Bristol Digital Game Lab
The University of Bristol
Overview
Video games are no longer just entertainment. They are tools for change. The Bristol Digital Game Lab, based at the Bristol Digital Futures Institute, is pioneering this shift. From public health to cultural heritage and policy, games are shaping how we learn, connect and solve complex challenges. The Game Lab asks not just what games are, but what they can do for society, for our future. We act as a connective infrastructure – bridging academia, industry, and the public sector. Our mission is to unlock the power of play for cultural, educational, and civic transformation.
What it looks like
The Game Lab supports the development of games as a public service. We act as a catalyst for thinking about and with games in the creative City of Bristol and beyond, and offer a range of consultancy services:
- Game Jams
We offer researchers, third-sector organisations, and policy makers the chance to rapidly prototype games and game ideas to explore complex problems facing society, raise awareness, and co-create solutions. - Academic Game Co-Design Support
We support academics to design and create games for education, public engagement, and research. From ideation to prototyping and production, we help translate scholarship into engaging game mechanics. - Academic Consultancy
With gameworlds becoming ever more detailed, the need for expert input has grown. We connect game developers with academic experts to help studios differentiate their games in a competitive market. - Player Studies
We conduct in-depth research on player psychology, motivation, and engagement in games. Our player studies offer research-grade, trustworthy insights for studios and publishers into what works in a game.
Sustainable Development Goals addressed
Some facts:
Since its launch in 2022, Bristol Digital Game Lab has:
- Designed games for museums and to support mental health
- Conducted large-scale player studies for industry-led R&D projects,
- Developed a methodology that uses game jams to critically examine the past, present, and future
- Developed the MA Games Design (Narrative), a global first to focus on narrative design for games
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