@indigitalgames
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
Illustration from Scholar's Codex - edited by @domford.bsky.social our very own @gua-le-ni.com and @danielvella.bsky.social, and @nelevdm.bsky.social
Academics explore the themes, lore and ruined majesty of classics like Bloodborne, Dark Souls and Elden Ring. @tuneandfairweather.bsky.social
Soup game still going strong @gua-le-ni.com. 😂
🧐 Did you know we had a newsletter?
The Algorithm is unreliable so why not get your information directly from the source? Get updates about events, published research, short-form articles covering #gamedesign #gamestudies and #gameAI.
📰 February edition: preview.mailerlite.io/preview/9314...
Last month The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Games, ed. by @add-hawk.bsky.social & John Richard Sageng, was also out! I've got a chapter on the idea of 'beauty' in the aesthetic philosophy of Kant & Schiller and how it applies to play & games, and it's in great company in this huge collection.
Can finally talk about this book! @domford.bsky.social @gua-le-ni.com @nelevdm.bsky.social & I have been on this journey for a while with a great team of contributors, and it's amazing to see what T&F have done with it. Certainly the most gorgeous book I've ever been involved with.
An extract of my 'Antagonistic Game Design' paper is available in ITALIAN on @ludicamag.com :) #gamestudies
(for the original text in English: septentrio.uit.no/index.php/el...)
Thanks! ❤️ Didn't think we'd qualify either, best of luck compiling the list of cool Canadian game scholars to follow!
Phenomenal presentation yesterday by @pippinbarr.bsky.social and Rilla Khaled on systematic methods for materialising Research through Design, going past descriptive documentation using reflective practices by regular inquiry using What/so what/now what questions. #Digra2025 #designresearch
I spent this week in Valletta, Malta, at Digra 2025 conference. Digra is an annual game studies conference, that I have managed to attend approximately every other year since 2007. I’ll list some of my highlights from this year. (Looong thread.)
Really stretching the definition, but as the former home of @pippinbarr.bsky.social and Rilla Khaled (and fellow member of the Commonwealth) can we be honorary canucks? 😅
To be or not to be... in GTA:Online
Witness the collision of digital games, literature, and drama. A film screening of Grand Theft Hamlet followed by a Q&A panel @vthewanderer.bsky.social @danielvella.bsky.social
📍 Valletta Campus
📅 23/03 | 17:30
🔗 More: shorturl.at/S0MAM
#EnglishLit #gamestudies
Yeah, looks like we will soon release a new experiment in playable philosophy called
>> 'HAMM-3R" <<
(made with @amidos2006.bsky.social and @demigiant.com and others who are not on Bluesky).
We will demo it and give a short talk in Valletta on March the 24th :) Come say hi!
💥Quick-fire talks covering:
🎶Games x Music 🎶
💡Games x Philosophy 💡
🗺️ Games x Migration 🗺️
🔨And an exclusive chance to play @gua-le-ni.com's new philosophical game: Hamm-3r.
▶️ www.eventbrite.com/e/science-in...
@amidos2006.bsky.social @danielvella.bsky.social @vthewanderer.bsky.social
#gamedev
A simple question leads MSc student Paul down a #gamestudies rabbit hole.
✨Hunicke, LeBlanc, @rzubek.bsky.social ▶️ @miguelsicart.bsky.social ▶️ Swink ▶️Adams & @jorisdormans.bsky.social
#gamedev #gamedesign
youtu.be/MFgTpQUbHZA?...
Hi! I have a new, quirky article out on how games use and represent the dead, but also on deadpool games, & the strange case of the #Fantamorto (an Italian fantasy sport).
>> gamestudies.org/2601/article... <<
🚨WARNING🚨: it might contain traces of @ckunzelman.bsky.social and @maurovanetti.itch.io
“Lazy people will always be lazy, no matter what the tools are, and creative people will always be creative with whatever tools they have,” explains Prof. Yannakakis in @gamesbeat.bsky.social on the future of AI in games.
gamesbeat.com/why-the-game...
#AI #GameAI #tech
9 Games. 48 Hours. One Theme: ‘Mask’. 🎭 The Malta Global Game Jam brought together 40+ creatives to build working games from scratch. What did they make? Play them yourself!
@globalgamejam.bsky.social #GGJ2026 #indiedev
www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/pe...
Learn the basics of Unity and Unreal Engine in DGP0941 - Creative Virtual worlds offered as DegreePlus course at University of Malta.
🔗https://www.um.edu.mt/courses/studyunit/dgp0941
#unity3d #unrealengine #degreeplus #malta #maltastudents #gamedev
💥 Expert panel -> Expanded!
Participation and encouragement is what makes this local community so great. Even in 48h it's a pleasure to see the creativity of interpretations come together!
We have more industry pros at our arcade mode!
@jackart.bsky.social #GGJ2026 #GameDev #IndieDev #Malta
Guess which two Institute of Digital Games Scholars contributed to this magnificently designed Scholar's Codex?
#darksouls #bloodborne #gamestudies
📢In case you missed it, this beauty we edited (and contributed to) was announced yesterday!
#gamestudies #fromsoftware #codex📢
So you've finished a game... Arcade Mode is ON! 🕹️
We’re bringing in industry experts to play your games during arcade mode at the end of the Malta Global Game Jam.
Learning from vets is the fastest way to level up!
maltagamejam.institutedigitalgames.com
#GGJ2026 #GameDev #IndieDev #Malta
GGJ26 Diversifiers have arrived! 🎮✨ From sponsored challenges like Cross-Platform Play to fun twists like “Hands Off” or “Undefined Language,” jammers can choose up to 4 to boost creativity & make their games stand out.
🔗 Check out all #GGJ26 Diversifiers: buff.ly/81R5PNr 🔗
🧐No judges at our @globalgamejam.bsky.social but we don't leave you hanging. Our panel of experts will stop by and give you advice, ideas, and inspiration for your final sprint to finish your game.
maltagamejam.institutedigitalgames.com
#malta #indiedev #gamedev
From one small island to another! 🏝️
Iceland ✈️ Malta @joshbayer.bsky.social (Senior Game Designer, EVE Online) will keynote the Malta @globalgamejam.bsky.social!
Ready to make a game in 48h? Jan 30 - Feb 1. All experience levels welcome. maltagamejam.institutedigitalgames.com
#GGJ2026 #IndieDev
We want you to fail. And fail fast. 💥
In our 2020 @globalgamejam.bsky.social Kari Koivistoinen taught us that if things are going smoothly in game dev, that’s a red flag. 🚩😜
You have 48h to break things (in your game) and find out what works!
Join us: maltagamejam.institutedigitalgames.com
Check out the marvellous Game Poems magazine! Yes, I have a little something in there, and, yes, it lives up to the dream of publications that manage to include (and be about) interactive/games stuff!
www.gamepoems.com/issue01/
Our 2021 @globalgamejam.bsky.social was online, but we still managed to have a lot of fun! Marc Hudgins of ZeniMax Online with stories about Sid Meier, Elder Scrolls Online and @jupiterhadley.com w/ Game Jam stories!
Join us in person in 2026: www.um.edu.mt/digitalgames...
youtu.be/2H7a7DcUa0w?...
🚨 My new article 'Antagonistic Game Design: the Author as a Player' is out on #Eludamos (Journal for Computer Game Culture)! 🚨
>> septentrio.uit.no/index.php/el... <<
WARNING: might contains traces of @cloobot.bsky.social @doougle.net @jzagal.bsky.social @foddy.net and @add-hawk.bsky.social XD
