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
FESIVALETTERATURA and videogame culture
In a few weeks, the beautiful city of Mantua (Italy) will host for the 20th time the FESTIVALETTERATURA, and the IDG will be part of it! In case you did not know, FESTIVALETTERATURA is the biggest and most prestigious literature and literature … read more
IDG participates in DiGRA-FDG Conference 2016
IDG faculty and students had a strong presence at the first joint DiGRA-FDG (Digital Games Research Association - Foundations of Digital Games) International Conference, held at Abertay University, Dundee, Scotland, on 1-6 August. Gordon Calleja presented a … read more
GECCO 2016 conference
IDG member Georgios N. Yannakakis just attended the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference in Colorado, presenting original work from the Institute of Digital Games on evolutionary divergent search. The paper presented by Georgios is titled Surprise … read more
Tag-team guest lecture in meaningful game design
The MFA Program in Art of Game Design (LCAD, Laguna Beach - California) presents a 'tag-team public lecture in meaningful game design' featuring IDG's own Stefano Gualeni and Michelle Westerlaken from the University of Malmö: … read more
ICCC 2016 conference
IDG members Antonios Liapis and Phil Lopes have attended the International Conference of Computational Creativity (ICCC) in Paris to present exciting new work from the Institute. ICCC is a lively conference which studies the art, science, … read more
Podcast: the transformative effects of game design
Stefano recently participated in a podcast organized by Italian game scholars Riccardo Fassone and Mauro Salvador concerning the transformative effects of designing videogames, playing videogames, and studying videogames. Stefano, Riccardo, and Mauro engage … read more