On this brave independent games programme focusing on game design, games find purchase in the creative arts to engage conversation, inspire personal expression and explore our world.

Why study MA Games and Playful Design

This degree will teach you how to use game design to develop aesthetic awareness, and create meaningful experiences. With technology and gaming becoming part of our everyday lives, the industry has adapted to use games to tell stories, generate knowledge, and educate the public.

An explosion of games and apps has created a new breed of entrepreneur, with small teams able to create and launch projects that are accessible to millions. This rising market has become increasingly successful in the UK.

Throughout this degree:

• You’ll learn how to build compelling mechanics, craft innovative narratives, and develop immersive playable environments.
• We’ll encourage you to push games into new territories and intellectual domains.
• You’ll explore the freedom of the gaming industry, from putting players in immersive augmented worlds to telling transformational personal narratives, these new experiences are redefining the rules of play.
• You’ll be part of a supportive community of game creators, working on your own or teaming up with fellow students from other games and art programmes.
• You’ll benefit from a vibrant hands-on environment led by lecturers with solid experience in the games industry and other experience design industries.
• You’ll have access to our specialist lab facilities, as well as a large library of video and board games.
• You’ll explore games in a broad way, from industry-oriented development to VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality), building your own alternative controllers, and creating large-scale installations or immersive theatre experiences.
• You’ll be able to participate in regular game jams and industry events on campus.
• We’ll mentor you to help you find your voice and place as a game and experience designer, setting you up with the skills to shape your career whether as an independent studio owner or elsewhere in the games industry.
• You’ll gain a host of transferrable skills that are valuable in game design but also in other industries. These include independent games, XR (extended reality) studios, interactive film, advertising and media outlets, journalism, non-profits, education, design, and fine arts.