Peter CockMy first time inside #AberTay university in years, despite living and working in the edge of #Dundee - here for the State of the Map (Europe) 2025 conference #OpenStreetMap #SotMEU25 https://2025.stateofthemap.eu/
scottishgamesAbertay to Host ‘Make/Play’ Symposium on Game Creation as Research
Academics and creative practitioners are invited to mark their calendars for MAKE/PLAY, a one-day symposium dedicated to exploring the practice of game making as a research methodology.
Hosted by Abertay Game Lab and Manchester Game Centre, the event will take place at Abertay University in Dundee on Thursday, 27th November 2025, with in-person and online attendance supported.
More Than Games
The symposium lands at a perfect time, taking place one day after the Scottish Games Network’s own ‘More Than Games’ event in Glasgow. Together, these events create a powerful, two-day focus on the future of interactive media – first from a creative ecosystem and cross-sectoral perspective, and then with an academic deep dive into creative practice.
The MAKE/PLAY Symposium
The MAKE/PLAY symposium aims to move beyond the common view of games as simple tools for research dissemination. Instead, it will focus on the practice of creating games itself as a form of research, unpicking the methodologies and knowledge drawn directly from the creative process.
This theme is a perfect example of the More Than Games philosophy, validating the act of game design as a way to explore complex topics, from social issues and cultural heritage to lived experience, autobiographical stories and unmatched engagement with audiences.
MAKE/PLAY’s coordinators have curated a full day of presentations and exhibitions. The programme will feature academics, designers, and practitioners discussing topics across the full spectrum of creative development, including:
- Applied and serious games
- Historical and heritage games
- Autobiographical and experimental design
- Alternative controllers
- Larp, social, and physical play
- Critical and Radical Design approaches
The symposium is an ideal opportunity for developers, designers, and academics to connect, share insights, and explore the future of game design as a respected academic and creative practice.
Following the main event, Abertay will also host the 2025 UK Game Lab meet up on Friday, 28th November, offering a third day of networking and discussion for those in the academic community.
How to Attend MAKE/PLAY
The call for papers has now closed, and the final programme is being confirmed.
The Scottish Games Network encourages interested academics, postgraduate researchers, and industry practitioners to mark their calendars for this important event.
For enquiries about the symposium, please contact the MAKE/PLAY co-chair, Dr Lynn Love.
To sign up for MAKE/PLAY use the EventBrite registration page below:
Just registered for the #OpenStreetMap conference at #Abertay #Dundee, "State of the Map, Europe" starting Friday 14 November.
https://2025.stateofthemap.eu/#hero
Shame I missed the early bird discount. Also had to pay via PayPal and first two cards were declined 😒
Dundee’s Games Cluster in the Spotlight as GAME-ER Research Project Seeks Local Expertise
Everyone knows Dundee is the beating heart of Scotland’s games ecosystem, but how many studios are based in the city?
Researchers from Abertay University are calling upon the collective knowledge of the Dundee games community to help verify a comprehensive map of the city’s renowned games cluster.
The request comes as part of GAME-ER, a major European research project dedicated to understanding the dynamics of local and regional video game ecosystems. The project aims to provide policymakers and decision-makers with the knowledge and tools needed to foster and support thriving games clusters across the continent.
Leading the Dundee-focused element of the project is Martin Lynagh, a lecturer in game production at Abertay University and veteran of the Scottish games scene.
“We are looking to verify some work we have done in mapping the Dundee cluster,” Martin explained. “We actually used the excellent SGN directory as a starting point for this, so we’d love to get feedback from the community to ensure our data is as accurate and comprehensive as possible.”
The project’s goal is to create a detailed, publicly available resource that accurately reflects the network of studios, support organisations, and educational bodies that make up the Dundee ecosystem. This data is important for informing future policy and investment decisions, both in Scotland and across Europe.
GAME-ER: A Call for Community Knowledge
The GAME-ER team is asking anyone involved in Scotland’s games sector – from developers and artists to freelancers and business owners – to review their initial findings and provide feedback, corrections, or additions.
This is a direct opportunity for the community to contribute to a significant piece of academic research that will help shape the future support structures for the industry.
Editor’s Note: I’ve known Martin since the ‘before times’ myself, and this is exactly the kind of collaborative, data-driven work the ecosystem needs (And yes, Martin, I would very much like my copy of The Sopranos back at some point. Thx, B)
How To Get Involved
The research team has prepared a document listing the entities they have mapped so far. They are asking for community members to review it and offer their expert feedback.
You can find the current list of game developers in Dundee here. All feedback and updates should be directed to Martin here.
Games Tech in Focus as Mindset-XR Mental Health Innovation Roadshow Comes to Scotland
The potential for games and immersive technologies to contribute to mental healthcare will be the focus of an important event coming to Dundee this autumn. The 2025 Mindset-XR Innovation In Mental Health Roadshow will take place at Abertay University on Thursday, 2nd October 2025.
The event serves as a forum for innovators, clinicians, academics, and policymakers to explore how Extended Reality (XR) and other interactive technologies can create new solutions for mental health and wellbeing. For the Scottish games industry, this represents an opportunity to apply its skills to a sector of significant social importance.
The full-day event will explore the innovation pipeline, from research and development to clinical validation and pathways to adoption. Sessions will showcase pioneering work in XR for mental health, discuss funding opportunities, and facilitate connections between clinicians, academic researchers, and technology developers.
A Call for Games Industry Involvement
The event organisers are looking for more games and games-adjacent companies to get involved.
Scotland’s games developers, artists, and designers are experts in creating engaging and interactive digital experiences. These are precisely the skills required to build the next generation of digital therapeutics, training simulations for clinicians, and supportive virtual environments for patients. This is a core example of the More Than Games movement, demonstrating how the sector’s expertise can be a valuable resource.
Companies with experience in VR, AR, simulation, user interface design, and narrative development are encouraged to attend to explore new opportunities and build cross-sector partnerships.
Event Details:
- What: 2025 Mindset-XR Innovation In Mental Health Roadshow – Scotland
- When: Thursday, 2nd October 2025, 10:00 – 17:00
- Where: Abertay University, Dundee (exact space TBC)
- Tickets: Registration is available now via Eventbrite.
This event is a chance to be part of a crucial conversation and to position Scotland’s games sector within the future of healthcare innovation.
To register for the event or to inquire about getting involved, please visit the official Eventbrite page:
Photo by Barbara Zandoval on Unsplash
Abertay University Ranked Top International School By Princeton Review
Abertay University has been named the top international school for videogame design, with programmes ranked in the global top 10 in both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Abertay extended its track record as one of the world’s leading universities in this year’s edition of the Princeton Review’s global rankings for games design courses.
Abertay is now ranked 8th in the world for undergraduate programmes and 7th at postgraduate level, the University retained its established place as the number one institution in Europe and the UK.
Professor Jim Bown, Dean of the Faculty of Design, Informatics and Business said:
These rankings are really important to us because they recognise the excellence of our academic staff and the student experience here at Abertay, while also providing crucial guidance to applicants making their decisions on where to study.
Maintaining our position as one of the world’s best providers takes a lot of hard work from our Faculty members and professional services colleagues, coupled with ongoing investment in the latest facilities and equipment and a strong commitment to working closely with the games industry and linking our approach to its needs.
Ryan Locke, Head of the Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Educationtold the SGN:
Abertay’s position as an international leader in games is based on our track record in delivering top quality education but also in the many strands of research, innovation and knowledge exchange work which underpin our programmes. When you study at Abertay you are learning from some of the very best in the business and our programmes are designed with the right mix of academic rigour, industry experience and enterprise support needed to support student success.
The Princeton Review recognised the strength of Abertay’s campus-based courses, including:
- Professional Masters in Games Development
- MSc Computer Games Technology programmes
- BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology
- BSc (Hons) Computer Game Applications Development
- BA (Hons) Game Design and Production
- BA (Hons) Computer Arts
Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief, said:
The schools that made our lists for 2025 have awesome programs in game design. Their faculties are superb. Their facilities are state-of-the-art, and their alumni include many of the video game industry’s most successful designers, developers, and entrepreneurs. We highly recommend them to any student considering a career in this exciting field.
Abertay is the global birthplace of video games education, having pioneered the world’s first degrees in the discipline in 1997. It is also national Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education, with specialist facilities including:
- One of Europe’s largest PlayStation 5 development labs.
- An Emergent Technology Centre comprising five specialist labs and studios for creative practice, research, and knowledge exchange.
- A Virtual Production Research Environment (ViPRE) lab with industry-standard motion-tracking and screen technology.
- A configurable Development studio offering collaborative working space for artists, designers and technologists to conceive and rapidly prototype digital and physical prototypes.
- A light-controlled Visual Design Studio for concept designers, illustrators, animators, and 3D artists to develop production art.
- A Usability Lab equipped with cameras, microphones, and an observation room for UX research, product testing, and audience research.
- A dedicated lab for student projects linked to research and knowledge exchange.
- A Competitive Gaming Lab kitted with 20 high-specification gaming PCs for play-testing by designers and researchers.
- Adobe Creative Campus status providing students with free access to the latest creative software.
Abertay games programmes use a workplace simulation approach where students from various courses, including artists, programmers, and games production managers, work together to create games as part of their degree programme.
Accredited by Tiga, the BCS, and others, the programmes are designed with input from industry and graduates have gone on to secure positions at some of the world’s most renowned games companies, such as Ubisoft, Sony, EA, Rockstar, and many more.
Dr Dayna Galloway, Head of the Department of Games and Arts said:
The games industry is highly interconnected, and we are proud to have more than 25 years’ worth of alumni who have gone on to help shape the sector. By giving our students a flavour of what it’s like to work in an industry environment during their time at university, we make sure they are well-prepared to go straight into the workplace and have the skills and experience required to succeed and to drive the industry forward.
The University’s annual Dare Academy games design competition fosters student teams who often evolve into successful start-ups, with winners receiving investment to further develop their prototypes and showcase their games. Abertay is based in Dundee, a city renowned as the birthplace of the original Grand Theft Auto franchise and the console edition of Minecraft. The University has played a central role in building the city’s reputation as a global hub for games design and according to the university, the majority of people working in the cluster are Abertay graduates.
As technology advances, the University is working to adapt both teaching and research to the needs of the future. Abertay is a key partner in the CoSTAR Network, a £75.6m project funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council which aims to drive forward the converging games, screen, immersive and performance industries. As part of the network, Abertay recently launched the CoSTAR Realtime Lab, a new virtual production studio with bases in Dundee and Edinburgh designed to bring new opportunities and expert support to creative and technology companies working across the breadth of the creative industries. Abertay also plays an important part in the CoSTAR National Lab, due to open at Pinewood Studios.
Professor Ruth Falconer, Head of the Department of Games Technology and Mathematics at Abertay and Head of CreaTech at the CoSTAR National Lab, said:
The National Lab is the central hub of the CoSTAR Network and provides infrastructure that combines state-of-the-art facilities, technology research and an exciting series of industry and academic partnerships to fuel creative industries growth across the UK. The National Lab collaborates, innovates and experiments across the UK’s screen and performance sectors, supporting UK creative companies to innovate and grow ethically, sustainably, and inclusively.
Aileen FyfeIt's been a while since I've tried to do a whole day's work in a university library, and I am discovering that the arrival of modern office furniture (i.e. seats with adjustable height and back) makes it a far less painful experience than it used to be.
Thank you to #Abertay library (and thank you to whoever came up with #eduroam, for enabling me to work in other university's libraries!).