Games Research and Education (M.Sc. and Ph.D.)
Welcome to the Institute of Digital Games, the research and education centre at the University of Malta, focusing on game design, game analysis, and game technology!
Our work is at the forefront of innovative games research. We explore games and play, uncovering new playful and generative possibilities in game design and technology. We delve into everything games can teach us about ourselves.
Our multidisciplinary academic team spans computer science, literature, game design, philosophy, media studies, and social sciences.
Click here to read our annual report for the year 2022/2023.
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"Studying at the IDG it’s been one of the best experiences of my life, and has been foundational to my academic growth. The game studies and game design courses provided me with a solid theoretical grounding, and the network of opportunities around academia."
"One of the most impactful aspects of the Institute on my career has been its emphasis on interdisciplinary research and collaboration. The lecturers have diverse backgrounds and expertise, and this fosters a stimulating environment for exploring the multifaceted aspects of game research and development. The research-driven approach has enabled me to contribute critically to discussions with my colleagues."
"Studying at the IDG has really been an experience better than I could have ever asked for. Not only because it aligns with my goals from as long as I remember, but also because the content and support I have received while studying there has always been stellar."
Blog What we have been up to lately
Science in the City 2024 - AI-powered learning and …
The annual Science and the City Festival connects research with science on the bastions of Valletta. Curious visitors were able to interact with some of the ongoing research at the Institute of Digital Games such as a recycling data-game, … read more
Innovative AI research by Institute of Digital Games …
IDG PhD students Nemanja Rasajski and Chintan Trivedi won the NVIDIA Best Paper Award at the 2024 European Conference on Computer Vision, where their innovative approach addressed the one of the big challenges of AI - namely having AI models understand … read more
Research in Player Modelling presented at the ACII …
Four staff members of the Institute of Digital Games attended the 12th International Conference on Affective Computing & Intelligent Interaction, which took place in Glasgow, Scotland during September 15-18, 2024. Matthew Barthet presented his latest … read more
'The Videogame that is the World' (a NEW BOOK)
Il Videogioco del Mondo ('The Videogame that is the World', 2024) is a new book by our Prof. Stefano Gualeni! It is a philosophical essay written for a general audience (in ITALIAN) and published by the prestigious publishing house Time0 … read more
'Night Parade of 100 Demons' in Japan - Dr. …
Kyoto, Japan: Dr. Costantino Oliva completed an extensive research visit in Kyoto, Japan. The visit involved a diverse set of activities, including participation in an art exhibition, the debut of a new game during a local game developer … read more
Research in Generative AI for Games presented at IEEE …
Roberto Gallotta and Marvin Zammit premiered demos they have developed where games leverage Generative AI and Large Language Models for generating game content (with or without a designer in the loop) at the IEEE Conference on Games which took place in Milan … read more