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
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 … 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, philosophy and … 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, … read more
The Art of Game Design in California
Last night, at the main campus of the Laguna College of Art and Design (Laguna Beach, California), IDG's own Stefano Gualeni inaugurated his summer course for their MFA in Game Design. The course is titled 'Game Design: theories, methods, … read more
New work opportunities for M.Sc. in Digital Games
The Institute of Digital Games has announced a new collaboration with Maltco Lotteries, who will sponsor paid research assistant positions for talented students of our M.Sc. in Digital Games over the next two years. Current and future students of the M.Sc. … read more