Institute of Digital Games - University of Malta
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indigitalgames.bsky.social
Institute of Digital Games - University of Malta
@indigitalgames.bsky.social
Making big waves in Game Studies research, Game Design, and AI from a tiny, Mediterranean island | Check us out: https://www.um.edu.mt/digitalgames/ | Hosts of DiGRA 2025
We were awarded the Outstanding Transnational Collaboration Award by Xjenza Malta for the Horizon Europe project RECLAIM:
AI-powered Robotic Material Recovery in a Box! 🎉

We also showcased OPtiMaL, our international research on #generativeAI & procedural content generation.

#recycling #research
December 1, 2025 at 9:56 AM
🎮 @amidos2006.bsky.social was interviewed by @trueavatars.bsky.social at the @qgcon.bsky.social where he was presenting his game: Queen Boat.

🎧 Read more and listen to Ahmed’s interview
👉 game.edu.mt/blog/queen-b...

#GameStudies #SeriousGames #LGBTQ #IndieGames
October 27, 2025 at 3:31 PM
🪶 How can #gamedesign keep #folklore alive in new ways?
🏡 What do art styles tell us about homes in #games?
🌍 How can games open space for diverse perspectives?

Our students and researchers were at #CEEGS Wrocław to explore these questions and more.

#DiversityInGames #GameStudies
September 30, 2025 at 8:09 AM
We're in the 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟱 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 in technical games research.

But the ranking is 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿. A single digit that encompasses 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 by a small team working on #genAI, affective computing, #PCG, & more.

🔻Learn about the research behind the rank.
September 29, 2025 at 10:47 AM
🎮 Play games for science!

Take part in our user study on CrawLLM, where you play 5 generated games and answer a handful of questions after each game.

▶️ tinyurl.com/w6k5an5j

♻️ Please share for science too!

#GenAI #research #userstudy #PhD #LLM
August 27, 2025 at 9:16 AM
On the location of where this scene was filmed no less! (Before it was converted into a park)

Image source: www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...
July 21, 2025 at 3:36 PM
The discussion 'Games at the Crossroads' will focus on answering questions: at a time when the industry is in flux, where do games go from here? What is the role of games in a cultural moment defined by a state of permacrisis – climate change, war, and genocide?

Read more here: fb.me/e/4FduL4zPS
June 23, 2025 at 12:34 PM
🎓✨ APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN! ✨🎓

Tell your friends, tell your cat, tell that one person who always says, “I’ve been meaning to apply…” to pursue MSc. in Digital Games at the Institute of Digital Games!
June 23, 2025 at 9:34 AM
DiGRA Announcement! 📣📣

Excited to share that both the Conference Programme and the Evening Events schedule are now live. Start planning your trip—we can’t wait to see you soon!

📅Conference Programme: easychair.org/smart-progra...
🌙 Evening Events: digraconference2025.org/schedule-eve...
June 9, 2025 at 12:29 PM
When East, West, and the Mediterranean Meet: A Global Conversation in Game Studies!

Join Prof. Gualeni as we host an engaging conversation with two international game studies scholars: Prof. Martin Roth (Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto) and Erick Verran (University of Utah, Salt Lake City).
June 6, 2025 at 10:15 AM
What happens when machines begin to feel?

Honored to host Prof. Björn W. Schuller, a leading voice in Affective Computing, as he explores emotion and Generative AI. The talk will examine the development of large language models and multimodal systems to recognise and respond to human emotion.
May 29, 2025 at 8:53 AM
𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬

For those based in Ghent, Belgium: On May the 27th, Prof. Gualeni will engage in a dialogue with 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 (University of Ghent) in an event where science fiction narrative intertwines with the crises and questions of our time: fb.me/e/5vOz6At1K
May 7, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Prof. Stefano Gualeni gave an engaging talk on his latest philosophical work called, 'What We Owe the Dead'.

Read more here: www.setmargins.press/books/what-w...
April 30, 2025 at 8:27 AM
📢 We are pleased to invite you to an online workshop exploring recent developments in Procedural Content Generation (PCG) — a key area in AI and game research focused on algorithmically generating digital content.

🗓️ Date: 14 May 2025
🕘 Time: 09:00–12:00 CET
🌐 Location: Online
April 29, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Matthew Barthet’s journey from MSc to PhD at IDG highlights his growth in AI and research.

Starting in 2021, his MSc in Digital Games led to the AI4Media project, where he co-authored papers and collaborated globally, showcasing the opportunities at IDG.

Admissions NOW open: shorturl.at/tChrp
April 2, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Games as Theory – A Lecture by Prof. Stefano Gualeni!

Politecnico di Milano presents On Games as Theory—a lecture by Prof. @gua-le-ni.com exploring how games serve as platforms for engaging with and challenging theoretical ideas.

📅 24th March | 14:15 CET
🌍 Online
🔗 Register: shorturl.at/vtqop
March 21, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Public Lecture: "Reskinning Reality – Augmented Reality, Practices & Pitfalls" ✨

Join the IDG for a thought-provoking talk by Rob Morgan, veteran immersive experience designer. As AR moves from sci-fi to reality, Rob explores its creative potential and ethical dilemmas.

🔗: shorturl.at/Ovw6x
March 18, 2025 at 2:15 PM
We explored a range of cutting-edge topics, including:
🕹️ Gameplaying & Generation
🎭 Player Modelling & Player Experience
📊 Time-Continuous Affect Annotation & Modelling
🧠 LLMs & Games
💡 Affective Gameplay

A huge thank you to our visitors for their curiosity and engagement!
March 10, 2025 at 10:03 AM
How can AI-driven player modelling push beyond traditional analytics to redefine player experience?

On March 6-7, we welcomed eight game development educators from Denmark and Sweden, mainly from Dania Academy, for a two-day Game AI crash course led by Prof. Yannakakis and the IDG AI team! 🚀🎮
March 10, 2025 at 10:03 AM
🎮📚 MSc in Digital Games at the Institute of Digital Games, University of Malta – Applications NOW OPEN!

🗓 Early deadline: April 13, 2025

Passionate about game design, AI, player experience, or interactive storytelling? Join a top game research institute in Europe!

🔗 Apply now: shorturl.at/551Nz
February 28, 2025 at 10:35 AM
📣 DiGRA Announcement 📣

We are grateful to have received a substantial number of high-quality submissions for the Early Career and Precarious Positions showcase.

Submissions closed on 19th January and the candidates have been notified of the results. Thank you to all the applicants!
February 18, 2025 at 10:59 AM
🚨 DiGRA 2025 Solidarity Fund Applications Open! 🚨

📅 Application Period: Feb 14 – Feb 28, 2025
🌍 Priority: Applicants from Low-Income & Lower-Middle-Income countries (World Bank classification)
📢 Decisions announced by: March 14, 2025

Link: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
February 14, 2025 at 10:42 AM
📢 Book Announcement!
Excited to share What We Owe the Dead—a detective novel by Prof. Gualeni (@gua-le-ni.com).

Set in a dystopian surveillance society, this philosophical fiction explores personhood, the cultural significance of games, and our duties to the dead.

🔗 shorturl.at/N9Biw
February 12, 2025 at 10:11 AM
🔥 Street Fighter 3 Championship – A First for Malta! 🔥
We are thrilled to host Malta’s first-ever Street Fighter 3 Championship! 🎮

📅 Date: Sunday, 2nd March 2025
📍 Venue: Hole in the Wall, Sliema
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM

More details here: fb.me/e/85Y8433zq
February 3, 2025 at 10:14 AM
🎮 Participate in the Malta Global Game Jam for FREE! 🎮
We’re thrilled to announce that we have 5 FREE spots for people wanting to attend, but struggling to meet the participation for the Malta Global Game Jam 2025! 🌟
January 7, 2025 at 1:49 PM