Congratulations to GWSS major Nina Zafra, recipient of the 2025 Best Undergraduate Paper in Labor Studies award. Her essay, “Why Do We Like to Play at Labor? Exploring How the Identities of Femme-Presenting and Feminized People of Color Impact Gameplay Decisions in Stardew Valley,” examines how “cozy” games like Stardew Valley invite players to re-imagine care and reproductive labor. Drawing on observational research and gameplay analysis, Zafra explores how femme-presenting gamers of color navigate and transform virtual worlds shaped by race and gender.
Zafra first developed and presented this project at the GWSS Undergraduate Research Colloquium in spring 2025. Her work continues to highlight the interdisciplinary reach of feminist game studies and the creative scholarship emerging from our undergraduate community.
Read more about this year’s Labor Studies Prizes on the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies website.