Games research and education (M.Sc. and Ph.D.)

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The Institute of Digital Games is the centre for research and education in game design, game analysis, and game technology at the University of Malta.

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.

Read our latest report: IDG Annual Report - Academic Year 2021/22

David developed an innovative model for understanding board game involvement for his thesis.

It is an environment roaring with ideas, thoughts, games, prototypes, concepts. It was a period when I felt constantly inspired.

Rebecca is researching narrative in games. As part of her thesis, she developed a choice-driven video game.

Practice in the form of game project assignments and a supportive teaching staff really boost your confidence as a game designer!

The Institute feels like a little community that you're part of.

William's research explored the procedural generation of multi-floor levels for first-person shooters.

Being involved in the research process, I realised how passionate everyone at IDG is about their research.

David C.
Graduated in 2015
Rebecca P.
Graduated in 2017
William C.
Graduated in 2015

Blog What we have been up to lately

Book Chapter in "Towards a Philosophy of Digital …

May 22, 2018

Prof. Stefano Gualeni has published a chapter in Palgrave's new (2018) book: Towards a Philosophy of Digital Media. The book is edited by Alberto Romele and Enrico Terrone. Prof. Gualeni's chapter, titled: "A Philosophy of 'DOING' in the Digital" … read more

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1st FDG workshop on Tabletop Games

May 20, 2018

IDG lecturer Antonios Liapis and Cameron Browne are organizing the 1st workshop on Tabletop Games at FDG 2018, taking place between 7 and 10 August 2018 in Malmo, Sweden. The goal of this workshop is to advance knowledge in tabletop games by bringing together … read more

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Summer School on AI and Games

May 20, 2018

The third International Summer School on Artificial Intelligence and Games will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from June 22 to 26, 2020. The school is organized by modl.ai in partnership with Unity, DeepMind, and Creative Assembly (more partners will be … read more

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Death and Macabre Aesthetics in Games Conference

May 18, 2018

On 13 May, Institute of Digital Games (IDG) lecturer Dr Daniel Vella delivered a keynote presentation at the Death and Macabre Aesthetics in Games Conference, held at the Russian State University of the Humanities in Moscow, Russia. Dr … read more

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Game Lecture Series - Future Gaming: Creative Interventions …

May 16, 2018

29th May @18h00 at the Institute of Digital Games - University of Malta Game Lectures are held approximately once a month at the IDG and are public, open, free events on weekday evenings which bring together academics, practitioners and … read more

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DMU:GAMER Networking Event

May 7, 2018

On 2nd and 3rd May, the GAMER (Games And interactive MEdia Research) group at De Montfort University organized its first networking and collaboration event. The goal of the event was to bring together a diverse group of academics and industry members. The … read more

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