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
Get into Games bootcamp in Athens
INNOVATHENS, the hub of innovation & entrepreneurship in Athens, Greece, organized a 2-week bootcamp for novice game developers from 17 to 29 July. The bootcamp included an intense set of game lectures on game design and development. The … read more
GECCO 2017
IDG members Daniele Gravina and Antonios Liapis attended the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference in Berlin, presenting original work from the Institute of Digital Games on evolutionary divergent search and procedural content generation. Daniele … read more
BOOK: Experience Machines
Experience Machines: The Philosophy of Virtual Worlds is a book edited by Mark Silcox that relates American Philosopher Robert Nozick’s 'experience machine' argument to virtual worlds. The book is highly relevant to the philosophy of computer games, and … read more
What is Soup? And the philosophical question of what is a …
The Institute of Digital Games is proud to announce the release of a new, free, playable-philosophy thingie by Dr. Stefano Gualeni: SOMETHING SOMETHING SOUP SOMETHING A digital world offers interaction within the boundaries of a created … read more
The Art of Game Design Vol. II (in California)
Today, Monday the 12th of June, Stefano Gualeni inaugurates the second installment of his summer module for their MFA in Game Design at the Big Bend Campus of the Laguna College of Art and Design (Laguna Beach, California). The module is … read more
Wrap up of Game Lecture Series 2016/17
During the academic year of 2016/17, the Institute of Digital Games was happy to host many experts in the field of games and academia in general, in our ongoing Game Lecture Series. Find below a summary list of all Game Lectures in 2016.17. Don't forget that … read more