Master's Programme in Experimental Game Design and Development
60 credits
Do you want to shape the future of digital games as the key experiential medium of this century? This one-year Master's programme prepares you to challenge our time's most complex socio-cultural and planetary questions through game design. You will get opportunities to explore old problems in new ways, and reveal innovative pathways forward for the sake of a thriving future for all. Experimental game design is a playful and systemic way to ask bold questions, try things out, and see what happens.
Application and entry requirements
Expand the information below to show details on entry requirements, programme-specific documents, selection criteria and tuition fees.
Autumn 2026 Autumn 2026, Visby, 100%, On-campus, English
- Location
- Visby
- Pace of study
- 100%
- Teaching form
- On-campus
- Instructional time
- Daytime
- Start date
- 31 August 2026
- Language of instruction
- English
- Entry requirements
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Academic requirements
A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. Also required is 30 credits in game design or game development.
Language requirements
Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries. Detailed instructions on how to provide evidence of your English proficiency are available at universityadmissions.se.
- Selection
-
Students are selected based on an overall appraisal of previous university studies, previous work experience, a statement of purpose and a digital portfolio of 1–5 items.
Tuition fee-paying students and non-paying students are admitted on the same grounds but in different selection groups.
- Fees
- If you are not a citizen of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) country, or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees.
- First tuition fee instalment: SEK 69,000
- Total tuition fee: SEK 138,000
- Application deadline
- 15 January 2026
- Application code
- UU-M5395
- Additional information
-
In addition to the general supporting documents, you also need to submit the following programme-specific documents:
- a statement of purpose (1 page)
- document(s) certifying your previous work experience (if applicable)
- a digital portfolio of 1–5 items.
Your statement of purpose should explain your motivation for applying to the programme. Take into consideration the programme description and describe in what way your previous experiences (work or educational experiences) are relevant. Highlight one or two of the programme´s courses that you find particularly interesting and explain why.
The digital portfolio may include examples in a variety of media as well as writing samples. Examples of portfolio items:
- Series of digital prototypes or games demonstrating the your breadth and depth of work in the field. lnclude download links, installation and gameplay instructions.
- Board game or physical game. lnclude detailed documentation including video and photographs of gameplay as well as rules.
- Game design document.
- Performance or event. lnclude documentation of project including video, photographs, and script.
- Writing samples such as a scholarly article, essay, or creative writing.
- Creative practice in a professional field (animation, video, film, applications, graphic design, etcetera).
Check the application guide for information on how to apply and what other supporting documents you need to submit.
About the programme
The programme is fully dedicated to the process of making experimental games. For one academic year, you will work in a small team in a studio-based environment.
During the programme, you will develop the expressive and experiential potential of games. You get to bring to light new perspectives on societal and environmental issues and contribute with alternative visions/solutions for a more sustainable future for all. To be able to contribute to creative problem-solving processes in various contexts and domains, you will develop your capacity of self-leadership and specific skills for game development.
During the programme, you will:
- develop projects, with a focus on exploring, discovering and articulating their own game design approaches,
- develop design frameworks for different purposes, platforms and audiences, through practice-based research,
- make games and playful experiences that stand out, provoke and boggle the mind, for the sake of sparking inspiration and a sense of possibility and joy.
You will get to work in a game studio environment in cross-disciplinary teams and in close communication with stakeholders, researchers from various disciplines, teachers and mentors.
Student Profile
Experimental game design is for students who want their work to matter, to ride the edge of the known game territory, and to push the boundaries of what games as a medium can be. It takes openness and curiosity to explore and experiment, to take creative risks, be willing to be wrong, and to have the patience to learn about new things in a deep, challenging and often surprising way.
Degree
The programme leads to the degree of Master of Arts (60 credits) with Game Design as the main field of study.
Content
This one-year Master's programme consists of four courses, all of which integrate creative and theoretical/analytical considerations that are made tangible through practice – the act of making.
At the outset, you will be introduced to various curiosity areas, areas of particular interest to researchers and stakeholders from a range of disciplines. This will provide the starting point for the design explorations that will inform the game project you later will be creating. There is an ongoing practical part in a dedicated lab environment in which you create game prototypes, mechanical rituals and toy-like experiences in order to sketch out the experimental possibility space. This process is refined and over time, the sea of ideas narrowed down to the one you are going to pursue towards the completion of a playable project.
You work in a group from start to finish and in close collaboration with your mentors as well as the researchers and stakeholders. You will also explore aspects of the design on your own through individual prototypes that are then brought to the group. You move through the experimental process by way of playing, testing and discussing each other’s prototypes. You will further get experience in communicating about your work to a range of different audiences and in different ways from written text to demos and gameplay videos. As part of the programme’s final degree project, you and your group will present the process and showcase the results of your game development project.
Courses within the programme
Semester 1
- Introduction to Experimental Game Design, 15 credits
- Methods for Advanced and Reflective Practice, 15 credits
Semester 2
- Game Development and Communication, 15 credits
- Degree Project in Experimental Game Design, 15 credits
Learning experience
As this is a practice-based programme, the learning experience includes active creativity. While there are traditional lectures and seminars, there is a studio-component throughout the programme, where you will apply theories in practice. This group work is assessed and evaluated through internal design reviews, mentoring sessions, conversations with researchers and peer-critique.
Campus Gotland
This international programme is placed at Campus Gotland, located in Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden. The language of instruction is English. The programme benefits from being set on Gotland with its local context. This context will factor into the conceptual, technical and playful explorations students do. You get to engage with the local environment in a physical way, grounding your inspirations, design approaches and game concepts in tactile experiences of nature and traditional arts and crafts. You will study together with students from other countries, cultures and social contexts.
Since the student projects will be developed in teams, it is very important that you can reside on Gotland for the full academic year.
Career
The Master's Programme in Experimental Game Design and Development equips you for a forward-looking career in several areas, including the vibrant and constantly evolving industry of entertainment games. Far beyond that, it prepares you for creative consulting, technological innovation and leadership positions in a variety of fields.
After the programme, you will have skills sought after in a plethora of fields and critical to address complex problems in new ways. These core skills are:
- system thinking,
- strategic creativity and innovation,
- purposeful design,
- team-work,
- project management,
- communication across domains and to various audiences.
When your education is completed, you could be able to start a new company or find work in areas not yet anticipated. By developing your flexibility, adaptability and your open mindedness, you will inhance your ability to find opportunities where others only see problems.
Career support
During your time as a student, UU Careers offers support and guidance. You have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities and events that will prepare you for your future career.
Register your interest
Keep updated about the application process.
Contact
- For questions about the programme, please contact the study counsellor at Campus Gotland:
- studievagledning-cg@uu.se
- For questions about admissions or registration, please contact our applicant support team:
- study@uu.se