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.
Find us on …
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.
Blog What we have been up to lately
On Deceptive Game Design - Video Lecture by Prof. Stefano …
Building on the notion of the Implied Designer and “ludic unreliability” that he has been working on in the past years together with Dr. Nele Van de Mosselaer (University of Antwerp), Prof. Gualeni introduces the idea of Deceptive Game Design in … read more
Fictional Games and Utopia: The Case of Azad
Prof. Stefano Gualeni's new scholarly article was just published on the latest issue of the Science Fiction Film & Television Journal! This was a special issue, meant to bring together game scholars and science fiction scholars and explore overlaps and … read more
MSc in Digital Games at IndieCade
The Institute of Digital Games - University of Malta will be at IndieCade Horizons this weekend! Horizons is new, online, international event to showcase game students and schools, and connect them with tool creators, recruiters, one another, and the broader … read more
Artificial Intelligence Scholarships Available!
The Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA) have allocated €100,000 toward scholarships for post-graduate students studying Artificial Intelligence at Masters' or PhD level. Students that pursue the technology stream of the M.Sc. in … read more
Global Game Jam NEXT - Games Education for the NEXT …
Similar to our GGJ® event for adults in January every year, GGJ NEXT is a game jam for students aged 11 to 17 and is designed to stimulate collaboration and teamwork; it is not a competition. It is a time to explore, learn, and … read more
Deep Learning Algorithms for Games - The Power of Pixels …
The pixels and sounds of emotion! What if we could detect emotions in a general, user-agnostic fashion? Is it possible to capture human emotion solely by looking at the pixels of the screen and hearing the sounds of the interaction? No sensors, no access to … read more