The WellPlayed Project is a platform to help combat loneliness in young Australian men

The WellPlayed project is a series of gaming events established by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Games Research Lab and funded by Movember. The project aims to bring together pros, new players and everyone in between. The overall goal is to facilitate “social connections between gamers, both online and offline.”

A recent event took place on March 17 and brought together players of Atlas Reactor and Ring of Elysium. Players could take part by playing at home, at the Zen Gaming Lounge in Melbourne or the brand-new QUT esports Arena in Brisbane.

Future events will also be running in May, July, September and November 2019.

WellPlayed Project

Funded by Movember’s Social Innovators Challenge, which is a $5.6 million investment grant for projects aimed at strengthening social connections for men.

Dr Daniel Johnson, Director of QUT Games Research Lab (above) said;

There are just so many people out there for whom a gaming community could be so pivotal in their life. We want those guys to get involved with our events for a real chance to explore the positives and connect through video games.

For the WellPlayed Project’s events, players can easily get into a squad based on preferred playstyle. Players are also able to form a group with their friends. Additionally, A Ring of Elysium tutorial was held just prior to the event to help players get familiarised with the game. 

These events have been incredibly successful and are bringing young Australian men together in great social ways. Dr Johnson was surprised by the atmosphere of the WellPlayed Movember Videogame Challenge that was held in November 2018.

Every squad was laughing and shouting their way through tightly fought Brawhalla matches. The feedback we had was that it was an awesome way to connect with new people in a relaxed environment.

Dr Johnson hopes to see more people join in on these events.

By being part of the event you’ll help us test prototype features and support the Movember Foundation as we research the best ways to connect people through casual gaming.

For more information on the WellPlayed Project head to the website or the Facebook page.

“The Movember Foundation is the leading charity dedicated to changing the face of men’s health around the world. With a singular goal to stop men dying too young, the foundation supports the following causes: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Since 2003, the support of more than 5 million participants has funded over 1,200 innovative projects.”