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

DiGRA Italia Conference 2017

May 29, 2017

At the inaugural conference event for the Italian chapter of the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA Italia), held on May 12 at the IULM University in Milan, IDG faculty member Daniel Vella gave a presentation entitled "De-Roling from Gamplay … read more

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Mixed-initiative and Board game design at CHI 2017

May 16, 2017

At the 35th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing System, better known as CHI, there were several initiatives related to design practice that the IDG was involved in. For starters, the Mixed-Initiative Creative Interfaces workshop took place on … read more

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Interdisciplinary Challenges for Game Studies in Copenhagen

April 26, 2017

On Wednesday 3 May the IDG members made a joint appearance at the IT University of Copenhagen, where they participated in a series of talks on the Interdisciplinary Challenges for Game Studies. The afternoon included four talks on diverse topics: Antonios … read more

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Go Go Gozo 2017 - Exhibition

April 25, 2017

GoGoGozo is a project that looks at playful research methods and digital mapping, and takes place in Gozo from May 2nd to 12th 2017. Over 10 days, students from UK, Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Malta, will playfully engage with … read more

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Game Lecture: Tomasz Majkowski

April 7, 2017

Right after the vacations, we come back on Tuesday 25 April 2017 with a great lecture by Tomasz Majkowski on how the expressions of humor and immaturity in games can be also understood as the expression of the carnivalesque. As usual, the … read more

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Experimental, Experiential Game Design - IDG Alumnus …

April 7, 2017

Institute of Digital Games Alumnus Jean-Luc Portelli's research is featured in the most recent issue of THINK Magazine. He describes Spectrum, a tool he designed for the creation and analysis of game ideas. Read more about his research and findings in issue … read more

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