October 17-19, 2026, Budapest, Hungary
To mark the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Budapest will host an international convention dedicated to historical games, combining games, history and culture in an approach that is both playful and commemorative.
Program Highlights
Our Special Guests
SOCIAL EDUCATOR
Ottó Fogarasi
Ottó Fogarasi is a Hungarian social educator based in Turin, Italy. He works - for https://www.playfulintelligence.eu/ - with groups and individuals to help them fully develop their potential, particularly in educational and nonprofit settings, as well as with young people. His work focuses on developing social and life skills such as cooperation and decision-making.
His method is based on experiential learning, creating a challenging but supportive environment. He places strong emphasis on self-reflection and raising awareness - using primarily board games and group games. He is a player himself.
His interventions are usually tailor-made according to the needs of each audience and can range from a few hours to several days. His entire approach is grounded in the values of self-determination, active participation, and voluntary engagement.
Inspired by Johan Huizinga’s idea that play precedes culture and stimulates both our cognitive and emotional capacities, he offers an original approach where instinct and intellect meet.
In Hungarian and English.
Game Designer
Luc Olivier
Luc Olivier holds a Master's degree in Geography from CESA at the University of Tours. He served in the French Army as a second lieutenant and section leader. With extensive experience in IT consulting, he is currently the CEO of a Franco-Hungarian IT services company. He has designed around twenty commercial wargames, including two on Dien Bien Phu, published in magazines such as Vae Victis and Battles Magazine. He has also written and published numerous articles on historical military topics over the past twenty-five years, including a definitive work on the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
He will present his new co-creation, "Budapest 1956: Those of Corvin," to be published in Vae Victis magazine issue #189.
In French and English.
Writer
Dávid Dorosz
When the Past Doesn’t Stay in the Past: A Thriller at the Heart of the Secrets of 1989
What if the fall of communism in Hungary did not reveal the whole truth?
With his new novel, which he will present, Hatalom árvái (forthcoming in English translation), Dávid Dorosz takes us into a gripping investigation where the present begins to crack under the weight of the past.
It all starts with a disappearance: a teenage boy vanishes without a trace in what appears to be a quiet Hungarian town. But the investigation quickly spirals out of control. What seemed like a simple case turns into a vertiginous descent into the shadowy corners of recent history.
Because behind this disappearance lies a secret buried since 1989. That year, Hungary turned the page on communism. Officially, the transition was peaceful. But in the shadows, some stories were never told. Decisions were made, alliances forged, truths buried.
And today, they are resurfacing.
Through a tense and deeply human narrative, Dávid Dorosz explores a simple yet unsettling question: what really remains of a regime once it disappears?
His novel reveals how the past continues to haunt the present:
in networks of power
in collective silences
in individual destinies
Accessible, compelling, and at times brutal, Hatalom árvái is more than a thriller. It is a story about memory, about what we choose to forget — and what inevitably comes back.
In English and Hungarian.
Jack of All Trades
Frédéric Poncelet
A former soldier, now working as an investigator on international humanitarian law, Frédéric Poncelet draws on his extensive field experience, which informs his thinking and fuels a constantly evolving curiosity.
His diverse professional background, encompassing studies in journalism, international business, and political science, has provided him with a multifaceted perspective, both analytical and open to international issues.
Particularly interested in power dynamics and conflicts, as well as major geopolitical shifts, he places great importance on questions of perception, representation, and emotion within these contexts.
Half-Belgian and half-Hungarian through his mother, he experienced the end of the Cold War and both sides of the Iron Curtain as a child, carrying within him a powerful family memory that lends a unique resonance to his work. At the crossroads of lived experience and analysis, he offers an accessible and insightful perspective. Skilled at communicating and making complex topics accessible, he knows how to captivate his audience. His intervention will establish bridges between history, strategy and the world of gaming (because he also happens to be a gamer!), thus offering an original and stimulating reading of the past.
In Hungarian, French and English.
Youtubeur
Quentin Censier
« Sur le Champ »
Creator of the YouTube channel "Sur le Champ" (143k subscribers • 130 videos), Quentin Censier has established himself as a leading figure in online military history. A former robotics engineer and graduate of École Polytechnique (X), he has been developing an original approach since 2016, blending historical rigor, tactical analysis, and accessible teaching methods.
Through videos covering everything from ancient battles and conflicts to the First World War, he analyzes military mechanisms, strategic choices, and the human realities of war, far removed from simplistic or heroic visions.
His work places significant emphasis on critical thinking, the history of military ideas, and understanding the political and social context of conflicts.
Passionate about wargaming and tactical reenactment, Quentin Censier also explores how games can become tools for historical understanding. Several of his shows and collaborations directly address the link between military history and strategic simulation, a topic central to his participation in our Convention. With its accessible tone, humor and documentary rigor, it has contributed for several years to renewing the dissemination of military history to a wide.
French-speaking audience.
Our Partners
The convention is proudly supported and works with a number of companies, passionate publishers, dynamic associations and cultural institutions committed to transmitting the history and culture of play in the heart of Budapest.
Catering partner
Koncept Café - Bistro - Shop
The Koncept Café will be with you throughout the three days of the Convention, offering a variety of options to quench your thirst, enjoy a coffee or tea and eat in a friendly atmosphere.
IT Partner
Talan Hungary - Olivier IT Services
Talan Hungary - Olivier IT Services is supporting us with the technical and IT aspects to make these days unforgettable!
TALAN Hungary specializes in SAP UI5, SAP Fiori, and SAP BTP Consulting & Development. It is one of the TALAN Group's three centers of excellence (8,000 employees), which allows them to introduce us to other technologies and solutions (Salesforce, ServiceNow, Microsoft Azure, etc.) as well as cybersecurity.
Convention News
Historical games and simulations
Discover the games that will be used to simulate key moments of the 1956 clashes and major events in Hungarian military history.
Conferences and Historical Culture
The full program of interventions by historians and experts on the legacy of the Hungarian revolution and Hungarian history in general.
Billetterie
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