce that Nico Valdivia Hennig will be serving as a jury member for the 9th edition of the Chile Diseño Awards, organized by Chile Diseño, the Association of Design Companies and Academies. Nico will lead the evaluation of the Video Game Design category, assessing submissions from designers across the nation.

The Chile Diseño Awards, which celebrate innovation in Chilean design across various disciplines, aim to highlight creativity and excellence in fields such as visual communication, industrial design, and interactive media. This prestigious event offers a platform for recognizing both emerging and established professionals who push the boundaries of creative design.

Nico’s involvement in this distinguished event reflects their deep commitment to advancing game design as a tool for cultural expression. The awards ceremony will take place on October 29, 2024, following two rounds of judging that will run from late September to mid-October.

08/12/24
Indiana University (IU), Indianapolis Arts and Humanities Institute (IAHI)
Nico Valdivia Hennig in Residence Aug/Sept 2024

We are pleased to announce that Nico Valdivia Hennig will be in-residence from August 25th through September 22nd, 2024 with the Speculative Play and Just Futurities program. 

While in-residence in Indianapolis, Nico will work on their latest project, Andean Futures: Collaborative Play-Creation, an initiative centered on empowering Andean youth from the Pisac community in Peru's Sacred Valley of the Incas to envision and create digital futures rooted in their cultural heritage. This project seeks to address the underrepresentation of spaces for indigenous communities to actively participate in discussions about futures and traditions, such as indigenous futurism, which has been underexplored in Latin America. By fostering the creation of micro-games that reflect the distinctive Andean worldview, the project utilizes accessible, open-source tools to facilitate a collaborative process where tradition and technology intersect. This initiative offers a speculative exploration of potential futures shaped by the perspectives of indigenous and marginalized communities, aiming to inspire broader recognition and appreciation of indigenous voices in global conversations about the future through interactive media.

08/05/24
Nico Valdivia Hennig to Speak at Cinemateca de Bogotá’s "Datos y Relatos"

Nico Valdivia Hennig, co-founder and creative director of Niebla Games, will present at the "Datos y Relatos" event hosted by the Cinemateca de Bogotá and Idartes MediaLab. In this talk, Nico will delve into the research-creation process behind Hawk and Puma, a minimalist game that pays homage to the Andean chronicler Guaman Poma de Ayala. The session will highlight the game's development using the Bitsy platform, blending pixel art and Andean music, and incorporating sustainable cultural practices through collaboration with the ÑawpaÑan community in Pisac, Sacred Valley of the Incas, Peru. The virtual event will stream on the Cinemateca's YouTube and Facebook pages.

University of California, Riverside - https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/nvald031

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nico.valdivia.hennig

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-valdivia-hennig

Twitter (Not really there) - https://x.com/nico_valdivia

Web (You're actually here) - https://www.nicovaldiviahennig.com

• Ph.D. Candidate in Hispanic Studies with Designated Emphasis on Speculative Fiction and Cultures of Science

University of California, Riverside.
Dissertation Title: “Indigenous Games in Latin America: Production, Access, and Resistance”.
Committee: Freya Schiwy, James Tobias, Ilya Brookwell, Iván Aguirre, Carlos Varón (Chair).
Field of Research: Latin American Game Production, Indigenous Participation in Video Game Production, Ludic Activism, and Interactive Narratives from the Global South.

• MA, Hispanic Studies

University of California, Riverside.
Hispanic Studies Department.

• BA, Psychology

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile.
College of Philosophy and Education. 

• Teaching Assistant
  University of California, Riverside, CA

Teaching Assistant for Spanish Language & Culture courses at UCR, including grading, conducting discussion sessions, and providing individualized student support. Engaged with a diverse student body in academic and cultural topics, enhancing their language proficiency and cultural understanding.

• Co-Founder & Creative Director
  Niebla Games, Chile

Co-Founder, Creative Director, and Lead Game Designer at Niebla Games, an Indie Game Development Studio based in Valparaíso, Chile. Board Games and Video Games Production and Development. Working Remotely from the US.

• Lecturer of Gameplay & Games-and-Culture
  Arcos, Viña del Mar, Chile (Now part of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile)

Lecturer of Game Design, Games & Culture, Gamification, and Video Game History for the Game Dev Program at ARCOS, Professional Institute, Chile.

• Lecturer of Game Design, Narrative, & Video Games History
  Universidad de las Artes, Ciencias y Comunicación, Santiago, Chile

Lecturer of Game Design, Interactive Narrative, and Video Game History for the Game Dev Program at Universidad de las Artes, Ciencias y Comunicación (UNIACC), Chile. Led the initiative to create a game library within the university’s library, including the acquisition of digital titles.