On Wednesday 24 September 2025 at part of the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority Growth Strategy Launch, the Bristol Digital Game Lab showcased the work of one of our close collaborators, Time Machine Designs (TMD). TMD is a Venture Studio running out of Bristol-based leading independent training provider boomsatsuma. We used the 360 degree Reality Emulator in the Bristol Digital Futures Institute to fly balloons in Microsoft Flight Simulator over a reimagining of Bristol Castle created by students at boomsatsuma under the direction of Richard Blows FRSA. It was a privilege to highlight their fantastic work and the R&D opportunities opening up around games for good – a core aspect of our mission.
If you would like to hear more about our ongoing collaboration with TMD and boomsatsuma, check out the following podcast, in which Dr Victoria Bates (School Impact Director, Humanities) spoke with Richard Blows (Time Machine Designs) and Dr Richard Cole (Digital Futures). We talked about the value of flight simulation technology for heritage engagement, learning & research, with a focus on the various activities and collaborations that have developed from Richard Blows’ digital reproduction of Hadrian’s Wall. We talked about the value of ‘digital classics’ and the ways that simulation, virtual reality, and other such tools go beyond ‘time travel’ in the opportunities they offer academics, publics, and the commercial sector. The conversation also explored the role of the Bristol Digital Game Lab, and the value of making space for unplanned and spontaneous forms of collaboration.
Images from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority Growth Strategy Launch.