Humanitarian Aid & Engagement

Former Researchers

Open Lab 2026 – Thank you for joining us!

Another Open Lab has come to an end, and what a wonderful evening it was. As always, our institute turned into an exhibition space filled with games, installations, prototypes, presentations, and, above all, inspiring conversations. It was a pleasure to see so many students, alumni, colleagues, friends, industry professionals, and curious visitors exploring the latest […]

Interview from Offene Wunde deutscher Film — “Open Wounds: A Journey through German Genre Films”

Gundolf S. Freyermuth moderating the workshop discussion with director Johannes F. Sievert after the screening of the documentary “Open Wounds – A Journey through German Genre Films” (directed by Dominik Graf and Johannes F. Sievert, Germany, 2017). From left to right: Roger Fritz, Lisa Gotto, Johannes F. Sievert, and Gundolf S. Freyermuth. April 13, 2017, […]

Student Journal Kaludoscope Launches First Issue at CGL

We are delighted to announce the release of the inaugural issue of Kaludoscope (find Issue 01 here), a new student-led journal dedicated to game studies. Created by students for students and emerging scholars, Kaludoscope offers a platform to share original research, develop editorial and peer review experience, and showcase the diverse perspectives on games and […]

Gundolf S. Freyermuth – The Legend of the Cologne Game Lab

Isabel Grünberg with Gundolf S. Freyermuth, sharing a joke at the end of Gundolf S. Freyermuth’s closing keynote “Playing the Future – in War and Peace” at the Transformations Conference, held at the Cologne Game Lab, on 25 September 2025. Credits: Guido Löhrer. Gundolf S. Freyermuth – The Legend of the Cologne Game Lab This […]

I SAW

Adaptation (2019) Atmospheric, minimalistic exploration of a poem. Classic 2D-puzzle-platformer that makes you read while playing. This game is an exploration of Howl by Allen Ginsberg. If you‘re stuck, reading the poem might give you the answer you‘re looking for. You can play this game either with keyboard or controller, but using a controller is […]

Emergency Protocol Override

Thesis project (2020) In this game you play a robot that came to life a long time after an unknown apocalypse. You have to maintain your energy connection, build efficient production lines and explore your surroundings to reach a distant goal. Platform: Windows PC Team: Lukas Farby, Sebastian Stricker, Olivier Haas

Exprés

Experimental Games WT 2023/24 Exprés is a language game that puts you in the shoes of an adventurer in a strange land where everyone speaks only Spanish. By battling enemies in turn-based battles, players will be able to express basic ideas and concepts of different words in Spanish. Platform: Android Team:Irtaza Wadood (Programmer)Eduardo Peña Junco […]

Finding Euphemia

Experimental Games WT 2023/24 Finding Euphemia is a feminist, narrative-driven original card game based on the book Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino Features:Play as someone whose desperate search for their missing sister leads them to a strang city where things aren’t what they first seem. Be a good employee of SENTIRE, a mysterious service provider, […]

Social Runner

Serious Games Final Project WT 2023/24 Social Runner was developed for our Serious Games module as a social experiment with a hidden twist. It serves as a metaphor for the endless and addictive social media experience, where the player is placed in an endless runner on auto-running mode. They are tasked with collecting patterns of […]

To Xanadu

Experimental Games WT 2023/24 Play as Marco Polo journeying through the fabled lands to convey its sights to Emperor Kublai Khan. This short memory and strategy card game was adapted from the novel Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino for our Non-linear Adaptation module. Engine: UnityPlatform: PC Team:Pragya MukherjeeDikshuEduardo PenaHousein Asadi Find the game here.

Silent Witness

Non-Linear Adaption ST 2024 Silent Witness is a turn-based, dice-rolling, dungeon-crawling game inspired by the short story Into the Grave, where the Rashomon effect plays a pivotal role, as players navigate a world of conflicting perspectives and uncertain truths. Engine: UnityPlatform: PC Team:Ahmetcan Gürel: ProgrammerReihaneh Alsheikh: ArtistRuth Montserrat Guerrero Gaytan: Designer Find the game here.

Stonewall – Street of Rage

Serious Games ST 2024 Stonewall – Streets of Rage is a serious arcade game set to be completed by late fall 2025, chronicling the events of the NYC 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a pivotal moment for queer and trans liberation movements – with far-reaching consequences for the marginalized communities concerned. The game concentrates on the brief […]

Journey to Dwarven Hamam

Experimental Concept Art Project Journey to Dwarven Hamam is an experimental concept art project by Can Basdogan. It was done at the end of his third term and is inspired primarily from Turkish Hamams and the Oil wrestling culture. He first conceptualized the landscape and the cave system beneath it and then focused on designing […]

CGL Partners

CGL Partners We have a high-quality network of research partners from the industry and institutions in the artistic and cultural field. We maintain long-term relationships with our partners within and outside Europe. Not only the exchange of students in both directions, but also the exchange of teachers and researchers, collaborations and support at events and […]

Gundolf & kairós

Karin Kolb, Astrid Schneider, Gundolf S. Freyermuth, Philipp Bojahr, Denis Anders and Stefan Herzig in front of the painting “The Favourable Opportunity” by Peter Pauls Rubens, depicting the idea of kairós. Copyright: Rene Traut. Gundolf & kairós This post is by Dr. Philipp Bojahr, who joined the Cologne Game Lab in 2019 to take on […]

The ANTURA Erasmus+ project has entered a key testing phase

For some time now, we have been developing the international ANTURA project – an initiative funded by the Erasmus+ programme, aimed at supporting migrant and refugee children in learning the language of their host country and adapting to a new environment. The project is carried out by an international consortium of partners from Poland, France, […]

Practical Information

Summer School: Planetary Futures Practical Information for Participants All essential practical information to help you prepare for your participation, including details on travel, arrival, and local transportation. Join our Discord Server to get in touch with all participants. If you have any specific questions, please contact us at summerschool26@colognegamelab.de

Gundolf S. Freyermuth as a Ludovisionary

Sonia Fizek with Gundolf S. Freyermuth in March 2025, enjoying a good media historical conversation over lunch in one of West Berlin’s Cafes. Credits: unknown. Gundolf S. Freyermuth as a Ludovisionary[1] This post is by Prof Dr. Sonia Fizek, who worked with Prof. Em. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth at Cologne Game Lab between the years […]

Gundolf S. Freyermuth as Curriculum Developer

André Czauderna with Gundolf S. Freyermuth and other game educators from Europe and the US at the “Studying Games—Clash of Realities Summit” at QUO VADIS, April 9, 2019, Berlin, Germany (André Czauderna: second from left, back row; Gundolf S. Freyermuth: third from left, front row). Credits: Tobias Pritzl. Gundolf S. Freyermuth as Curriculum Developer This […]

Tiny Bookshop awarded Best Debut

The cozy game Tiny Bookshop by Cologne-based studio neoludic games has won the award for Best Debut at the German Computer Game Award 2026 (Deutscher Computerspielpreis). The award ceremony took place on April 29 in the historic Herkulessaal of the Munich Residenz, where the German games industry celebrated this year’s most creative and innovative productions. […]

Gundolf Farewell – Alumni Speech

Su-Jin Song and Federico Alvarez Igarzábal giving the Alumni Speech, a tribute to Gundolf, during the Transformations Conference in September 2025. Credits: Guido Lörer. Gundolf Farewell – Alumni Speech The following text is a speech by Su-Jin Song and Prof. Dr. Federico Alvarez Igarzábal, delivered at the Transformations Conference at CGL in September 2025. The […]

Issue 1

Issue 1 – PDF download Editorial Team for Issue 1 Marie TaegerM.A. Student of Digital Games at CGL Rafael PankovM.A. Student of Digital Games at CGL Illustrated and set by Rafael Pankov Editorial Mentor Prof. Dr. Sonia FizekMedia & Game Studies Professor & Executive Board Member for Research at CGL

Co-Founding the Cologne Game Lab

Gundolf S. Freyermuth and Björn Bartholdy checking dates for the next “Clash of Realities” Conference, just after the previous edition had concluded. Credits: Martin Lorber, Electronic Arts (2016). As a symbolic first post in honor of Prof. Em. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth, we begin with a contribution by his longtime partner, collaborator, and friend, Prof. […]

Introduction

Glass prism cube on a holographic background. A single white light source is dispersed into different colours, coming back out of the prism. The cube is made of four triangular prisms joined together. Free to use under the Unsplash License. Credits: David Clode. Introduction The “Prisms of Gundolf” project consists of a series of short […]

Team

Team – Cologne Game Lab: LEADERSHIP & PRODUCTIONPedro Mota | Research LeadThorsten Felden | Project Manager DESIGNThorsten Felden & Pedro Mota | Design Co-Leads ARTSophia Fesel | Art LeadFilipp Aronovitš & Aysu Ismail | Artist PROGRAMMINGJulian Reiter | Programming LeadKinshuk Katahra & Maria Smirnova | Programmers NARRATIVE DESIGNAlexander Oemus & Pedro Mota | Narrative Design […]

Program

Summer School: Planetary Futures Preliminary Program

Experts & Team

Summer School: Planetary Futures Our confirmed experts Estrid Sørensen is Professor for the Anthropology of Knowledge at the Ruhr University Bochum. She has done extensive ethnographic research within the field of digital science and technology studies, including on educational technologies, cultures of media harm, epistemologies of digital data and on scientific data infrastructures, particularly on […]

Tiny Bookshop nominated for Best German Game

The nominees for the German Computer Game Award 2026 (Deutscher Computerspielpreis) have been announced, highlighting outstanding achievements in innovation, gameplay, and cultural impact across the German games industry. Among the nominees are two titles with strong ties to Cologne Game Lab: Tiny Bookshop by Cologne-based studio neoludic – founded by CGL alumni – is nominated […]

Pedro Mota

Pedro Mota is a filmmaker, lecturer, and narrative designer, currently a PhD candidate conducting cooperative doctoral research at the Cologne Game Lab as part of his research in the interdisciplinary graduate program PPGHDL at the Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Literature, and Human Sciences (FFLCH) at the University of São Paulo (USP). His academic background […]

Scent for Films and Video Games

Scent for Films and Video Games The start-up Zestum aims to establish scent as a new medium in the digital world — alongside image and sound. By combining AI-based software with compact hardware, the team has developed a system that releases scents matching what appears on screen. A Kickstarter campaign has now been launched to […]

Extended Deadline: Apply now for our Master’s Programs until April 19

The application deadline for the M.A. 3D Animation for Film & Games and the M.A. Game Development and Research has been extended until April 19. While the application phase for our B.A. and M.A. Digital Games programs has now closed and is currently under review, prospective students still have the opportunity to apply for our […]

Soil Siege – Privacy Policy

Soil Siege: Privacy Policy This privacy policy applies to the Soil Siege app (hereby referred to as “Application”) for mobile devices that was created by Broken Paternoster Games (hereby referred to as “Service Provider”) as a Free service. This service is intended for use “AS IS”.What information does the Application obtain and how is it […]

First Steps, Bold Ideas: Collaborative Projects 2025/26

First Steps, Bold Ideas: Collaborative Projects 2025/26 With the winter semester 2025/26 coming to a close, the very first cohort of our new BA program has completed its inaugural Collaborative Projects — and what a debut it is. Under the project type Ludic Games, students developed six charming, playful, and remarkably confident prototypes that already […]

First SOILSCAPE Hackathons Announced

First SOILSCAPE Hackathons Announced The first two SOILSCAPE hackathons are taking place in March 2026, leading up to the two first Soil Festivals in France and Portugal this spring. Over a short period, participants are invited to create and submit a digital game based on the themes of soils and soil health. Participants of all […]

FAQ

FAQs

Alumni Voices: Insights from the M.A. Game Development and Research

Alumni Voices: Insights from the M.A. Game Development and Research What paths open up after the M.A. Game Development and Research at Cologne Game Lab? In our latest interview series, alumni Pragya Mukherjee and Sylvia Ulloque, as well as current student Darren Lê Minh Đức, share their journeys into and through the games industry. They […]

Miguel Rodrigo de Haro

Miguel Rodrigo de Haro is a PhD candidate from the Complutense University of Madrid working in the fields of game studies, literary theory, and aesthetics. His doctoral project is focused on developing a videogame defamiliarization theory. This is a theory of dynamics and movement in a general sense, centered on the perceptive singularities of videogame […]

Lenz Wülfing (he/him)

Pronouns: (he/him)Position: MemberTagline: ”Hello. I like art and politics and playing strange indie games with my friends.”Semester and Specialization: BA2025 -ArtContact: lenz_lennox.wuelfing@smail-thkoeln.de

Fake News

Fake News The owner of a balcony plant reads fake news about plants on the internet at night — and mistreats the plant accordingly. Seeking revenge, the plant decides to destroy the source of all evil: the computer! “Flowie”, the flowerpot monster, is the star of a cartoony yet thought-provoking 3D animated short on fake […]

New Board elected at CGL

The Cologne Game Lab (CGL), Institute for Game Development & Research at TH Köln, has elected its new board under the institute’s updated governance framework. The board is chaired by Björn Bartholdy as Head of the Institute, with Nanette Kaulig responsible for Teaching and Learning, Sonia Fizek for Research, and Odile Limpach for Incubation and […]

New Publication: Video Games and Mental Health

The edited volume Video Games and Mental Health. Perspectives of Psychology and Game Design brings together interdisciplinary perspectives on how games and mental health intersect today and in the future. Edited by Federico Alvarez Igarzábal, Chad Comeau, Emmanuel Guardiola, Carmen Johann, and Katharina Tillmanns — all of whom are or have been long-standing companions of […]

Daring Deevs

Daring Deevs is an indie game studio based in Cologne, Germany, founded by five game developer friends with a shared vision of crafting original, memorable, and slightly whimsical games. The studio focuses on small-scale experiences with playful mechanics, rich atmospheres, and worlds inspired by diverse cultural influences. Website: daringdeevs.| Email: daringdeevs@gmail.com | LinkedIn: @daringdeevs | […]

Zestum

Zestum is a Neuss-based start-up rethinking digital immersion by intro-ducing scent into gaming. Founded by students and backed by universities and public innovation programs, the team has developed a fully engineered scent hardware system from scratch — combining scientific precision with emotional impact. Zestum is revolutionizing the gaming and streaming experience by introducing scent as a […]

LUCKTAPE Games

We are an independent studio from Cologne, Germany, dedicated to building engaging digital games. With a resourceful and multidisciplinary approach, we craft expressive worlds driven by creativity and thoughtful design. Team: Contact: Current Game Project: Tony the Mole Tony the Mole is a short cozy underground adventure where you play as a curious little mole […]

Studio Zweisiedlerkrebs

We are Studio Zweisiedlerkrebs, a small indie studio in Cologne. After several years in the industry, we now pursue our own vision. As a studio, we create impact games and immersive experiences. Our mission is to connect people and transfer knowledge through shared experiences. We operate at the intersection of media art, game design, and […]

Inclusive Gamelab at the PLAY Festival in Hamburg: Promoting Accessible Gaming and Creative Play

This year, representatives from the Inclusive Gamelab research project, Nina Kiel, Jürgen Sleegers, and Su-Jin Song, attended the PLAY Festival in Hamburg to host a workshop titled “Barrierefreies Gaming – Digitales Spielen Ermöglichen” (Accessible Gaming – Enabling Digital Play). The workshop explored the barriers many people still face in the gaming world, especially individuals with […]

Tiny Bookshop Wins Big at the German Developer Award 2025

A remarkable success for Cologne Game Lab alumni: Tiny Bookshop by the Cologne-based studio neoludic games was named Best German Game 2025 at this year’s German Developer Award (Deutscher Entwicklerpreis). The studio swept all three categories in which it was nominated — Best German Game, Best Indie Game, and Best Art Direction — making Tiny […]

Ilja Burzev

Ilja Burzev is a 3D Generalist and Technical Artist specializing in real-time graphics, VR/XR, and pipeline/tool development. With a B.A. in Integrated Design from KISD, he bridges design thinking and technology to build robust workflows and high-quality assets, and served as Technical Art Director on the handcrafted adventure Harold Halibut. At CGL, Ilja contributes practice-driven […]

Learning from the Perpetrator’s Perspective: A Digital Game Against Sexual Violence

Universitätsklinikum Ulm and TH Köln develop a serious game as a preventive tool in volunteer work with young people. A wolf wearing a rabbit mask: In the serious game “Uuugh – Falsches Spiel”, players take on the role of a perpetrator in a fictional sports club in order to understand manipulative strategies — and, as […]

Interreactive

Interreactive is a solo-developer game studio based in Cologne. The founder, Aleksandr Maldon, a digital artist and game designer, holds a vision that games interact with the player just as much as the player interacts with them. They can tell a story, argue with the player, provoke, comfort, and philosophize. They shouldn’t be afraid of […]

Digital Clay

Where Culture Meets Tech Stories shape worlds. We shape stories. Step into immersive narratives that leave a mark. Digital Clay is a full-service, award-winning animation and immersive media studio specializing in animated story-driven content, VR/AR experiences, and interactive narratives. Founded in India and now rooted in Cologne, Germany, we bring over a decade of expertise […]

Owlium

Owlium is an independent game studio from Cologne creating entertaining yet thought-provoking games that explore the systems shaping our world. Blending strong gameplay with stealth learning, Owlium seeks to spark curiosity, reflection, and conscious play. Team:Housein Asadi (Owlium) | Programmer | -> LinkedIn | -> WebsiteAlessio Federico Bona (Speaxel) | Designer | -> LinkedIn Studio’s […]

CGL Alumni Nominated for the German Developer Award 2025!

We couldn’t be prouder! Four games developed by Cologne Game Lab alumni have been nominated for the German Developer Award (Deutscher Entwicklerpreis) — one of the most prestigious honors in the German games industry. These nominations celebrate creativity, innovation, and the spirit of collaboration that drives our community. The nominated projects: Bauhaus Bonk by Spoonful […]

STRATEGIES sustainability report featured by the United Nations’ “Playing for the Planet Alliance”

We’re proud to share that the research report of the Horizon Europe project STRATEGIES – Sustainable Transition for Europe’s Game Industries, co-authored by Cologne Game Lab / TH Köln researchers, has been featured on the website of the Playing for the Planet Alliance, an initiative supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Playing for […]

CGL Graduate Wins FIRST STEPS Award for Animated Short Fake News

We’re thrilled to share that Fake News, the animated short film by David Seul, has won the FIRST STEPS Award in the Short Steps category. The award comes with a prize of €5,000, in addition to the €1,000 nomination grant. Fake News was created as David’s Master’s graduation project in the MA 3D Animation for […]

Programm

Spiel | Museum 2025 Programm Bitte beachten Sie, dass sich noch Änderungen am Programm ergeben können. Mittwoch, 12. NovemberWallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud (Anreiseinformationen) 10.00 Uhr Anmeldung 10.30 Uhr Eröffnung & Begrüßung 11.00 Uhr “being bauhaus” – Museums-Spiel zum Immersiven Bauhaus als Medium der spielerischen Welterzeugung 11.30 Uhr Player 1 und Player 2 im Fokus: Spielerische […]

Spiel | Museum 2025

The Clash of Realities international research conference on the art, technology and theory of digital games is providing the opportunity for interdisciplinary exchange and dialogue.

CGL at gamescom 2025

When gamescom takes over Cologne from August 20–24, Cologne Game Lab will once again be right in the thick of things. From student showcases to groundbreaking research and alumni on stage, CGL is bringing the full range of its creative energy to the world’s largest games event. A stage for new talent At the RAW […]

“Tiny Bookshop” announced at Nintendo Indie World Showcase

Big news for the CGL community: Tiny Bookshop by CGL alumni Raven Rusch, David Wildemann, and Maurice Andreas, together with Charlotte Zapfe, was officially announced in Nintendo’s August Indie World Showcase. In this cozy game, players set up shop in scenic locations, collect second-hand books, meet the locals, and shape the town’s stories through their […]

CGL brings student games to the spotlight at gamescom 2025

RAW TALENT Booth returns – bigger than ever: CGL leads initiative for student presence in the Indie Area Cologne Game Lab is once again making waves at gamescom: For the second year in a row, CGL is spearheading the RAW TALENT initiative, a unique showcase dedicated to student-led indie games at Europe’s largest gaming event. […]

Franziska Funken

Franziska Funken was a research associate at the Cologne Game Lab (TH Köln), specializing in game design and project management. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art History and Media Studies from the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn and a Master’s degree in Game Development and Research from TH Köln (Cologne Game Lab). During her time at […]

When Is a Game a Game?

When Is a Game a Game? Whether analog or digital, games play a significant role in society, culture, and the economy. This importance is reflected in the many academic disciplines that explore the phenomenon of play. To bring these approaches together, the German Society for Game Studies (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Spielwissenschaft) has recently been founded—of […]

Digital Clay Joins the Game Starter Foundry

We’re excited to welcome Digital Clay to the Game Starter Foundry, Cologne Game Lab’s incubation program supporting early-stage game studios on their path to professionalization. About the StudioFounded in India and now based in Cologne, Digital Clay is an award-winning animation and immersive media studio led by Pratima Pal (Writer/Director/Producer) and Mahee Pal (Game Designer/VR […]

Two CGL Teams Selected in NEXT.IN.NRW Innovation Competition

Two projects involving the Cologne Game Lab (TH Köln) have been selected for the next phase of the NEXT.IN.NRW innovation competition. Out of 76 submissions, 25 forward-looking proposals were chosen to submit full applications, including: Gen-AIvatarIn collaboration with MindPort (Bonn) and the University of Bonn, this project aims to simplify and accelerate the creation of […]

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy: This app provides only a simulation of being a trainee in various professions. The visual appearance and function of the environment, objects and human characters in the app may not be the same as at the actual workplaces. The app does not collect or share any personal information. The app does not access […]

Double Awards for CGL Alumni – “Harold Halibut” and GAME:IN Honored

We are thrilled to announce that alumni of the Cologne Game Lab have received two prestigious awards this week! At the German Computer Games Awards 2025 (Deutscher Computerspielpreis, DCP), held on May 14th in Berlin, the handcrafted narrative game “Harold Halibut” by Cologne-based studio Slow Bros. won in the category Best Visual Design. The game […]

Weiterleitung

Weiterleitung: Zum Call von “Spiel | Museum 2025” bitte hier klicken!

News from CGL’s research department!

As one of the most research-active institutes at TH Köln, we are proud to share recent highlights from our work at the intersection of game development, sustainability, and community building. From international conferences and academic collaborations to public events and festival curations, 2025 so far showcased the breadth and impact of our interdisciplinary research. Recap: […]

Symposium “Game | Museum 2025”

Call for Participation (German) Fachtagung Spiel | Museum 2025 Spiel und Museum sind vielschichtig verbunden: Mit Blick auf das Spiel oder Spielerische im Museum reicht die Bandbreite historisch vom (technisierten) Spiel als Sammlungsobjekt, angefangen bei Spielmaterialien aus der Ur- und Frühgeschichte über die Automaten der Wunderkammern bis zur Gegenwart, in der digitale Spiele nicht nur […]

Application deadline extended!

The application deadline for the M.A. 3D Animation for Film & Games and the M.A. Game Development & Research has been extended until 24 April at 23:59 CEST. M.A. Game Development & ResearchThis paid interdisciplinary advanced training program is designed to educate pioneers of the digital content industry and is aimed at young media professionals […]

Newly appointed: Prof. Dr. Jonas Zimmer

As the newly appointed Professor of Game Informatics at the Cologne Game Lab, Dr Jonas Zimmer‘s research interests include non-Euclidean spaces in virtual reality (VR). He explains what this is all about in a short interview. Study program:Media Cultural Studies and Media Informatics at the University of Cologne PhD:„Transzendenz gestalten. Interdisziplinäre Paradigmen für das Design […]

Open Lab 2024/25

Full house at the Open Lab! On Wednesday, February 5th, we had an amazing evening exploring the future of game development! Our talented students showcased their semester projects and theses, offering an exciting look at their creativity and innovation. The event was a great opportunity for game enthusiasts, industry professionals, artists, students, and anyone curious […]

Young Academics Workshop Game Jam 2025

Games & Psychology: Community Building in Games & Virtual Worlds Date: March 19, 2025Time: 09:45 AM – 07:30 PM Location: Cologne Game Lab, Schanzenstr. 28, 51063 Köln Team: Katja Aller, Su-Jin Song – Cologne Game Lab at the Cologne Game Lab, University of Applied Sciences (TH Köln), René Lang – a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School for the Humanities […]

Nina Kiel

Nina Kiel was a research assistant at both the Cologne Game Lab and the Institute for Media Research and Media Education at TH Köln. As an expert in the fields of diversity, equity, and inclusion with more than ten years of experience in both game studies and game development, they joined the team of the […]

Broken Paternoster Games

Broken Paternoster Games is an independent publishing collective founded and run by students at Cologne Game Lab. The goal is simple: to make it easier for student developers to bring their games to a wider audience and gain practical experience in the process. Publishing a game often involves complex workflows, from quality assurance and marketing […]

Speaker & Team

Young Academics Workshop – Speaker Young Academics Workshop – Team

Schedule

YAW 2025 – Games, Politics & Psychology: Community Building in Games & Virtual Worlds Program schedule 09.00 – 09.30 | Speaker Registration 09.30 – 09.45 | Opening 09.45 – 10.30 | KeynoteMatthias Heider (Institute for Democracy and Civil Society (IDZ) 10.30 – 10.55 | TalkAlexandra Petrus, M.A. (University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts) […]

Young Academics Workshop 2025

Games, Politics & Psychology: Community Building in Games & Virtual Worlds The 2025 edition of the Young Academics Workshop extends its focus beyond traditional gaming communities, delving into communities of care, activism, queer groups, and political/ideological communities. Titled Games, Politics & Psychology: Community Building in Games & Virtual Worlds it explores both the positive and […]

German Developer Award 2024: Harold Halibut awarded for best graphics

On Tuesday evening, 3 December 2024, the best computer games of the year from Germany, Austria and Switzerland were honoured with the German Developer Award (dt.: Deutscher Entwicklerpreis) in Cologne. Harold Halibut by Cologne-based indie studio Slow Bros. won the prestigious award for “Best Graphics”. The team from Harold Halibut, Harold Halibut’s team, including former […]

Greening Games Project Results Presentation

The Cologne Game Lab is hosting the presentation of results from the Erasmus+ research project, Greening Games. Over the past three years, this project has focused on developing, testing, and distributing didactic materials that address the interdisciplinary nature of green digital gaming. Event Information Date: October 23, 2024 Time: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM Format: […]

Pedro Zambon

Pedro Zambon is Vice Chairperson of the IGDA’s Game Incubation SIG and Researcher of the Collaborative Technologies Lab at Utrecht University under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship. He develops tools, methods, and solutions to support game creators. Zambon is Founder of Savegame.dev, have a career focused in providing consultancy to engage institutions and policymakers to create […]

Innovative Solutions to Eliminate Domestic Abuse: The ISEDA Project

The issue of domestic violence (DV) continues to represent a significant challenge across Europe, with adverse consequences for both individuals and communities. In response to this situation, the ISEDA project (Innovative Solutions to Eliminate Domestic Abuse), coordinated by Cologne Game Lab from the TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences, has been launched with the […]

CGL@gamescom 2024

The Cologne Game Lab was out in full force at this year’s edition of the world’s largest event for digital gaming culture! Students, alumni, and researchers showcased their games and cutting-edge research in a variety of formats at gamescom, from the Indie Arena to the Business Area and the gamescom congress. The Indie Arena Booth, […]

Celebrating the End of Summer Semester 2024

Celebrating the End of Summer Semester 2024: Graduation Ceremony and Open Lab We are delighted to announce the successful conclusion of the Summer Semester 2024 at CGL, marked by an inspiring graduation ceremony and a vibrant Open Lab. The graduation ceremony celebrated the achievements of our talented students from the Winter Semester 2023/24 and the […]

Photo Gallery Open Lab 2024

Open Lab | Summer Term 2024

Webinar Archive

Explore our collection of past webinars, featuring insightful talks by game developers who are making a difference. Each webinar delves into the unique ways games can address and solve humanitarian issues, offering inspiration and knowledge to both developers and humanitarian advocates. Past Webinars: Date: 13th of February, 2025Time: 14:00 CEST Guest: Mr. Kewan Mertens Kewan […]

Arkadijs Gribacovs

Arkady is an experienced game artist and a graduate of Cologne Game Lab, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Games, Game Art. Currently, he is taking part in the development of a serious game as part of the PREMIERE project. His main passion lies in 3D Art and creating visually stunning games.

Simon Skrippek

Simon is a CGL alumni with a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Games. With multiple years of industry experience as a game developer and game programmer, he is currently contributing to the development of a serious game as part of the PREMIERE project.

Call for Papers: The Young Academics Workshop 2025

The Young Academics Workshop 2025Games, Politics & Psychology: Community Building in Games & Virtual Worlds Estimated Date: March 18-19, 2025 Guest Scholar: The guest speaker will be announced at a later date. Organizing Chairs: Katja Aller (Cologne Game Lab / University of Cologne), René Lang (University of Cologne), Su-Jin Song (Cologne Game Lab / TH […]

About Us

Our Mission: As part of a broader initiative of believers in the power of games to address these critical issues, inspire global action, and drive meaningful change, we aim to build and share knowledge around the topic of humanitarian games. Our Vision: Our vision is to build a thriving community where game developers, academics, and […]

Tobias Pritzl

Ruth Dorothea Eggel

Ruth Dorothea Eggel is a cultural anthropologist and gender studies scholar with a focus on digital ethnography of technosocial lifeworlds and the anthropology of play and games. Inspired by feminist science and technology studies, she likes to engage in playful thinking and tinkering in her academic work. To explore the interplay of techno-logics and socio-material […]

Call for Papers: Immersive Technology Meets Cultural Heritage

Call for Papers: Immersive Technology Meets Cultural Heritage Submission Deadline: July 22, 2024Abstract Length: Up to 500 wordsFull- Text Submission (if selected): October 1, 2024Publisher: transcript (open access)Language: English Book Description:In recent years, cultural institutions across all sectors have been working on integrated concepts to drive the digital transformation of their educational outreach. In the process, digital interactive […]

The Migrants’ Chronicles: research project brings migration history to life

We are thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of the Migrants’ Chronicles project, an initiative that has brought the history of Luxembourg’s emigration to America in 1892 to life through an immersive educational game. The Migrants’ Chronicles project, spearheaded by the Cologne Game Lab and supported by the Faculty of Humanities Education and Social Sciences […]

Border Zone – A journey into the history of the Cold War

On Wednesday 15 May, the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation and the Cologne Game Lab present the results of their joint research collaboration at Park Babelsberg. “Border Zone” is a story-based game app using smartphones or tablets and leveraging the power of augmented reality (AR) technology. The app constructs a seamless connection between history and […]

6side Studio

6side Studio is a young team of game developers, who wants to bring their ideas to life. The studio is based in Cologne and throughout their years of studying Digital Games, and doing freelance work they have decided to form 6side and use their combined experience to deliver fun, exciting, and original games. Studio’s website: […]

Prof. Dr. Slyvia Heuchemer takes up new office as President of TH Köln

On Tuesday, 23 April, Prof. Dr Slyvia Heuchemer took up her new office as President of TH Köln. At the end of November, the long-standing Vice President for Teaching and Studies was elected as the new President by an overwhelming majority at the University Election Assembly. Prof. Dr Sylvia Heuchemer studied economics at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität […]

Neptun Interactive

We are Neptun Interactive,an Indie media developer team based in Köln-Mülheim, Germany. After six years of successful collaboration in our studies, we founded our studio in May 2023. We are currently working on our first game called “Kiosk Simulator“, an action-roguelike simulation that lets the player manage a traditional kiosk in the city metropolis of […]

Papercoda Games

Papercoda Games is an indie studio based in Cologne, Germany, founded by three multimediacreatives from India, South Africa, and Vietnam. Our mission is to cater to the rapidly growing but underserved market of strategy & simulationgames that explore real-world complexities in a fun and insightful way. We plan to lower the highthreshold of entry into […]

Guest Lecture: Tobias Wüstefeld

On Tuesday, April 16, we start our series of guest lectures this semester with illustrator and motion designer Tobias Wüstefeld. It will again be possible to listen to the lecture on site at the Cologne Game Lab or to join in virtually via Zoom. In his talk titled “Control and Being Controlled: From User to […]

Protected: Another Space Game

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Veronika Nikiforova (she/her)

Name: Veronika Nikiforova Pronouns: (she/her)Position: MemberTagline: “Powered by coffee, deadlines, and mild existential concern”Semester and Specialization: BA2024 – ArtContact: veronika.nikiforova@smail.th-koeln.de

Yoana Georgieva (she/her)

Name: Yoana Georgieva (full name Yoana Ivanova Georgieva)Pronouns: she/herPosition: Vice Treasurer Tagline: ”Every day is an opportunity to talk about marine life – especially seals.”Semester and Specialization: BA2024 -ArtContact: yoana_ivanova.georgieva@smail.th-koeln.deLittle flavor text: “Through my participation in Student Life I learned to appreciate how vital our CGL community is for motivating students through their studies. And as […]

Milena B. Hölscher (she/her)

Name: Milena B. HölscherPronouns: she/herPosition: TreasurerTagline: “Probably rewatching Lord of the Rings for the 1000th time right now >_>”Semester and Specialization: BA2025 – ArtContact: aisha_milena.baltosee_hoelscher@smail.th-koeln.deLittle flavor text: As a new student of the CGL, member of the council and student life, I am constantly trying to make life at uni as fun and enjoyable as […]

Linda Hahnemann (she/her)

Name: Linda HahnemannPronouns: she/herPosition: Member/Student Life representativeTagline: “Kirby is my spirit animal”Semester and Specialization: BA2023 – ArtContact: linda_billie.hahnemann@smail.th-koeln.deLittle flavor text: CGL is such a loving community and I want to give back with my work in the Student Council and Student Life. As head of the Student Life workgroup I am always open to new […]

Digital Frontiers: MA 3D Animation for Film & Games Winter Showcase 2023/24

MA 3D Animation for Film & Games Winter Showcase 2023/24 In the winter term 2023/24, students of the M.A. 3D Animation for Film & Games demonstrated versatility and creativity by bringing to life a variety of projects from games and VR experiences to 3D animated shorts. Originating from concepts developed in their second semester, these […]

Photo Gallery Open Lab 2023/24

Open Lab | Winter Term 2023/24 Fotos: © Guido Löhrer | Cologne Game Lab, TH Köln

Zeno

In the first semester of his Master’s programm, Savish Uttam developed the character Zeno, a cyborg of fish and machine. Zeno wants to take revenge on the scientist who created him. Zeno 1st semester | Individual Projects | WT 2019/20Virtual Character Creation SoftwareBlender, Substance 3D Painter. Photoshop Team:Savish Uttam 3D Artist [-> ArtStation Profile]

Open Lab

The end of the winter term is approaching and it’s time again for our traditional OPEN LAB. On February 07, following their final exams, our students will showcase their finished game projects at a public get-together. At this occasion, we will not only take the time to celebrate our students’ accomplishments, but also seize the […]

Game & Mod Jam: CGL students awarded for innovative approach to game-based teaching

As part of the three-day Mod & Game Jam “Auswärtig gespielt”, the three CGL students Housein Asadi, Farid Behrouzi and Pragya Mukherjee developed the digital strategy game “Divide & Rule” and were awarded by the jury for their innovative approach. The serious game inspired by the divide and rule policy of colonial powers in Middle […]

Apply now! M.A. 3D Animation for Film & Games

The application phase to the shared graduate program M.A. 3D Animation for Film & Games of the Cologne Game Lab and ifs internationale filmschule köln is now open until March 31, 2025. Overview of the basic facts of the study program: 4 semesters (2 years) Combinable with part-time job (required attendance: Mondays all day, Tuesday […]

InfoHours for Applicants

InfoHours for Applicants The application phase for our study programs will start soon! You are invited to join our open information events. During the 90-minute (online-) sessions, our staff will provide you with everything you need to know about applying to, studying at, and graduating from the Cologne Game Lab. Upcoming InfoHours: B.A. Digital Games […]

German Developer Award: CGL-alumni awarded twice

On Thursday evening, December 7, 2023, the German Developer Award (Deutscher Entwicklungspreis) was presented in Cologne. Every year, the prestigious award honors outstanding games and the creative minds behind them. It is the oldest award for computer games from German-speaking countries and was presented for the 20th time this year. We are thrilled that two […]

EU Horizon project STRATEGIES kicks off

Last week saw the launch of the Horizon Europe-funded project STRATEGIES (Sustainable Transition for Europe’s Game Industries). The event took place at Utrecht University on the 17th and 18th of April, bringing together many of the colleagues from the NGOs, game companies, and universities that make up the STRATEGIES consortium. Over the course of four […]

ProfiL² – Projects for inspiring teaching and learning

A new ProfiL² project week is coming up! From 27 to 30 November 2023, block courses, workshops and self-study units will be offered in a joint project week for all BA degree programs. The usual courses will be canceled during the week. With the help of project-based learning, students should independently acquire transferable knowledge and […]

Sergej Laas

Sergej was part of the ISEDA project, where he worked as a programmer on a serious game designed as a training tool for police officers conducting interviews with victims of domestic violence. He studied Computer Science at the University of Paderborn and graduated in 2015 with a bachelor’s thesis on the use of educational games […]

Kendys Ortega

Kendys Ortega is a research associate at Cologne Game Lab, focused on heritage garment reconstruction in the HistoVeaR project using Gaussian Splatting and 3D data workflows. She previously served as Lead 3D Artist for the impactful Horizon Europe project ISEDA (Innovative Solutions for Eliminating Domestic Abuse). She holds a Master’s degree in 3D Animation for […]

Chad Comeau

Chad Comeau is a game developer specializing in game design, narrative design and project coordination currently organizing hackathons across Europe for the SOILSCAPE project. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Games, Game Design from the Cologne Game Lab and another in the field of translation. The intersection of games and cultural groups are an […]

Team

Team Cologne Game Lab:Björn BartholdyIlja BurzevTessa BurzevVolker ZerbeOnat HekimogluKatharina TillmannsTommy KolakOskar Bonny Goethe-Insitut Washington: Anne SchönhagenEdin Konjhodzic

New research team begins work on ISEDA project

On Thursday, November 3, a team of three reseachers started work on the ISEDA project (Innovative Solutions to Eliminate Domestic Abuse). In the coming months, Chad Comeau (Team Lead & Game Design), Kendys Ortega (3D Art) and Sergey Laas (Game Programming) will develop a serious game that will simulate different interview scenarios. This game will […]

German Developer Award: Nominees Announced

In early November, the nominations for the German Developer Award (Deutscher Entwicklerpreis) 2023 have been announced. Twelve expert juries selected the best computer games of the year from 187 submissions. We are very proud to announce that “Tiny Bookshop” by neoludic games has been nominated for a Ubisoft Newcomer Award. With their Indie game studio, […]

Emeriti and Former Professors

Spiel | Museum

Together with our partners at NS Dokumentationszentrum Cologne, we just hosted the conference “Game | Museum. Building a bridge” that dealt with the role of digital media and game-based formats in museum practice. For two days, we delved into the interplay between museology, museum education, game development, and game studies and listened to experts from […]

Guest Lecture: Annakaisa Kultima & Solip Park

On November 14, our latest Guest Lecture went down! Annakaisa Kultima & Solip Park from Aalto University explored the dynamic industry landscape of game development in Finland in their hybrid guest lecture. While Solip Park took to the stage on site, Annakaisa Kultima joined the talk via zoom. Both of them gave insights into different […]

CGL Projects Nominated at XR Science Award

On September 25, the DIVR (Deutsches Institut für Virtuelle Realitäten) awarded the XR Science Award for European research projects in AR & VR. Among the nominees were also two CGL projects: Border Zone and garTRYon! Border Zone is an XR game app that takes visitors to Potsdam’s Park Babelsberg on a unique journey through the […]

Lecture Series on Research Perspectives in Cultural Studies

Lecture Series 2023/24 During the winter term of 2023/24, the lecture series of the Faculty of Cultural Studies, or “Ringvorlesung”, will explore the field of Research-Based Learning. The lecture series is an ongoing project of the institutes CGL, CICS and KISD and is conceptualized as a prelude for further joint research formats. Check out this […]

Dr. Katharina Tillmanns

Katharina Tillmanns is a post-doctoral researcher, experience designer, and lecturer working at the intersection of Media Studies and Experience Design with a focus on Mixed Reality (XR) at the Cologne Game Lab, TH Köln. Her research and design practice explore how interactive and immersive media create meaningful, emotional, and embodied experiences, with a particular interest in […]

Newly appointed: Prof. Dr. Federico Alvarez Igarzábal

We are very happy to announce that we have appointed Dr. Federico Alvarez Igarzábal as Substitute Professor of Media & Game Studies! For the next 12 months, he will stand in for Prof. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth who is taking a sabbatical to work on his research projects and next book. Federico Alvarez is a […]

Photos SomaFest 2023

Photos of SomaFest 2023 Photo Credits: Guido Löhrer

somafest

Recap: SomaFest 2023

As the summer sun is currently treating us with a toasty finale to the academic year, the winter term is slowly approaching. – A good moment to reminisce about this summer´s artistic-academic highlight in Cologne, CGL´s all-new annual artistic XR research event SomaFest. Over the course of seven days, SomaFest unfurled its magic, encompassing a public exhibition, specialized workshops, and […]

Guest Lecture: Steffen P. Walz

Just in time for the start of the new semester, a new series of Guest Lectures is coming up. Join us for the first date in the series on September 26 with Prof. Dr. Steffen P. Walz! Right before the lecture, we’d like to invite you to our “CGL Spirit Discussion” at 5.30 pm in […]

Photo Gallery Open Lab 2019

Graduation & Open Lab | Summer Term 2019

Photo Gallery Open Lab 2022

Graduation & Open Lab | Summer Term 2022

Photo Gallery Open Lab 2023

Graduation & Open Lab | Summer Term 2023

CGL@gamescom

As always, it was anticipated for so long, then passed almost in the blink of an eye: Gamescom 2023 is over! We had a great time and are very happy to have met so many of you during the last week! This year, Gamescom Congress was focused on what games can do for education, science, […]

CGL @ Indie Arena Booth

For any of you who lived under a rock for the last few days and didn’t visit the Indie Arena Booth at Gamescom, we’d like to remind you of the games exhibited by CGL students and alumni, namely Tiny Bookshop by neoludic games (Raven Rusch, David Wildemann) and Super Catboy by pixelpogo (Arthur Eckmann). In […]

Professorship Game Informatics & Media and Game Studies

We are hiring! We are offering a position as a Professor for Game Informatics and another position as a Professor for Media and Game Studies!

Tiny Bookshop receives Rising Star Award

On August 16, the winners of the Indie Cup Germany 2023 were announced by GTP Media and “Tiny Bookshop” by neoludic games received the Rising Star Award as the best entry of a small team. With their Indie game studio, CGL-alumni Raven Rusch, David Wildemann, and Maurice Andreas as well as team member Charlotte Zapfe […]

gamescom congress 2023

The gamescom congress, scheduled for August 24th, 2023, in Cologne, serves as an interdisciplinary hub where over 90 experts will converge to discuss the transformative impact of gaming across various sectors including culture, politics, and pedagogy. In exciting talks and panels, they demonstrate how multifaceted games and game technologies can enrich our world of tomorrow. […]

ISEDA – Initiative against Domestic Violence

The ISEDA project (Innovative Solutions to Eliminate Domestic Abuse), coordinated by the Cologne Game Lab at the TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences, unites 15 partners from nine European countries to combat domestic violence (DV) through a comprehensive, enriched European approach. The project focuses on various strategies including training, awareness campaigns, education programs, and […]

Farewell, Class of 2023!

On July 12, we said goodbye to the graduating class of 2023 at Cologne Game Lab. Our students, now alumni, from BA Digital Games, MA Digital Games, MA Game Development and Research, and MA 3D Animation for Film & Games are set to make their marks in the games industry. The commencement speaker was Leonie […]

Symposium “Game | Museum: Building a Bridge”

Call for Participation (German) Fachtagung Spiel | Museum: Ein Brückenschlag Seit jeher beschäftigen sich Museen nicht nur damit, was sie zeigen, sondern auch wie sie es präsentieren. Dem Spiel bzw. spielerischen Formen kommen sowohl in der Ausstellungs- wie auch in der Vermittlungspraxis eine besondere Bedeutung zu, da sie ein breites, aber häufig übersehenes Spektrum an […]

Upcoming Guest Lecture

Upcoming Guest Lecture UX and User Research: How to create enjoyable, inclusive experiences in the games industry Michaela Peterhansl (UX Accessibility Specialist) & Natali Panic-Cidic (User Researcher) at Ubisoft Düsseldorf Michaela (“Ela”) Peterhansl (she/her) is a UX accessibility specialist at Ubisoft Düsseldorf. Before starting her career in UX, she successfully pursued degrees in Applied Computer Sciences and Human-Computer Interaction. Her […]

Greening Games

The team of the Erasmus+ funded research project “Greening Games” has published its Education Report: http://greeningames.eu/greening-games-education-report/ The report maps out the green gaming research, related didactic offer and the initiatives of the games development sector. Based on interview and survey material, the analysis of selected literature and games industry’s outreach projects, it provides a comprehensive […]

Exchange Program

#FemDevsMeetup Special Award

#FemDevsMeetup Special Award of the Jury of the German Computer Game Award 2023. Leonie Wolf and Casilda de Zulueta – both graduates of the Cologne Game Lab – receive the special award of this year’s DCP on behalf of the FemDevMeetup team! The #FemDevsMeetup is a free event and non-profit organization dedicated to advancing women […]

A Maze. Explorer Award

CGL Student Trey Ramm has been awarded the prestigious Amaze Explorer Award for his Project “Lost on Mars”: Six months after all contact with the Atlas III Mars Exploration mission was lost, the Soter Exploration Rover lands in the mission area. What happened to the previous mission, and why did they cut off contact? The […]

Open Lab

Right at the end of the summer term, on July 12, the Cologne Game Lab will again host its annual OPEN LAB. Following the Graduation Ceremony for this year’s graduates of all BA and MA study programs, we will not only take the time to celebrate our students’ accomplishments, but also seize the opportunity to […]

Research Day

Save the Date: Research Day on May 8, 2023 The Research Day is intended as an intermediate stage towards a joint collaborative project between different Faculties of TH Köln: the Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences (CICS), the Köln International School of Design (KISD), and of course the Cologne Game Lab. The Research Day will be […]

Making-Off

Education

Zur App „Noli – Auf der Suche durch die Zeit“ Die App setzt sich aus zwei Teilen zusammen: Einem Point & Click-Adventure und einem Lehr-Lern-Portal mit erzähldidaktischen Anschlusshandlungen zur offenen Spielgeschichte.

Animation Awakened

Animation AwakenedShowcase M.A. 3D Animation for Film & Games | 3rd semester Finally, the application phase for all B.A. and M.A. study programs has started! As we eagerly await the first warm days of spring and the approaching summer term, we want to take the time and reflect on some of last semester’s projects. The […]

Berk Tatar (he/him)

Name: Berk TatarPronouns: (He/him)Position: Vice President Tagline: “I like trains.”Semester and Specialization: MA2025Contact: berk.tatar@smail.th-koeln.de

Olivia Butzer (she/her)

Name: Olivia ButzerPronouns: (she/her)Position: zQVK SpokespersonTagline: “Don’t let me spot the chocolate you’re carrying with you (I will confiscate it)!”Semester and Specialization: BA2024 – DesignContact: olivia.butzer@smail.th-koeln.de

Lara Gülpen (she/her)

Name: Lara GülpenPronouns: (she/her) Position: President & Discord AdminTagline: “Suffering from acute cosplay withdrawal – loves learning about space, plants and maths.”Semester and Specialization: BA2022 – ProgrammingContact: lara.guelpen@smail.th-koeln.deLittle flavor text: As a long-standing and experienced member of the CGL community, I aim to leverage my institutional knowledge and established connections to give back to the student […]

Hall of Fame

Here you can find articles published by CGL researchers.

Prof. Dr. Lisa Gotto

Lisa Gotto studied Theatre, Film and Television Studies as well as German and English Literature in Cologne, Bochum, and Warwick (UK). She received her M.A. from the University of Cologne in 2001 and completed her PhD at the Bauhaus University Weimar in 2006. Between 2001 and 2007, she worked as a research and teaching assistant […]

Photo Gallery Open Lab 2022/23

Graduation & Open Lab | Winter Term 2022/23

Photo Gallery Open Lab 2021

Graduation & Open Lab | Summer Term 2021

End of Term Student Showcase

The winter term has officially come to a close – and looking back, we really must say: It was a blast! We were all so pleased to see the halls and lecture rooms crowded with people again and finally enjoy our traditional end of term Student Showcase & Exhibition on site. So, last Wednesday the […]

MIRÓ – World of Monsters (2018)

About In 2018, the exhibition “MIRÓ -World of Monsters” was curated at Max Ernst Museum Brühl of the LVR. The accompanying catalogue included an Augmented Reality app, which for the first time allowed the complete spatial viewing of some of the artworks depicted in it. The app “Miró 2.0” was developed by the Cologne Game […]

Greta Hoffmann appointed as Game Design Professor

New Professorship for Game Design with Focus on Independent Games We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Greta Hoffmann will be joining our team of professors as of February 1! She has been appointed as Professor for Game Design with Focus on Independent Games. Thus, the CGL teaching team consists of nine professors again, […]

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Newsletter – Thank You

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Escher 2.0 (2016)

About The enigmatic and magic works of Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898–1972), one of the most significant dutch graphic artists of the 20th century, provide a very special visual experience. CGL teamed up with the Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR to develop Virtual Reality experiences for their exhibition on M.C. Escher (February 21 – May 22, 2016). […]

TIMETRAVEL #101

TIMETRAVEL #101: An Introduction to the Affordances of Mixed Reality for Teaching History On-Site On December 12, Katharina Tillmanns will give a lecture at C²DH in Luxembourg that focuses on Games & Cultural History. In order to attend the lecture online, please write an email to vanessa.napolitano[at]uni.lu to get the link. The Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary […]

Games Promotion NRW

In its last promotion session for digital games and interactive content in 2022, the Film and Media Foundation NRW awarded over 1.4 million euros to 15 projects. Among these projects, there are also two games that are currently developed by CGL alumni! “Hinterland”, by the independent game studio Cyber Manatee, is a nerve-wracking first-person mystery-thriller […]

Recent Publications

Check out the latest publications of CGL-professors & staff in 2022. Find all other articles, chapters and conference proceedings in our ->publications section. August 2022 Playful Materialities.The Stuff That Games Are Made OfFreyermuth, Gundolf S. | Beil, Benjamin | Schmidt, Hanns Christian | Rusch, Raven (eds.) Game culture and material culture have always been closely […]

Team

Team TH Köln – University of Applied SciencesCologne Game LabJonas Zimmer (Project Lead)Rebecca Nöll (Research Assistant) Vadim Nickel (Research Assistant)Noa Marcon (Student Assistant)Arthur Kehrwald (Student Assistant)Iuliia Chesnokova (Student Assistant)Diego Tibocha (Student Assistant)Marisa Lublevski (Student Assistant) University of Bonn (Collaboration Partner)Institute of Psychology – Differential and Biological Psychology Prof. Dr. Martin Reuter FundingDaimler and Benz Foundation

Team

Team TH KölnProf. Björn Bartholdy | Cologne Game LabProf. Dr. Arnulph Fuhrmann | Institute for Information, Media and Electrical Engineering Collaboration partners: Institute for Visual Computing at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (project coordination)Visual Computing Institute at RWTH Aachen University Department of Media, Mixed Reality and Visualization at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences

Deutscher Entwicklerpreis for “Antura & the Letters” and Casilda de Zulueta

On December 8, the German Developer Award 2022 (Deutscher Entwicklerpreis) was awarded to the best games of German-speaking developers & publishers! We are very proud to announce that Antura & the Letters has won the award in the category Special Award for Social Commitment – presented by Gaming-Aid e.V.! And as if that weren’t enough, […]

Team

Interview Simulator Team Project LeadCologne Game Lab, TH Köln – University of Applied SciencesProf. Dr. Emmanuel Guardiola | Prof. Dr. Federico Alvarez / Dr. Vanessa Ossa Game Development at CGLTeam Lead & Game Design: Chad Comeau3D Art: Kendys OrtegaProgramming: Sergey LaasGame Design: Franzi BlankArt: Yadira Marín RamírezProgramming: Ashkan AbediGame Design: Mohammad Dehghani Mehrbadi PerformersCorinna NilsonMarie […]

NO END TO THE ROAD

Fellowship for urban digital culture has started in Witten A program for everyone who wants to experiment with new media formats and digitize the urban cultural scene together with other artists! Last year, we teamed up with the Kulturforum Witten, and the Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft e.V., to enable four creative people to realize their own digital […]

Gaming-Study

+++Die Studie ist abgeschlossen. Eine Teilnahme ist aktuell nicht mehr möglich++++++The study has been completed. Participation is currently no longer possible+++ SOLVE – ENTWICKLUNG UND PILOTTESTUNG EINER INNOVATIVEN SPIELEBASIERTEN PRÄVENTIONSINTERVENTION FÜR JUGENDLICHE MIT ERHÖHTEM RISIKO FÜR SUBSTANZMISSBRAUCH UND -ABHÄNGIGKEIT “Gaming für Draufgänger“ Ein Kooperationsprojekt zwischenKatHO NRW | DISuP, Prof. Michael KleinTH Köln | Cologne Game […]

XR Science Award 2022 for Fear//Anxiety

In this project, virtual reality is used as a method to investigate the fundamental differences between anxiety and fear. The objective is to gain new biological insights into these two primary emotions and to derive therapeutical measures for the treatment of anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and phobias. Anxiety and fear arise in a confrontation with […]

ISEDA project officially launched

We are happy to announce that the ISEDA project has been officially launched! The joint research project aims to produce, test, evaluate and upscale innovative solutions against domestic violence and abuse in Europe. During the hybrid Kick-Off Meeting on September 22-23 , the 15 partners of the ISEDA project team, led by TH Köln – […]

Lecture Series on Research Perspectives in Cultural Studies

Lecture Series 2022/23 – videos out now! During the winter term of 2022/23, the lecture series of the Faculty of Cultural Studies, also called “Ringvorlesung”, explored research perspectives in cultural studies, in particular using the example of doctoral studies being developed at the faculty. The aim was to identify peculiarities and broader points of contact […]

Abeer Kapoor: German Chancellor Fellowship at CGL

The Cologne Game Lab is delighted to welcome on board Mr. Abeer Kapoor! He is the founder of The Civic Games Lab, a games for social change studio in New Delhi, India. At Civic Games Lab, he and his team has built games on issues like democracy, health and nutrition, and digital rights. Kapoor is a published author who has written […]

Clash of Realities 2022: It’s a wrap!

The 13th Clash of Realities has come to a close! A big thank you goes out to all participants, speakers, organizers and our fantastic audience who made this last edition of the Clash of Realities conference such a great experience. After the last keynote had ended, Gundolf S. Freyermuth and Björn Bartholdy took to the […]

Virtual Bauhaus (2018-2019)

About On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, the Cologne Game Lab has developed a VR application on behalf of the Goethe-Institut Boston, which enables a virtual tour through the Bauhaus building in Dessau. The “Virtual Bauhaus” exhibition is touring ten Goethe Institutes as well as museums and universities in North America, […]

Get Ready for Clash of Realities 2022

The 13th International Conference on the Art, Technology and Theory of Digital Games will be back for one last time on September, 28-30! Some keynotes will be held online and will also be streamed. Kicking things off on September 28 is the Young Academics Workshop on “Female Figures: Present and Future of Storytelling, Play, and […]

PES (2016-2019)

About Prozedurale Erstellung von Spielelementen (PES) // Procedural Creation of Game Elements In a collaborative research project the Blue Byte Gmbh and the Cologne Game Lab (TH Köln) are researching the capabilities of procedurally generated game content and elements through new methods of automated creation. The result of “machine learning” concepts and new AI approaches, […]

Upcoming Guest Lectures

The first Guest Lecture of 2023 is coming up… unfortunately a little later than originally planned…! Due to the KVB strike the lecture had to be postponed to May 23. Looking at the bright side, you have a little more time to look forward to Pablo & Rodrigo Olmos from Anima Res who will talk […]

Prof. Dr. Cécile le Prado

Sound Designer and Music Composer, Cécile Le Prado is a member of CEDRIC (cedric.cnam.fr), the computer science laboratory of the Cnam (National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, France, www.cnam.fr). Since 2001, she served as an assistant professor at Cnam in charge of the sound design department in the Master for Games and Interactive Media (ENJMIN, […]

Prof. Markus Hettlich ✝

*16.09.1960 – † 03.06.2022 A physicist by training, pilot, and teacher, Prof. Markus Hettlich has been involved in the development of the Cologne Game Lab since the institute’s early beginnings in 2010 – first as a freelance lecturer, from 2016 as an interim professor, and from 2017 as a professor of game programming – he […]

Call for Papers

Call for Papers for the anthology “Playgrounds: Museums and Games as Media for the Creation of the World” The integration of digital media into museum practice is considered elementary for attracting new groups of visitors and is thus an indicator of the future connectivity of the museum institution as a whole – from folklore, local […]

Literalität des Spiel(en)s (2018-2019)

About The research project “Literacy of Games, Literacy of Play: Imparting Media Competence in the Field of Analogue, Digital and Hybrid Games” (German: Literalität des Spiel(en)s: Vermittlung von Medienkompetenz im Bereich analoger, digitaler & hybrider Spiele) aims at determining central theoretical foundations on the topic of games competence – i.e. the literacy of digital, analogue […]

Greening Games Project

CGL recently entered into a cooperation with IGDA Climate SIG. For the next month and a half our BA4 students will experiment with making games on the issues related to climate crisis. We’re looking forward to the final presentations and play sessions at CGL in mid July. This project is also a pilot teaching format […]

Obituary for Markus Hettlich

It is with deep sadness that we have to announce that our esteemed colleague and friend, Prof. Markus Hettlich passed away on June 3. A physicist by training, pilot, and teacher, he had been involved in the development of the Cologne Game Lab since the institute’s early beginnings in 2010 – first as a freelance […]

GLARS (2016-2019)

About In the collaborative research project GLARS (Goal Based Learning in Alternate Reality Setting) the Cologne Game Lab, the Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln (RFH) and Rheinische Akademie Köln (RAK) are developing an education game for trainees in the field of biological technical assistants short BTA. The goal of the project is to translate curricular content into engaging game […]

Newsletter Confirmation

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! Don’t forget to confirm your subscription! You will soon receive an email with a confirmation link and you will only be subscribed to the list if you click the link. 🙂

Inclusive Mentoring

INCLUSIVE MENTORING This goes out to all of you who want to apply to one of our study programs (or already did)! We are pleased that you are interested in studying at the Cologne Game Lab and would like to support you in the best possible way. As we pay special attention to inclusion and […]

Call for Papers

Clash of Realities | Save the Date The 13th International Conference on the Art, Technology and Theory of Digital Games will be back in the fall of 2022. Please save the date: September, 28-30! For everyone who wants to join us for the 13th edition of the conference, detailed information on program and speakers will […]

Hammam

VR experience selected for GoEast Film Festival “Hammam”, the VR project of CGL student Naz Akgül and her team was selected to participate in goEAST Film Festivals VR Hackaton to build an interactive world for their VRChat app. The Festival has invited four teams of independent VR artists to work on this collaborative project: An […]

New network for the promotion of game technologies

The computer games industry in Germany is growing steadily and has internationally active publishers, a strong developer scene and important trade fairs to show for. In order to sustainably strengthen North Rhine-Westphalia as a games location, TH Köln has now joined forces with three other universities from NRW. The long-term goal of the cooperation is […]

Antura for Ukraine

In light of the war in Ukraine, we decided to develop new language versions of Antura & the Letters. The focus is on countries like Poland, Romania, Moldova and Hungary, that are hosting the most refugees from Ukraine. The app will help children acquire a basic vocabulary of the respective host country and is also […]

Deutscher Computerspielpreis for “Words”

The grand awards ceremony for the German Computergame Award went down on March 31 in Munich. We are pleased to announce that CGL student Ahmet Zahit Dönmez has won the 2nd prize in the category Young Talent Award – Best Prototype for his game “Words“. “Words” is a slow-paced, narrative-focused, first person game where players […]

EPPSA (2016-2019)

About EPPSA is a research and development project that aims to investigate opportunities for cultural institutions in the use of location-based playful applications. Over the course of the project, the EPPSA consortium has created a series of individual showcases in collaboration with cultural institutions. The app Porta Praetoria C.C.A.A. created by CGL is oneof those showcases […]

Für Jugendliche

Hier findet ihr Infos zum Thema Drogen/Sucht & Hilfe bei Problemen. Here you can find information about drugs/addiction & support. drugcom.deGanz viel Info zum Thema Drogen, Selbsttests, Online-Beratung. kenn-dein-limit.infoAlles zum Thema Alkohol – Infos, Beratung, Tests, Alkohol-Rechner. rauch-frei.infoInfos, Beratungstelefon, Tests zum Thema Rauchen und Abgewöhnen. bluprevent.deInfos, Tests und Beratung zum Thema Suchtfrei in der blu […]

Schedule

Play! An Interdisciplinary Conference on Digital Games in Museums Programm 11.00 Uhr | Eröffnung 11.10 – 12.10 | KeynoteProf. Dr. Hubertus Kohle (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) 12.15 – 12.40 | Lightning TalkPeter Färberböck & Judith Zimmermann (Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg) 12.40 – 13.00 | Lightning TalkFrank Horlitz (Raumwiese) & Georg Wolf (Software Developer) 13.00 – 13.25 | […]

Play!

The Clash of Realities international research conference on the art, technology and theory of digital games is providing the opportunity for interdisciplinary exchange and dialogue.

Sheep Detective

Bruce White is a cynical private detective who solves cases in a world of fairy tales. His clients are characters from the Brother Grimm’s Fairy Tales with their distinctive characteristics. The setting is a brutal neon noir world with a photorealistic look. This 3d character is a visualization of the main character based on a […]

Nyah

3D animation meets contemporary concert culture: In his Master’s project, student Sven Rexrodt and singer-songwriter Sophia Rexrodt Meleiro embarked on a research trip into the terrain of virtual stage characters. During the process, the design, the model, and the animation of Sophia’s virtual alter ego were created. But of course, the avatar also needed a […]

Play! An Interdisciplinary Conference on Digital Games in Museums

Play! An Interdisciplinary Conference on Digital Games in Museums The hybrid conference Play! An Interdisciplinary Conference on Digital Games in Museums will take place in the context of the Futur 21 Festival on March 12, 2022, at the Gesenkschmiede Hendrichs of the LVR-Industriemuseums in Solingen. Representatives from the fields of media and cultural studies, game […]

Team

Team MASDIGU is a cooperation of the Cologne Game Lab of TH Köln, the Institute of Geography Education and the Institute of German Language and Literature II of the University of Cologne. Cologne Game LabProject Lead: Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Guardiola & Dr. André Czauderna Institute of Geography Education – University of CologneProf. Dr. Alexandra Budke […]

Team

Team Cologne Game Lab • Project Lead – Prof. Dr. Roland Klemke • Project Management – Melina Rose • Project Management – Khaleel Asyraaf Mat Sanusi, M.Sc • Student Assistant – Carlos Andres Giraldo Navarro Pedmede Somateio Scuola Costruzioni Vicenza Andrea Palladio Bildungszentren Des Baugewerbes EV Gospodarska Zbornica Slovenije Institute of Social Solidarity and […]

Team

Team Cologne Game Lab • Project Lead – Prof. Dr. Roland Klemke • Project Management – Melina Rose • Project Management – Khaleel Asyraaf Mat Sanusi, M.Sc European University of Cyprus (CY) American Academy Nicosia (CY) Challedu (EL) Doukas School (EL) La Salle Buen Consejo (ES)

Team

Team Cologne Game Lab • Project Lead – Prof. Dr. Roland Klemke • Project Management – Khaleel Asyraaf Mat Sanusi, M.Sc • Project Management – Daniel Majonica, M.A • Student Assistant – Lukas Künz • Student Team: o Alexander Gerhards o Arthur Balthasar Nepomuk Kehrwald o Ignacio Di […]

Team

Team Cologne Game Lab • Project Lead – Prof. Dr. Roland Klemke • Project Management – Melina Rose • Project Management – Khaleel Asyraaf Mat Sanusi, M.Sc Advanced Educational Technologies and Mobile Applications Lab, International Hellenic University Open University of Cyprus European University of Cyprus Ellinogermaniki Agogi (Greece) The English School (Cyprus) Humance AG

Welten der Werkstoffe (2020)

About Welten der Werkstoffe (Worlds of Materials) is a point-and-click adventure game for students of various engineering courses and enthusiasts of materials science. The game presents players with fun challenges that require them to draw on their basic knowledge of materials engineering to solve. From the properties of different atomic structures to the iron-carbon diagram […]

Conference Proceedings

The proceedings of the first Games Technology Summit “AI in natural user interfaces” are online as open access! Many thanks to the authors and of course to the co-curators Martin Lorber, Prof. Dr. Sebastian von Mammen and Prof. Dr. Roland Klemke. As part of the Clash of Realities International Conference on the Technology and Theory […]

11th & 12th Clash of Realities has ended

#CoR2021 has come to a close! On behalf of the organizers Cologne Game Lab of Technische Hochschule Köln and Universität zu Köln we’d like to thank our supporters Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, EA & Köln.Business as well as our partners Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg, Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln and many more! A big […]

Virtual time travel to the year 2050

Exoskeletons for people with walking disabilities and red wine from Alaska: In a joint research project, the Cologne Game Lab (CGL) of the TH Köln and the Zukunftsmuseum in Nuremberg have developed a virtual image of life in the year 2050. Using virtual reality, visitors to the new branch of the Deutsches Museum can immerse […]

Call for Papers

Immersive Gaming x Cultural Heritage Summit @ Clash of Realities 2021 Submission Deadline: September 15 In recent years, cultural institutions across all sectors have been working on integrated concepts to drive the digital transformation of their educational outreach. In the process, digital game-based learning has established itself as a successful and sustainable technique that particularly […]

Mayor visits Cologne Game Incubator

The Cologne Game Lab supports game developers in turning their ideas for digital games into marketable products. Just before Gamescom 2021 kicked off, Cologne’s Mayor Henriette Reker and representatives of the Cologne Business Development Agency got an impression of the activities in the Cologne Game Incubator (CGI). “Cologne and the games industry are inextricably linked […]

MASTER PROJECT & THESIS

Find out all there is to know about the module “Master Project & Thesis” in our -> information sheet.

Team

University of Luxembourg (coordinator)Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social SciencesMarie-Paule Jungblut – Project LeaderJohannes Pause – Expert for Media & Education Caroline Resch – Historical ResearchMélanie Jung – Historical Research TH KölnCologne Game LabEmmanuel Guardiola – Project LeadAlina Menten – Art Nare Matevosian – ProgrammerFranziska Funken – Game Design/ Narrative DesignLoai Qubti – ProgrammerYadira Marin – 2D […]

Pablo Lopez Soriano

Pablo Lopez Soriano Game artist and animator Pablo Lopez Soriano is currently working at Media Molecule where he has joined the creative animation team working on the highly ambitious project Dreams. Developed for PlayStation 4, Dreams aims at providing an accessible and inspiring creation system for players. In-game, you should not only be able to […]

Podcast: DECVOM

Pdcast: DEVCOM Monika Probst In this episode of the devcom podcast, host Lars Janssen welcomes Gundolf S. Freyermuth and Björn Bartholdy, two key people behind the success of the Cologne Game Lab.The institute has just celebrated its 10th anniversary and we take a look at the history and how the team managed to build the […]

Article: VERSPIELTE ZEITEN

Article: VERSPIELTE ZEITEN Monika Probst Everyone is talking about the need for digitization, but when will it come? The Corona pandemic has revealed how slow progress is being made in Germany – or, in some cases, how much has been overlooked. Media scientist Prof. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth (Cologne Game Lab) would like to see […]

Sheroes

Program for female founders and entrepreneurs in the media industry launchedTen participants from the fields of film, TV, web video and social media Strong women – strong economy In order for women to develop their entrepreneurial potential more strongly in the media industry and to increasingly implement their visions in their own ventures, the Mediengründerzentrum […]

FUTUR 21 Game Jam

How will new technologies change our work and our daily lives? What are the challenges for a future oriented use of resources? These and other questions will be addressed at FUTUR 21 Game Jam! FUTUR 21 is a cooperative project of the Regional Associations Rheinland (LVR), Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) and Cologne Game Lab on occasion of […]

Virtual Journey through Time and Space

The “Virtual Journey through Time,” which will be located in the exhibition area Time and Space at the Deutsches Museum Nürnberg in the future, has passed an initial test phase with flying colors. Museum employees tried out the virtual and fully interactive scavenger hunt under expert guidance – and are thrilled. No, details are not […]

CGL develops innovative learning environment

Learning psychomotoric skills independently with artificial intelligence. A research consortium around the Cologne Game Lab at TH Köln is developing a learning environment with artificial intelligence to support the independent learning of psychomotor skills. Anyone who wants to learn a sport trains new psychomotor skills. Until now, this has required role models such as teachers […]

11th Clash of Realities Conference

It’s a wrap! Gundolf S. Freyermuth & Björn Bartholdy thanked the organizers, the program board and everyone who made this year’s conference possible and turned it into such a great experience! Last week, #CoR2021 concluded with its Game Studies Summit. The third and final day of the conference started with an introduction by Tom Apperley […]

Team

Team Cologne Game Lab Project Lead: Prof. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth Project Conception and Management: Dr. Philipp Bojahr Project Management & Historical Research: Rüdiger Brandis UX Design & Mixed Reality Research: Katharina Tillmanns Game Design: Rebecca Nöll, Sebastian Stricker, Pierre Schlömp Programming: Manuel Ott, Daniel Turner Research Assistant: Meike Hedderich Student Assistant: Tamina Brunke, Nina […]

M.A. Game Development & Research

Dear applicant, We have extended the application period for our Game Development & Research Master’s program. You can still submit your applications until 24 April at 23:59 CEST. The examination committee will keep the previously announced interview dates (June 11 & 13). The interview schedule will be posted on our website on May 24. If […]

Film- und Medienstiftung NRW provides more than 1.6 million euros for eleven games projects

Film- und Medienstiftung NRW provides more than 1.6 million euros for eleven games projects Eleven game projects receive funding from the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, the company ‘Cyber Manatee Games’ is one of them. ‘Cyber Manatee Games’ is an independent game studio based in Cologne, whose founders (Jonah Fintz, Mitesh Amin, Marc Kelbling) are graduates […]

Ten years of game research at the Cologne Game Lab

Since its founding just over ten years ago, the Cologne Game Lab (CGL) has developed into a renowned research institution in the field of digital games. Institute directors Prof. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth and Prof. Björn Bartholdy launched the CGL at the time and look back on the facility’s development. Many great success stories start […]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

In 2021, TH Köln celebrates its 50th birthday! It was founded on August 1, 1971 as the University of Applied Sciences Cologne and has undergone an impressive development within the past five decades. It is not only the largest university of applied sciences in Germany in terms of students and staff, but also a pioneer […]

International Research Conference on the art, technology and theory of digital games

Call for Papers: Playful Materialities

Call for Papers: Playful Materialities As a follow up to the Game Studies Summit at Clash of Realities Conference 2020, we are editing a volume about Playful Materialities! The anthology intends to embrace a broaderscope on meanings, methodologies, its limits, and its many opportunities. The volume will be published by transcript in summer 2022. You […]

Best Serious Game: “Welten der Werkstoffe”

We are very pleased to announce that our “Welten der Werkstoffe”-team was awarded with the German Computer Game Award! Flavia Vincens presented the trophy endowed with 35,000 euros in the category “Best Serious Game”. Congratulations! The Institute for Materials Application at TH Köln, together with the Cologne Game Lab, has developed the serious game “Welten […]

Student Projects

Projects

M.A. Game Development & Research Projects

Alumni Interviews!

At CGL, we develop digital games and research interactive content – but our main task is still to train specialists for the games industry. In our series “Alumni Interviews” we present some of the former CGL students, their careers and the companies they successfully founded. We ask them about their experiences while studying at CGL […]

M.A. Game Development & Research

B.A.

Ackermann, Moritz. Replayability of Games – Means of achieving replayability and the effect on the player. Belal, Ahmed. Cultural Heritage: How Games Can Help to Preserve Cultural Heritage and the Visual Representation of forgotten Handcraft Environments. Esch, Lukas. Modern 3D tools and their effect on Concept Art. Farazan, Yasaman. Breaking the Virtual Ice: A Study […]

Implementing games in political campaigns. An interview with Dr. André Czauderna

Implementing games in political campaigns. An interview with Dr. André Czauderna. In the run up to the presidential election, 440,000 people watched US politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez play the popular video game “Among Us” on Twitch. Using games as a campaign tool seems to be a smart move to get more votes. But is that tactic […]

Talk: Games und Wahlkampf

Summary/Description Politik und Games… zwei Welten, die sich selten berühren. Aber da bewegt sich was: In den USA wurden Politikerinnen und Politiker bereits aufmerksam auf das Potential der Computerspiele. Wie sieht das in Deutschland aus? Ein Beitrag von Tobias Nowak. Tobias Nowak (2021, February 26) Games und Wahlkampf WDR 5 Scala – Netzkultur https://www1.wdr.de/mediathek/audio/wdr5/wdr5-scala-netzkultur/audio-games-und-wahlkampf-102.html Source […]

Feature: Cologne game developers receive innovation award for “Jessika”

Description The WDR television reports in the broadcast ‘Lokalzeit Köln’ about the game “Jessika”. Click here to go to the feature where they talk about the game “Jessica” starting at minute 20:27. WDR Fernsehen – Lokalzeit Köln Kölner Spieleentwickler bekommen Innovationspreis für “Jessika”

APPLICATION FORM

APPLICATION FORM B.A. DIGITAL GAMES Weiterleitung

APPLICATION FORM

APPLICATION FORM M.A. DIGITAL GAMES Weiterleitung

APPLICATION FORM

APPLICATION FORM M.A. 3D ANIMATION FOR FILM & GAMES Weiterleitung

APPLICATION FORM

APPLICATION FORM M.A. GAME DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH Weiterleitung

APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION PROCESS

Entry Requirements: The admission requirements for the Master of Arts in Digital Games program are as follows: * In exceptional cases, applicants may be admitted to the program without submitting the final degree certificate, provided that completion of the degree by the start of studies at CGL can reasonably be expected. The required documentation must […]

Carmen Schneidereit

Carmen Schneidereit is a Lighting Artist at Microsoft Playground Games, working on the next entry of the Fable series and is currently living in London. Before she joined Playground Games, she was part of Cloud Imperium Games to work on Star Citizen, an upcoming multiplayer space exploration game which is inspired by 1980s science fiction […]

M.A.

B.A.

PhD

Federico Alvarez IgarzábalThesis: “Time and Space in Video Games”; Supervisor at CGL: Prof. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth; with the University of Cologne, Prof. Dr. Benjamin Beil (summa cum laude, 2018) Rüdiger BrandisThesis: “Historische Simulakren im digitalen Raum”; Supervisor at CGL: Prof. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth; with the University of Goettingen, Prof. Dr. Stefan Haas Jürgen […]

M.A.

Graduation game/project

Thesis

Podcast: Schule der Zukunft: Videospiele und außerschulische Lernorte (DE)

(2020, December 30) Schule der Zukunft: Videospiele und außerschulische Lernorte WDR 5 Scala – aktuelle Kultur Listen at WDR5 Scala

Team

Team Cologne Game Lab Project Lead – Roland Klemke Project Management – Jonas Zimmer Game Design & Art Direction – Melina Rose Game Art – Clarissa Wegner, Dominique Bodden, Hans Reitemeyer, Trixia Quinzon, Johannes Weber Game Programming – Jonathan Yue, Maurice Matz Sound Design – Olivier Haas Narrative Design – Tom Schildhauer Voice Artist – […]

B.A. Theses

B.A. Theses The Cologne Game Lab has a rich and varied tradition in publishing. Its printed, multimedia and digital publications have high standards in terms of content, design, and communication. The publications cover all areas of teaching, research, and further education in digital games. 2020 2020

Students’ Theses

Here you find a catalog of Theses that were handed in and/ or published by CGL students

Apply now!

MA 3D Animation for Film & Games The application period for the part-time Master program “3D Animation for Film & Games”, which starts in September, has officially started – it runs until March, 31. The cross-media study course for 3D animation is jointly organized by the ifs and the Cologne Game Lab. On March, 11 […]

Squirrel And Bear (2012)

Squirrel And Bear (2012) Master Thesis Project Squirrel & Bär is a 2D adventure game for kids between 3-9 years and their parents to learn English as a foreign language for iOS and Android. The player joins Squirrel & Bär on a journey to save the bees, seeking for a magic flower. Starting in the […]

Harold Halibut (2013)

Harold Halibut (2013) Master Thesis Project Harold Halibut is a stop motion point&click adventure set in an underwater world full of amusing characters, strange creatures and fantastical locations. Everything is hand-crafted from wood, clay and anything we can get our hands on, really. Platform Mac/PC Genre Adventure Game Tagline A handmade videogame. […]

Outcasted (2014)

Outcasted (2014) Joint project with KISD OUTCASTED – a game that lets players experience the world through the eyes of a homeless person – was the winner of the 2014 Games for Change Students Challenge, an initiative by Games for Change Europe, Autodesk and Unity Technologies that aims to leverage important societal topics through the […]

Code 7 (2015)

Code 7 (2015) First Year Project Code 7 is a cinematic text-adventure. It combines the mechanics of the classic text adventure genre with cinematic fully-voiced storytelling and modern visual design. You find yourself trapped in a room with a computer on an abandoned space station. Your only way out is to navigate your partner Sam […]

Papair (2015)

Papair (2015) Intermediate Project Papair is telling the story of an old pilot who strived to be the first to uncover the mystery of the floating islands. But after losing control over his airplane, he stranded on of them. Since then he is trying to escape. Join him on a day when his life finally […]

Two Nines Fine (2016)

Two Nines Fine Collaborative Project “Two Nines Fine” is a political, narrative-based, explorative experience about the hidden powers that fuel oppression, manipulation and war in a seemingly fake world. Welcome to City 16, home of PLEXOR and the visual metaphors. A world in which a corporation changes the rules, the media cover up the truth, […]

Leaves (WT 2015/16)

Leaves Collaborative Project Leaves is a small point & click adventure about exploring the forest, aimed at 4-6 year-old children. Help little animals, be curious and discover the secrets and stories hidden in this magical world. Niklas Tomkowitz and Rick Hoppmann are nominated for Der Deutsche Computerspielepreis 2016 in the category “young talents concept”. Platform […]

Flux (WT 2015/16)

Flux Collaborative Project Flux is a mobile application on the android platform that will assist drivers regularly commuting by car to obtain a better understanding of their actions and through this knowledge improve their driving behavior. The feedback is depicted as a line that is generated during driving from collected data. Flux features a companion […]

Project MMM (ST 2016)

Project MMM Collaborative Project Project MMM – short for MIDI Multiplayer Madness – is a loop machine arcade installation that rewards the players’ skillfulness with colorful and seemingly unique music tracks. This game is controlled via hardware fader controllers for precise movement and maximum fun – for up to 8 players simultaneously! Tagline MIDI Multiplayer […]

Airtime VR (2017-2020)

About Airtime VR is the prototype for a virtual reality simulation that aims at supporting aspiring paragliding pilots in their practical learning of common flight routines. As a complimentary tool to their regular outdoor practice, the simulator introduces basic flight mechanics and playfully provides users with advanced topographical as well as aerial knowledge. An ongoing […]

Global Game Jam 2021

The Global Game Jam (GGJ) is the largest Game Jam event worldwide. Since 2010 the Cologne Game Lab (CGL) has been hosting the Global Game Jam Cologne. Usually the event takes place at different locations around the world, however, due to Covid-19, the Global Game Jam will be an online event from January 27 to […]

Kyklos Code (2017)

Kyklos Code Self-Initiated Project The player dives into a program to defeat the virus by which it has been attacked. The virus sets back the player to his starting position every 10 seconds. The time between two resets is called a loop. During the game the player receives a device that enables him/ her to […]

Nominations for Deutscher Entwicklerpreis

The nominees for the “German Developer Award” 2021 have been made public. The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, December 9, 2021, starting at 8:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the Cologne Game Lab as well as in a big show in a live stream on deutscherentwicklerpreis.de and rocketbeans.tv. Due to the ongoing Corona […]

Team

Psychologists from the German Institute for Addiction and Prevention Research at Katholische Hochschule NRW (Deutsches Institut für Sucht- und Präventionsforschung), work together with game designers from the Cologne Game Lab (CGL, Technische Hochschule Köln) and the Department of Developmental Psychology at University of Amsterdam. Katholische Hochschule NRW (coordination)German Institute for Addiction and Prevention ResearchProf. Dr. […]

Jessika – Underneath the system (2018)

Jessika – Underneath the system (2018) Impact Games As a hacker the player is tasked by an anonymous customer to infiltrate the computer of Jessika and perform a background check. By utilizing a search engine the player has to navigate a server structure and find files containing Jessika’s biography. (S)he will find different types of […]

Clash of Realities 2020: It’s a wrap!

The eleventh Clash of Realities has come to a close! A big thank you goes out to all participants, be it the speakers, the audience or the organizers who were responsible for making this year’s Clash of Realities such a great experience. This year, the artistic-scientific research conference of the Cologne Game Lab (CGL) of […]

VR-Time Travel (2021)

About “VR Time Travel” (VR-Zeitreise) is a virtual reality experience at the Deutsches Museum Nuremberg. It is an interactive VR experience for up to four players as a contextualizing final exhibit of the Zukunftsmuseum (Museum of the Future). The VR-Zeitreise (VR Time Travel) at the Deutsches Museum Nuremberg is an room-scale, shared-space virtual reality multiplayer […]

Yu and Mi (ST 2021)

Yu and Mi Yu and Mi is an augmented reality game for Android mobile devices. In the game, the player has to assemble sensor casings by collaborating with a virtual YuMi IRB 14000 robot. This project has been developed for MILKY-PSY, a German research project that studies the acquisition of psychomotor skills in immersive environments. […]

Wakusuru Sunshine (ST 2021)

In Wakusuru Sunshine, players get a birds-eye-view over a miniature cube-shaped planet populated by blob creatures. Interactions are handled by a unique controller of the same form acting as a direct representation of the environments the player will interface with. On a basic level, rotating the real-world cube will also rotate the in-game planet, but […]

Things go missing (ST 2021)

The game plays around the feeling of the “Doorway effect” and simply misplacing things. Players slip into the shoes of our main character and get to explore the little and colorful world where things go missing around the neighborhood. What is going on here? And… Is everything going to disappear? Tagline Things Go Missing … Platform: […]

The Strive (ST 2021)

The Strive The Strive” uses classic gaming language to get the player to think about concepts like alterity,meritocracy and privileges. The game features a single 2D platforming level, which must betraversed in 6 minutes. In order to do so, the players must customize a character, choosing theirsex, skin color, sexuality and gender, as well as […]

The Orb (ST 2021)

THE ORB In “THE ORB” the player is tasked with experimenting on a strange entity. Adjust parameters and watch for reactions, and use your seven days wisely to uncover the mysteries of the Orb. Tagline: Uncover the mysteries of the Orb Platform: PC (Windows) Genre: Experimental Puzzle Experience TeamIuliia Chesnakova (Art)Florian Brüggemann (Design)Richard Glumm (Design) […]

The Dream of Yourself (ST 2021)

The Dream of Yourself “The Dream of Yourself” is about the discovery of the “other” in yourself, through a spiritual exploration of your subconsciousness. Throughout the game players go through different states of being in a first-person experience. From the “worm” to the “crawler”, the “angel” and then into transcendence. Each state of being comes […]

The Big Banger (ST 2021)

The Big Banger “The Big Banger” is an AR physics-based application focused on the laws of motion. Students need to launch planets through a virtual environment they can build themselves within the real world in order to let them collide with a target and make it explode. To do this, they need to input the […]

Small Steps (ST 2021)

Small Steps In this game the player steps into the role of the young student Nova, who is thinking about their stay abroad with Erasmus. While contemplating their travels they listen into conversations of others to get valuable tips for living abroad eco-friendly and sustainably. Tagline: A game about sustainable behavior on a semester abroad […]

Sir Kit’s Solar Power Trip (ST 2021)

Sir Kit’s Solar Power Trip The augmented reality card game installation offers an overview of solar power through playful experimentation. The titular pompous mascot Sir Kit guides players through three minigames, each highlighting a different aspect of solar power: solar cell functionality, solar’s sociopolitical context, and logistical dynamics of running a city on solar. Players […]

Opening Minds (ST 2021)

Opening Minds The Visual Novel questions the role a player has in a narrative game. As the main mechanic, the player can pass a mysterious Mask, which is also source of conflict, between three characters. Whoever has the Mask is controlled by the player. However, as the player has much less information about the story […]

On My Way (ST 2021)

On My Way “On My Way” is a sweet and meaningful interactive story about the journey, not the destination. Shape your experience with the help of a handy travel journal, and discover how you can help make the world a better place. Tagline: A game about eco-friendly travel Platform: Web GL Genre: Impact Game | Visual Novel | […]

Floor 44 (ST 2021)

Floor 44 Floor 44 is a Queer “Choose-Your-Own-Adventure”, Immersive-Theater-Play With Transmedial Real-World Influences, or in other words: Theatre-Karoke with a Transmedial scavenger hunt, choices and puzzles. Three players take over the role of the actors, while one player will be “the director”, a benevolent guide, moderator and in-universe character. The Director will read the scene setup […]

BeOrdinary (ST 2021)

BeOrdinary In BeOrdinary the player experiences a day in the life of Tom Miller, a guy in a position of privilege. As the day goes on, he encounters several situations of discrimination, neglect, and misogyny. Tom has a certain tendency to react which is determined by a special card deck but ultimately it’s up to […]

Detachment (ST 2021)

Detachment Detachment is a story-driven game about an old man trying to preserve what is left of his memories, especially about his wife, Alma. The project’s theme was “A Blank Page,” and we thought addressing one of the most unfortunate neurological conditions (aka Alzheimer’s) would be fitting. We did lots of research and poured our […]

Alterity (ST 2021)

Alterity: A Ludonarrative Experience. Our project is not a traditional game. It is a “ludonarrative experience” as we call it. It is a collection of levels tied together by a common theme and most importantly their differences. The player can select to play any level at any point in a non-linear fashion.Since this semester we […]

words (WT 2021/22)

words ‘words’ is a story-driven puzzle game where you will explore various interior environments that reflect the theme of the narrative. While exploring, you will also solve diverse puzzles that are directly linked to the theme of the story. Each time you open a door, there will be new environments and puzzles with unique challenges […]

Smoke and Mirrors (WT 2021/22)

Smoke and Mirrors Enter the dreams of a kid and solve magical puzzles with the enchanted spotlights, on the stage of magicians! Tagline: Puzzle platformer with colored lightrays and appearing blocks. Platform: PC Genre: Puzzle Platformer TeamAlif Ahsan Nibir (Programming)Chunhui Luo (3D Art)Katharina Haunert (Game Design, Programming)Leon Moses Schauer (Project Lead, Game Design)Sara Mohamed Alkotkat […]

Resting Cats (WT 2021/22)

Resting Cats Resting Cats is a game about a deceased cat who is continuing living in the house as a ghost. As the player moves into the house, he discovers the ghost and its backstory. This cat was formerly a street cat and was living with an old man who, even though he meant well, […]

Genie Escape (WT 2021/22)

Genie Escape This is a short platformer about a genie trying to escape a burning teapot. Play around and master the movement of the genie to overcome the obstacles of the level. Tagline: Platformer about mastering the movement of the genie. Platform: PC Genre: Platformer TeamLina van den MeulenhofCarlotta BönigVin BotthinLara Maria MüllerRita Gurgždaitytė Gameplay […]

Battles of Oz (WT 2021/22)

Battles of Oz In a group of four adventurers, the player has to fight enemies using normal attacks or unique traits that are randomly assigned to each character at the beginning. Embarking on the epic quest to slay the witches, the player also has to manage resources like items. For people familiar with the original […]

Blog: Jessika – CGL Alumni published their first game

Jessika – CGL Alumni published their first game The three CGL-alumni – Pierre Schlömp (story design & game mechanics), Seren Besorak (design of the pictures & sounds/ initiator of the project) and Sarah Abouzari (game programming) published their first game: Jessika. The computer game Jessika lets players slip into the role of a nameless hacker […]

Podcast: 10 Jahre Cologne Game Lab (DE)

Podcast: 10 Jahre Cologne Game Lab (DE) Prof. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth Katharina Tillmanns Freyermuth, G. | Tillmanns, K. (2020, October 23) 10 Jahre Cologne Game Lab WDR 5 Scala – Netzkultur

Podcast: Games und Wissenschaft – Wie die Spielszene erwachsen wird (DE)

Podcast: Games und Wissenschaft – Wie die Spielszene erwachsen wird (DE) Prof. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth hr-iNFO (2020, October 23) Games und Wissenschaft – Wie die Spielszene erwachsen wirdInterview with Prof. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth (German only) Hessischer Rundfunk

Student Projects

PROJECTS

Student Projects

Conception (WT 2020/21)

Conception Project Conception follows the journey of Alex, an artist who experiences creative block. They struggle through the creative process to create a painting. Alex experiences inspiration, doubt, agony, epiphany, and catharsis. As a player you are playing in Alex’s mind. You complete puzzles in order to help Alex through the stages of the creative […]

Workshop with Sudanese Game Collective

Most computer games – whether from a large publisher or a small independent label – treat their topics from a Western or East Asian perspective. Games from African countries, on the other hand, hardly exist. Carmen Johann, Jonas Zimmer and Rakibul Hasan Toor from the Cologne Game Lab, therefore support game developers in Sudan in […]

GDD Indie Award

The GDD Indie Award 2020 was awarded on October 1st via live stream in eight categories. A total of 10,000 euros was distributed among young developers and up and coming studios. In the course of the event CGL-Professor Odile Limpach was admitted to the GDD Hall of Fame. The rhythmic puzzle game “Vectronom”, developed by […]

Grapplefoot (WT 2020/21)

Grapplefoot You play as “Grapplefoot”, an ancient strongman who was cryogenically preserved. Now unfrozen in the future, you have become the subject of a series of simulation experiments run by the SimuTECH corporation. Swing around the level with your grappling hook and use your wall run ability to beat the level as fast as possible, […]

In the media

Here you find an extract of the scientific contributions of CGL members in blogs, podcasts, videos and other media.

GamesTalente Academy @ CGL

We are excited to announce that we will co-host this year’s GamesTalente Academy at CGL from October, 17 to October 25. Although it will be a digital event, we are happy to welcome the GamesTalente- team at CGL who will set up their workshop-headquarter on site. The initiative is a two-stage support program that has […]

Team

Team Goethe Institute Boston:Annette Klein – Project Lead Cologne Game Lab:Prof. Björn Bartholdy – Project LeadIlja Burzev – Creative Lead

Ten minutes in 2050

TH Köln develops VR exhibit for the Deutsches Museum Nuremberg The Deutsches Museum is planning to open a new branch in December 2020 with the Zukunftsmuseum in Nuremberg, where everything will revolve around future technologies. In a joint research project, the Cologne Game Lab and the museum are developing an exhibit for the exhibition: Using […]

Ecrire pour le jeu (2000)

Ecrire pour le jeu (Fr) Emmanuel Guardiola Comment écrit on un jeu ? Comment le présenter ? Quelles sont les étapes de la conception de son scénario ? Quelles sont les spécificités dramatiques du jeu ? Ecrit en collaboration avec les plus grands auteurs de jeux, cet ouvrage pratique permet d’accéder facilement aux techniques de ce nouveau métier qui […]

Podcast: Queere Charaktere in Videospielen (DE)

Podcast: Queere Charaktere in Videospielen (DE) Dr. Sonia Fizek Wie sieht die Spielewelt aus, wenn sie nicht nur weiß und männlich ist? Vor den Monitoren sitzt schließlich ein diverses Publikum. Die Fans sind nicht selten weiblich, homo, trans. Claudia Friedrich hat sich zum Start der Gamescom umgehört. Fizek, S. (2020, August 25)Queere Charaktere in VideospielenWDR5 […]

Blog: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY

Blog: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY ARE GAMES BECOMING THE FACTORIES OF THE FUTURE? Dr. Sonia Fizek Industrialisation and automatisation were expected to fulfil the human dream of spending fewer hours working allowing us to devote more time to non-labour activities, such as playing. The machine was supposed to relieve us from the drudgery of […]

Talk: VR/AR/MR for Impact

Talk: VR/AR/MR for Impact Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Guardiola Summary/Description Presentation given by Dr. Emmanuel Guardiola at Game for Change (G4C) conference about VR/AR/MR for impact on 2018. Emmanuel, G. (2018, February 15)VR/AR/MR for Impact.Game for Change.https://vimeo.com/255891929

Blog: From Serious Games to Games for Impact

Blog: From Serious Games to Games for Impact Dr. A. Czauderna While the literal meaning of the term “serious games” has been disliked by a lot of game researchers and game designers for many years, it is still most commonly used when it comes to „games with a purpose beyond play“ (Klopfer et al. 2009). […]

Conference Proceedings

Here you can find articles published by CGL researchers.

Articles

Here you can find articles published by CGL researchers.

Chapters

Here you can find articles published by CGL researchers.

Books

Prisms of Gundolf

The “Prisms of Gundolf” project consists of a series of short texts and illustrations by colleagues, students, and friends—collectively forming a prismatic tribute to the remarkable Prof. Em. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth. [more]

Kaludoscope

Kaludoscope: The CGL Journal of Game Studies Kaludoscope is a student-led journal of game studies that offers a welcoming space for students and emerging scholars of the Cologne Game Lab to share their research and gain experience in the editorial and peer-review process. We aim to promote the interdisciplinary kaleidoscope of groundbreaking work around games […]

“Jessika” receives Innovation Award at Deutscher Entwicklerpreis

Finally, the winners of the German Developer Award have been announced. The Award Ceremony took place on January 20, 2021 in a live streamed show. We’re very excited that the game “Jessika” by CGL-alumni Pierre Schlömp (story design & game mechanics), Seren Besorak (design of the pictures & sounds/ initiator of the project) and Sarah […]

Student Game wins recognition

Our 6-semester BA-students did a very special collaborative project on impact games this summer term. The students focused on the current spreading of the Corona virus throughout the world, tackling either mental issues and psychological effects of the current situation, simulating the virus‘ spreading throughout the world, show how to fight the virus inside of […]

11th Clash of Realities Conference

SAVE THE DATE The 11th International Conference on the Art, Technology and Theory of Digital Games will be a two-part event. In November 2020, we start with a digital conference that includes the Young Academics Workshop, several Summit Presentations, and international Keynote speakers. The research conference provides a virtual space for […]

Obituary for Dario d’Ambra

We are devastated to announce that our dear graduate, colleague, and friend Dario D’Ambra passed away on July 26. In the winter term 2015/2016, Dario started studying the Master Program Game Development and Research at Cologne Game Lab and finished his studies in 2017 with his master thesis, “The Theatrical Lens in Game Studies and Game Design: […]

Graduation Ceremony

Despite all Corona-restrictions, our annual Graduation Ceremony will be held as scheduled on Wednesday July 15. All students and their families can follow a stream online! The 2-hour ceremony will take place live in CGL´s auditorium – with a few staff and faculty members in the stands (in accordance with university´s physical distance regulations, of […]

Game Funding NRW

The results of the latest meeting on the promotion of digital games and interactive content of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW have come out and we are delighted there are many CGL-alumni and members of our Incubator among the beneficiaries. Corrado Maraini and Jonas Delleske receive a production funding of 125.000 euro for their puzzle-platformer […]

Complexity Jam

This Friday, the Complexity Jam, an international online game jam about “Surviving the infodemic”, will kick off! “Bring your ideas and create your game or Interactive Digital Narrative about how to handle the information overload, identify fake news and beat the pandemic with playful creativity!” All game developers, artists, graphic designers, musicians, narrative designers, writers […]

Prey & Promise (ST 2022)

Prey & Promise Prey & Promise is a 2D point and click adventure game. Step into the shoes of Reese, a down on his luck scam artist seeking to change his fortune. When he joins a group of conmen he finally gets a chance to go big time. Solve intricate puzzles and explore your ideas […]

One Whisp (ST 2022)

One Whisp The game takes place during a house party where the MC tries to recover a phone they forgot there. The MC feels uncomfortable among crowds and certain situations can raise or lower his hope bar. If the hope hits zero you lose and the character gives up. To prevent this worst case you […]

Miri is Thirteen (ST 2022)

Miri is Thirteen Miri is Thirteen and full of hope. Especially now that she’s got a major crush on the coolest guy at school! Who is going to be at the big pool party this afternoon! Which she absolutely needs to prepare for! Miri is Thirteen and full of anxiety as well. Play this game […]

Lost Adrift (ST 2022)

Lost Adrift Play as a grieving father who embarks on a journey to get closure from his daughter’s tragic death. As you look inside the cabin where you used to spend your days, you begin to enter an abstract world, filled with the father’s thoughts, nightmares and trauma regarding the incident. Solve puzzles and uncover […]

Lone Signal (ST 2022)

Lone Signal This is a short exploration game about the wonders and terrors of outer space. Set foot on a beautiful new planet and discover the mysteries of the secret civilization hidden within. Tagline: Walking Simulator about looking at the environment and puzzling together their secrets. Platform: PC Genre: Walking Simulator TeamLiz KaesemannOliver Mino SturmKatharina […]

What About Fish? (ST 2022)

What About Fish? Our planet Earth is made up of water for more than 70%. It is home to a vast range of extraordinary marine animals, most of which are still unknown to us. If Earth is a spaceship orbiting the solar system, sea animals are the protective crew of this spaceship. Protecting marine life […]

BUILDventure (ST 2022)

BUILDventure “BUILDventure” is a game developed to show how immersive, engaging, and fun an educative game can be! Arriving in an Italian village, the player must gather business proposals and information on how to choose the best one. By talking to people, playing minigames, and even understanding the village’s traditions and festivals, students will also […]

Ship Happens (WT 2022/23)

Ship Happens “Ship Happens!” is a light-hearted, yet fast-paced PvP party game, in which players in teams of two jump into the role of pirates that steal from ships using grappling hooks. It is targeted toward sociable players from any age range, that enjoy laid-back competition and want to experience humor through gameplay. While merchant […]

Ghoul: The Ritual (WT 2022/23)

Ghoul: The Ritual The game revolves around a couple who gets in an accident, when unconscious the woman gets kidnapped by cultists, the man wakes up from her scream and now has to look for her in the forest. This was made in 2 weeks in unity to enhance our skills more and to learn […]

Developing games in and about the Corona crisis

Our 6-semester BA-students have a very special collaborative project on „impact games“ this summer term. In general, impact games are playful experiences that are designed to encourage a change in behaviour or teach the players something new and help them experience another perspective on a given topic. For obvious reasons, this semester the students focus […]

Please welcome:
Prof. Dr. Sonia Fizek

We are very pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Sonia Fizek has joined our team at Cologne Game Lab as a professor for Media and Game Studies with specialization in Player Research. She is a digital games, design and media scholar. She was senior lecturer in the School of Informatics and Design at Abertay University […]

Phantasmagoria: Escaping Ethereality (ST 2023)

Phantasmagoria: Escaping Ethereality Uncover the mysteries of invisible cities in this challenging maze runner game. Embark on a journey through mesmerizing mazes inspired by the enchanting cities described in Italo Calvino’s novel, “Invisible Cities.” Dodge illusions, avoid traps, and more. Everything is procedural, so it offers a new experience every time you run.Play the normal […]

Arcane Revolution (ST 2023)

Arcane Revolution Arcane Revolution is a fantasy Tabletop RPG played by three to six players and a Game Master. Arcane Revolution fuses impactful narrative choices with impactful mechanical choices through its ground-breaking Roleplaying Mechanics. Additionally, Arcane Revolution reduces the bureaucratic load of managing character by replacing pen and paper with boardgame elements, such as playing […]

Finding Euphemia (WT 2023/24)

Finding Euphemia Finding Euphemia is a feminist, narrative-driven original card game based on the book Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. Play as someone whose desperate search for their missing sister leads them to a strang city where things aren’t what they first seem. Be a good employee of SENTIRE, a mysterious service provider, or risk […]

Kids Help Project (ST 2023)

Kids Help Project Become a hero and save lives! “Kids Help” guides players through the entire process of CPR in the form of 4 innovative mini-games, utilizing voice, touch, and motion controls. Available for mobile devices, tablets, and PC. The game was developed by a group of BA6 students in a collaborative project in the […]

The SLM Project (ST 2023)

The SLM Project In the SLM-Project, the visitors of the Siegerlandsmuseum canlearn more about Johan Maurits. This impact game’s goal is to challenge existing biasestowards Johan Maurits and give the players all the information they need to form afact-based opinion. This is done playfully to engagingly convey the information to the targetaudience. The game is […]

From Champagne To Murder (ST 2023)

From Champagne To Murder This game experiments with a network-based Dialog System, the Dialog Web, and sets it into the context of a detective game. This Dialog System is a deviation and expansion from the standard Dialog Tree into a more open and free structure, pushing the feel of the game into the open-world direction. […]

Master’s thesis: The Environmental Concept Art Process and Visual Design of Snow White in Cyberpunk

The Environmental Concept Art Process and Visual Design of Snow White in Cyberpunk The research in Can Başdogan‘s master’s thesis was dedicated to the increased importance of environmental concept art in audio-visual media. As productions aim for greater visual richness to enhance immersive experiences, the production timelines increase. To balance visual quality with cost efficiency, […]

Master’s thesis: Riziki

Riziki The globalization of African music, driven by platforms like Spotify, is influencing media worldwide – but its integration into video games holds untapped potential. In his master’s thesis George Odongo Ahere explored how African music can revolutionize rhythm game design. By analyzing current games and developing an original prototype, he identified how culturally rooted […]

Vernacular Architecture and the Perception of Safety and Community in Video Game Villages (MA Digital Game Thesis Project)

Vernacular Architecture and the Perception of Safety and Community in Video Game Villages This thesis investigates how integrating vernacular architecture into the game art production pipeline can improve pre-production efficiency and enhance players’ perceptions of safety and immersion within virtual lived-in spaces. The analysis involves theories from neuroarchitecture to establish how architectural elements influence brain […]

Prandium (WT 2025/26)

Prandium Project Prandium is a systemic UI-based cooking simulator and management game, where you tinker with different magical ingredients to serve visiting adventures buff food, to support them on their dungeon runs and raids. While being newly reincarnated into this stereotypical fantasy world, the protagonist uses this as a chance to follow his passion of […]

STARSTRUCK (WT 2025/26)

STARSTRUCK STARSTRUCK is a chaotic first-person truck simulator set in deep space. You play asDebra Delivery, an intergalactic trucker and dopamine addict.Plan delivery routes along hazardous paths and avoid crashing into asteroids while jugglingplaying WarioWare-like microgames on your phone to keep your dopamine levels high!This game is aimed at Gen Z and Gen Alpha casual […]

FemDev Game Jam @ CGL

+++ The FemDev Game Jam has to be canceled / postponed due to the current situation regarding COVID-19 concerns. We will let you know when or if a new date can be set+++ We are glad to welcome the #FemDevsMeetup Game Jam back to CGL,March 27 – 29! It is a yearly video game creation […]

Good Memories (WT 2025/26)

Good Memories Around Christmas Grandpa always gets grumpy. He states that he once had a catastrophic Christmas. A broken window, a blackout, plenty of frogs and a scared cat? Yes, that Christmas was messy, but the Granddaughter tries to change Grandpa’s perspective to see the beauty in the chaos. The player guides both of them […]

Abraca… drunk (WT 2025/26)

Abraca… drunk Abraca…Drunk is a Co-Op First Person Roguelike, in which a gaggle of drunken wizards try to get home after a night out. In their inebriated state, they accidentally bring random objects around them to life – which they then have to face off against in order to teleport home! Team: Project type: Collaborative […]

Roseism (WT 2025/26)

Roseism Set in a futuristic dystopian world, you play as an AI-rose (‘The Savior’) leading the so-called ‘Roseism’-cult,promising to lead its believers to joy in this miserable world. Growing rapidly into one of the leading forces onyour planet, opposing voices and criticism grow louder with each step you take forward. Brace yourself forattacks of the […]

Conferences

Disclaimer

Disclaimer Despite careful control of the content, no liability can be assumed for the content of the WWW offer of the TH Köln | Cologne Game Lab. Accordingly, no guarantee can be given for the correctness, completeness and applicability of the information contained. The respective publishers are responsible for the contents of linked external offers. […]

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy We are very delighted that you have shown interest in our enterprise. Data protection is of a particularly high priority for the management of the Cologne Game Lab, TH-Köln – University of Applied Sciences. The use of the Internet pages of the Cologne Game Lab, TH-Köln – University of Applied Sciences is possible […]

Imprint

Imprint The Cologne Game Lab is an institute of TH Köln which is subject to public law and represented by Prof. Dr. Stefan Herzig as president. TH Köln – University of Applied SciencesCologne Game LabSchanzenstraße 2851063 KölnGermany Contact person: Judith Abend – Public Relations The facts and opinions expressed by individual contributors on this website do not necessarily […]

Bouncy Pals (WT 2025/26)

Bouncy Pals Players choose their favorite animal character and dive into the physics based 3rd-person racing platformer world. You’ll need to pass through hoops, keep away from the hammers, and dodge slapstick hazards that threaten to send you flying off course. It’s a race where the goal is simple: reach the finish line first, but […]

APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION PROCESS

Entry Requirements: practical media skills, knowledge and experience; Individual interest, intrinsic motivation and personal ambition to deepen media practical and media theoretical examination of non-linear audio visions; the practical ability to work independently and in a team on creative projects; the media-theoretical ability to participate in scientific discourse; the command of the English language in […]

APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION PROCESS

Entry Requirements: The admission requirements for the Game Development and Research (Master of Arts) program are as follows: The successful completion of a university degree with the degree “Bachelor of Arts” or “Bachelor of Sciences” or with an equivalent or higher degree such as Diplom, Magister, Master or Staatsexamen in any field. Proof of at least 12 […]

Tiny Witch Big Disaster (WT 2025/26)

Tiny Witch Big Disaster A fast-paced arcade game where you play as a young witch trying to catch escaped magical creatures within a two-minute spell and protecting your clumsy little sister! You and your little sister are two young witches playing some magic at home.Just like opening Pandora’s box, your sister accidentally used the wrong […]

Podcast: Ein Kreuzfahrtschiff auf Kurswechsel (DE)

Podcast: Ein Kreuzfahrtschiff auf Kurswechsel (DE)A podcast by Kulturforum Witten Katharina Tillmanns u.a. The new Fellowship for urban digital culture in Witten allows the participants to produce nothing but culture for one year – without worrying about money, accommodation or commissions. The cruise ship “Kulturforum” docks on the shore and invites people to come on […]

APPLICATION PROCESS

INTERVIEW PROCESS

Dear CGL applicants, First and foremost, we would like to thank you for your interest in the Cologne Game Lab. We received all your documents, which will be duly examined by our Aptitude Assessment Commission. Now, the first phase of our application process is over and it is time for the interview round. In the […]

Team

Team The EPPSA consortium consists of: The Good Evil GmbH, Cologne ART+COM, Cologne TH Köln (Cologne Game Lab) Team Cologne Game Lab: Katharina Tillmanns, M.A. – Project Management / Creative Director / Game Design Fee Bonny, M.A. – Production & Media Didactics Jonas Zimmer, M.A. – Programming, Game Design, Media Didactics & Evaluation Carmen Johann, […]

Team

Team Cologne Game Lab Project Lead – Prof. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth Project Management – Dr. Philipp Bojahr Project Management – Fee Bonny, M.A. Project Management – Jonas Zimmer, M.A Project Management – Dr. Laura Frings Game Design – György Droste, Rebecca Nöll, Youngju Kim Art Direction – Ilja Burzev Game Art – Hady Aymen, […]

FAQ

FAQs

FAQ

FAQs

Student Council

Student Council All members of the CGL are dedicated to providing a harassment-free study experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender-identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, age, religion or game preferences. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. CGL Students, Faculty & Staff In 2018 the first CGL-Fachschaft was […]

Open Lab

Open Lab At the end of each term, our students gather one last time to show what they have done during the semester and present their finished games. The final presentation of the Bachelor semester projects goes hand-in-hand with a public get-together where some of the Master students also showcase their games and other projects. […]

Publications

The Cologne Game Lab has a rich and varied tradition in publishing. Its printed, multimedia and digital publications have high standards in terms of content, design and communication. The publications cover all areas of teaching, research and further education in digital games.

Research Projects

APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION PROCESS

Application Process Entry Requirements: The admission requirements for the “Master of Arts in 3D Animation for Film & Games” program are as follows Application Steps: Step 1 (international student only): Validation of the first higher education degree by Uni-Assist. (s. further information below) Step 2 (all applicants): Application for the program / artistic-scientific aptitude test, […]

Research @ CGL

At the Cologne Game Lab, academics from various disciplines conduct research – in their respective fields such as Game Design, Game Art, Sound Design, Game Informatics, Game Economics, and Game Studies, but very often in interdisciplinary teams. Our understanding and practice include classic basic research and applied projects (R&D) as well as academic publications and […]

DiSpielGeo (2019-2021)

About Digital Games for Learning in Geography Education From pollution of the oceans to climate change to conflicts over resources – geography lessons deal with numerous societal challenges. In a successful lesson, students learn on the one hand to understand these topics better and to evaluate them critically. On the other hand, the lessons pursue the aim […]

FAQ

FAQs

Global Game Jam @ CGL

That was GGJ2020! The 2020 Global Game Jam is over now, and we are left not only with fond memories but also loads of games to look at and try out. With 22 games created by the 110 active participants, this year was once again one of the biggest GGJ in CGL´s 10-year history of […]

Graduation Ceremony

Graduation Ceremony At the end of each summer term, the Cologne Game Lab celebrates the graduates of all BA and MA study programs with its annual Graduation Ceremony. Traditionally, the event was opened by CGL’s two co-founding directors, Prof. Em. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth and Prof. Björn Bartholdy. Today, the ceremony is hosted by Prof. […]

the Good Evil

the Good Evil The Good Evil GmbH was founded in early 2013 by Linda Kruse and Marcus Bösch. Both of them graduated from the Cologne Game Lab with a Master of Arts in Game Development and Research and previously gained many years of experience in the film and media industry. The Good Evil GmbH is […]

Massive Mini Team

Massive Mini Team Massive Miniteam is one of the most remarkable and up-and-coming game development studios from the regional Cologne area. Despite the studio’s young age with its foundation in 2018, its success and reputation led to its acquisition by THQ Nordic’s daughter company HandyGames three years later already. The team has a proven track […]

Team

Team Cologne Game Lab Project Management / Academic Lead: Prof. Markus Hettlich Blue Byte GmbH (excerpt) Technical Director: Achim Moller Producer: Marc Braun Senior Game Designer: Andre Quass

Team

Team Cologne Game Lab Lead Researcher: Prof. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth Project Management / Game Design: Dr. Hanns Christian Schmidt Game Design & Programming: Dario D’Ambra, M.A.

Team

Team The EPPSA consortium consists of: The Good Evil GmbH, Cologne ART+COM, Cologne TH Köln (Cologne Game Lab) Team Cologne Game Lab Project Management / Game Design / Media Didactics – Katharina Tillmanns, M.A. Production & Media Didactics – Fee Bonny, M.A. Programming and Media Didactics & Evaluation – Jonas Zimmer, M.A.

Team

Team Cologne Game Lab Project Management – Katharina Tillmanns, M.A. Game Design / Art Direction – Carmen Johann, M.A. Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln Project Management: Dr. Stefan Ludwigs Research Assistant: Leo Friedrich Rheinische Akademie Köln Project Management: Andreas Rummrich Content & Didactics: Dr. Anja Yakeleba Content & Didactics: Dr. Stephan Gantner Content & Didactics: Ina Siedentop

Bildwerte (2012)

Bildwerte – Visualität in der digitalen Medienkultur Gundolf S. Freyermuth / Lisa Gotto (eds.) With the transition from industrial to digital culture, new visual media are emerging – but they do not come out of nowhere. They emerge gradually, in a complex interplay of technological and social, aesthetic and epistemological factors. The contributions in this […]

Serious Games, Exergames… (2013)

Serious Games, Exergames, Exerlearning. Zur Transmedialisierung und Gamification des Wissenstransfers Gundolf S. Freyermuth / Lisa Gotto / Fabian Wallenfels (eds.) The close connection between playing and learning precedes the formation of human life in evolutionary terms. With digitalisation, it now reaches completely new qualities: computer games compete with the older narrative-audiovisual media such as theatre, […]

Lernen als soziale Praxis… (2014)

Lernen als soziale Praxis im Internet.Objektiv hermeneutische Rekonstruktionen aus einem Forum zum Videospiel Pokémon André Czauderna André Czauderna beschäftigt sich mit Lernprozessen im Internet am Beispiel eines Forums zum Videospiel Pokémon. In vier objektiv hermeneutischen Sequenzanalysen rekonstruiert er die Strukturmerkmale, die den Prozess des Lernens – verstanden als soziale Praxis – im Rahmen der untersuchten […]

Rethinking Gamification (2014)

Rethinking Gamification Mathias Fuchs, Sonia Fizek, Paolo Ruffino , Niklas Schrape (eds.) Gamification marks a major change to everyday life. It describes the permeation of economic, political, and social contexts by game-elements such as awards, rule structures, and interfaces that are inspired by video games. Sometimes the term is reduced to the implementation of points, badges, and leaderboards as incentives […]

New Game Plus (2014)

New Game Plus: Perspektiven der Game Studies. Genres – Künste – Diskurse Benjamin Beil / Lisa Gotto / Gundolf S. Freyermuth (eds.) The volume “New Game Plus” presents a diverse selection of current methods and approaches in computer game research. The contributions ask: Which topics dominate game studies, since many formerly central debates still have historical […]

Games | Game Design… (2015)

Games | Game Design | Game Studies: Eine Einführung (german) Gundolf S. Freyermuth (Hg.) Wie stiegen Games zur zentralen audiovisuellen Ausdrucks- und Erzählform der digitalen Kultur auf? Wie entstanden die Verfahren ihrer künstlerischen Produktion? Und wie formierte sich die wissenschaftliche Analyse der sozialen Wirkung und kulturellen Bedeutung des neuen Mediums? Diese grundlegenden Fragen und Aspekte digitaler […]

Games | Game Design… (2015)

Games | Game Design | Game Studies: An Introduction (engl.) Gundolf S. Freyermuth (ed.) How did games rise to become the central audiovisual form of expression and storytelling in digital culture? How did the practices of their artistic production come into being? How did the academic analysis of the new medium’s social effects and cultural meaning […]

Jonas Zimmer

Prof. Dr. Jonas Zimmer

As a programmer with a background in cultural studies, Jonas Zimmer works as a research assistant mainly in the field of expanding cultural systems by means of new technologies. After graduating from the University of Cologne with a Master’s degree in Media Cultural Studies/Media Informatics, he worked for several years as a leading programmer in […]

TriTrie Games

TriTrie Games TriTrie Games is a micro-indie developer team, creating narrative experiences from Cologne, Germany. Currently we are working on our interactive found-footage novella „Jessika – Underneath the system“. Their game “Jessika” has have been nominated for „Ubisoft/Blue Byte Best Newcomer Award“ at the Deutscher Entwickler Preis 2018. At Digility 2018 they have won 1st […]

Ludopium

Ludopium Ludopium is an independent game studio based in Cologne, Germany that specializes in music games and ludic audiovisual installations. The team consists of an international group of highly inventive game developers with backgrounds in different areas of media production. Ludopium aims to build artistic experiences that invite players to listen, play, and interact while […]

Slow Bros.

SLOW BROS. SLOW BROS. is a small indie studio based in Germany dedicated to thoughtfully bridging analogue and digital worlds in the form of interactive experiences. It was founded in 2015 by long time friends Onat Hekimoglu, Ole Tillmann, Fabian Preuschoff and Daniel Beckmann. The studio member’s diverse backgrounds including video game production, filmmaking, carpentry, […]

Goodwolf Studio

Goodwolf Studio Goodwolf Studio is a game developer, with a focus on merging gripping stories with novel gameplay. The founders met during their master studies at the Cologne Game Lab and have been developing games together since 2014. Inspired by titles like “Thomas Was Alone” or “Tales from the Borderlands” they decided to realize and […]

Su-Jin Song

Su-Jin Song is a PhD student at the Kunstuniversität Linz and teaching and research associate in the field of media and game studies at the Cologne Game Lab of TH Köln. Su-Jin Song’s research in media and game studies explores the close connection between storytelling, design, and theory with a special focus on topics such […]

Dr. Khaleel Asyraaf Mat Sanusi

Khaleel Asyraaf Mat Sanusi is a postdoctoral researcher, developer, and teaching assistant at the Cologne Game Lab, TH Köln. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Games Technology at Limkokwing University (Malaysia) and Master’s degree in Media Informatics at Saarland University (Germany). In 2025, he completed his PhD in Educational Sciences on the topic ‘Augmenting a […]

Prof. Odile Limpach

Professor Odile Limpach teaches economics and entrepreneurship at the Cologne Game Lab and also manages the Incubator of the CGL. Additionally, she is co-founder of the accelerator SpielFabrique and works as Strategic Consultant for serious games and cross-media projects. Between, 2007 and 2014, Odile was the managing director at the German entertainment software studio Blue […]

Dr. Vanessa Ossa

Dr. Vanessa Ossa is the conference manager at Cologne Game Lab. Her current research interests include participatory culture, comic book fandom, and fictional characters in (digital) fan communities. She is a member of the German Society for Comic Studies (ComFor) and currently serves as editorial staff for their website and as part of the executive […]

Upcoming Guest Lectures

Upcoming Guest Lectures The next guest lecture will again be a collaborative effort between IFS and CGL. On January, 8 Patrick Gladys will talk about „Natural Environment Art – Foliage Creation”. Description follows. __________________________________ Upcoming Guest Lectures WT 2019/2020 January, 8 | 5.30 pm Patrick Gladys “Natural Environment Art – Foliage Creation”

Daniel Majonica

Daniel is a researcher and developer at the Cologne Game Lab in the field of Technology Enhanced Learning and is developing a framework in mixed reality for designing immersive learning systems in human-robot interaction to increase safety and descrease development time and costs. He started his Ph.D. and is mainly working on the “Multimodal Immersive […]

Carmen Johann

Carmen Johann

Carmen Johann is a researcher, developer and interdisciplinary designer in the field of interactive media from Cologne. She studied intermediate design at the Köln International School of Design and has a Master of Arts in Game Development and Research. She worked at the Cologne Game Lab on the research project SOLVE while also pursuing her […]

Prof. Roland Klemke

Prof. Dr. Roland Klemke

Roland Klemke is a computer scientist focusing on the technical side of game development including general and advanced game programming techniques, artificial intelligence, game physics, and cloud-based game architectures.

Olivier Haas

Olivier Haas is the program manager for the Master’s Program ‘3D Animation for Films & Games’. He’s also an experienced audio designer for games and has worked on titles such as ‘Oddsparks: An Automation Adventure’ (nominated for the Deutscher Entwicklerpreis) or CGL’s very own ‘Welten der Werkstoffe’ (won the Deutscher Computerspielpreis in the category ‘Serious […]

Laura Frings

Dr. Laura Frings

Laura Frings is the research manager at Cologne Game Lab and also manages the Master’s program Digital Games. She received her Master’s degree in Comparative Literature as well as her PhD in English Studies from the University of Bonn. Her teaching in the field of Media Studies focuses on Green Media, Animation Studies, and Academic […]

Prof. Nannette Kaulig

Prof. Nanette Kaulig

With her classical and digital animation backgrounds, Nanette Kaulig has set her focus on teaching Life Drawing and 3D Animation at the Cologne Game Lab. In addition, she offers basic introductions to classical animation and layout drawing, acting for animation, digital 2D animation, and painting as well as giving a more general, practical insight into […]

Prof. Dr. Greta Hoffmann

Greta Hoffmann has been appointed as Professor for Game Design with Focus on Independent Games. She is a game designer and researcher who works on digital and analog games that transform unpopular educational topics (e. g. waste sorting, financial education, sexual violence) into small, digestible, and fun* media samples. Her research focuses on in-depth research […]

FAQ

FAQs

FAQs General questions: Application Process: International Students: Financing Your Studies: Living and Studying in Cologne:

APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION PROCESS

Application Process Entry Requirements: The admission requirements for the Master of Arts in Digital Games program are as follows: * In exceptional cases, applicants may be admitted to the program without submitting the final degree certificate, provided that completion of the degree by the start of studies at CGL can reasonably be expected. The required […]

Dr. André Czauderna

Dr. André Czauderna

André Czauderna is program manager for the BA Digital Games. He is also responsible for CGL´s network of international partner universities as well as Erasmus coordinator. His teaching covers player research, educational games, qualitative methods, and academic writing. His research interests include educational games, digital games as political education, game design education, learning in online […]

Emmanuel Guardiola

Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Guardiola

After 15 years in the video game industry, focusing on game design methodologies, Emmanuel Guardiola took up a professorship at the Cologne Game Lab at TH-Köln. With a Ph.D. in computer sciences, he drives research in game design.

APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION PROCESS

Application Process Entry Requirements: The admission requirements for the Game Development and Research (Master of Arts) program are as follows: The successful completion of a university degree with the degree “Bachelor of Arts” or “Bachelor of Sciences” or with an equivalent or higher degree such as Diplom, Magister, Master or Staatsexamen in any field. Proof of at […]

MODULES

Modules The curriculum in the M.A. Digital Games consists of the following building blocks: Collaborative Project: Game Studio, Advanced Game Arts / Game Design / Game Programming, Advanced Media and Game Studies, as well as Reflection and Community. In the third semester, students are tasked with writing their M.A. thesis and developing their M.A. project. […]

Fee Bonny

Fee Bonny

Fee Bonny is a researcher, supervisor and editor in transmedia based in Cologne. Currently, she is the scientific coordinator for the “No End to the Road“-Fellowship and works on an empirical reception study and development of the project NOLI. Before, she worked for the “Zukunftsmuseum”, a virtual reality experience at Deutsches Museum Nuremberg. She studied […]

Prof. em. Dr. phil. Gundolf S. Freyermuth

Gundolf S. Freyermuth is an academic, writer, and editor whose scholarship in Media and Game Studies centers on linear and non-linear audiovisuality, transmedia, and digital culture. He co-founded the Cologne Game Lab at the Technical University Cologne in 2010, now a leading European institution for games education and research. He retired in 2025.

Prof. Dr. Sonia Fizek

Sonia Fizek a digital wanderer and a ludic thinker; on a more formal note, a digital games and media theorist. Since 2020 she has been holding a professorship in Media & Game Studies at the Cologne Game Lab, TH Köln, where she also serves as an elected member at the institute’s Executive Board.

Dr. Philipp Bojahr

Dr. Philipp Bojahr

Philipp Bojahr is a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the CGL working in the field of game studies and game design with a focus on new media applications in museums and other cultural contexts. As part of his tandem position, he also works in this field on a practical level at the Siegerlandmuseum in Siegen, […]

MODULES

Modules The further education Master “Game Development and Research” integrates academic research with artistic practice in a project-oriented approach. With this synergistic blend of theory and practice, the MA GDR fosters future-oriented (academic and artistic) discourse and research in non-linear audio-visual media. Project work plays a central role in the MA GDR. The program exposes […]

Prof. Bernd Diemer

Prof. Bernd Diemer

Bernd pursued his degree in Interactive Art and Media Theory to become an artist, but instead has been making AAA computer games for the last twenty years. He has creatively led and directed the creation of original IPs like Crytek’s Crysis, Guerrilla Games’ Horizon: Zero Dawn, and the development of franchise sequels like DICE’s Battlefield […]

Prof. Björn Bartholdy

As a visual designer, Björn Bartholdy focuses on graphic design, UI & UX, motion graphics, and 2D animation. Together with Gundolf S. Freyermuth, he conceived the Cologne Game Lab as a creative space around the topic of digital games with the aim of establishing one of the leading research institutions in this field for Europe.

M.A. OVERVIEW

M.A. Overview Basic Facts: Approach: Strongly project-oriented, the continuing education program focuses on the close integration of research, teaching and industry. Parallel to the project work, lectures and seminars form the platform for a future-oriented scientific discourse and research into non-linear audio-visuality. In addition to a successful Bachelor’s degree or a comparable academic degree, admission […]

Katja Aller

Katja Aller is the program manager for the interdisciplinary MA Game Development and Research. She holds a joint master’s degree in German and Comparative Literature from both Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (Germany) and St Andrews University (Scotland) and is a co-organizer of the Young Academics Workshop. As a former literature scholar, she has a soft spot […]

M.A. OVERVIEW

M.A. Overview Basic Facts: Approach: The M.A. program Digital Games is aimed at graduates of related Bachelor’s programs such as Game Arts, Game Design, or Game Programming who seek to deepen their artistic and academic engagement with digital games as cultural and economic artifacts. The program’s profile is defined by the close interweaving of artistic […]

APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION PROCESS

Application Process Entry Requirements: The admission requirements for the “Master of Arts in 3D Animation for Film & Games” program are as follows Application Steps: Step 1 (international student only): Validation of the first higher education degree by Uni-Assist. (s. further information below) Step 2 (all applicants): Application for the program / artistic-scientific aptitude test, […]

MODULES

Modules The curriculum of the Master’s program 3D Animation for Film & Games is divided into project and theory modules, while the module “Experience Assessment,” which covers the application process, precedes the program. In the semesters one to three, the strong project orientation of the program is apparent, as 14 out of a total of […]

OVERVIEW

Overview Basic Facts: Approach: The postgraduate program 3D Animation for Film & Games is aimed at media professionals from the fields Film, Games, Media Design, Architecture and so on who want to expand their skill set in 3D animation and to explore the intersection between film and games that opened up due to technological innovation. […]

APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION PROCESS

Application Process Dates: Entry Requirements: Application: The selection procedure determines the artistic and scientific suitability of the applicants. This aptitude test takes place once a year in the spring months. Anyone with a university entrance qualification or who is expected to acquire this by July 15th of the same year is eligible to take part. […]

Modules

MODULES

TEACHING AREAS

Mathias Mehr

Mathias’ tasks at Cologne Game Lab is the management and developing of the IT infrastructure. He studied at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster with a Master Degree and also worked there in the Campus IT. Before he did a 3-years apprenticeship as “Fachinformatiker” and directly following he worked several years in his training company as an […]

Alexandra Hühner

Alexandra Hühner

Alexandra first got involved with CGL when she worked for the Clash of Realities in 2017 and finally joined CGL in 2018 as an Office Manager. She studied German Studies, English Studies and Philosophy (M.A.) at the University of Cologne and spent a whole academic year under the ERASMUS/SOCRATES programme at the University of Warwick […]

Susanne Bühler

Susanne Kaiser

Susanne began working as a nurse not only in Germany but also throughout her travels that took her – amongst others – to Shevgaon, India where she worked in a hospital, and Kenya, Africa where she volunteered in an orphanage and yet another hospital. For 25 years she flew around the world as a stewardess […]

B.A. OVERVIEW

B.A. Overview Basic Facts: Approach: In the course of the BA “Digital Games” students should acquire artistic-scientific as well as technical-practical knowledge and skills for the conception and planning, development and production of digital games and other non-linear interactive audio visions, especially in the three central focus areas “Game Arts”, “Game Design”, i.e. mechanics and […]

Games studieren – was, wie, wo?

game studies – what, how, where? Games are the most influential audiovisual expression and narrative form of digital culture. The currently emerging state educational offerings are therefore gaining artistic and cultural, but also scientific and economic significance, as was the case with film courses in the 20th century, for example. For the first time, this […]

Impact Evaluation

Impact Evaluation An independent analysis, funded by All Children Reading, was conducted on the beta-version of Antura and the Letters by Integrated International in collaboration with the Create Lab at New York University. Definite evidence of improved learning among children as well as areas of improvement in the game were provided in a detailed report, […]

Antura and the letters

Erasmus+ Project

Erasmus+ Project Antura Erasmus +: Interactive Learning Game for Refugee and Migrant Children’s Inclusion: The ANTURA ProjectContact: Franziska Funken ff@colognegamelab.de The latest ANTURA project is an Erasmus+ initiative aimed at helping refugee and migrant children adapt to their new environments through a learning game. Launched in December 2023, the project brings together partners from Germany, […]

Pilot Project (Arabic)

Antura and the Letters (Arabic) The pilot project Antura and the Letters was developed (2016-2018) as a winner of the international competition EduApp4Syria. It was developed by a consortium led by the Cologne Game Lab (Germany), Video Games Without Borders (Spain) and Wixel Studios (Lebanon). The team consisted of over 60 people from 7 different […]

Events

APPLICATION

The application period for the Winter Semester 2026/27 has now closed. The application portals for the next admission cycle will open in March 2027. In the meantime, you can find detailed information about all four study programs and their application procedures below. You can find out more about the content & structure of the study […]

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Collaborative PhD Programs

M.A. 3D Animation for Film & Games

3D Animation for Film & Games MA excerpt

M.A. Game Development & Research

The Cologne Game Lab of the TH Köln offers the four-semester Master’s program Game Development and Research since the winter term 2010/11. The paid English-language and interdisciplinary advanced training program is designed to educate pioneers of the digital content industry and is aimed at young media professionals – designers, filmmakers, visual artists, authors and creative […]

M.A. Digital Games

Digital Games MA excerpt

B.A. Digital Games

Digital Games BA excerpt

InfoHour

info hour excerpt

Dutch Hour

Dutch Hour Every Thursday from 5-6 pm, students and staff of the Internationale Filmschule Köln and Cologne Game Lab meet in a relaxed atmosphere to catch up and exchange ideas. The event was founded by two Dutch IFS students who wanted to bring a “Happy Hour” tradition from their home country to build community among […]

Clash of Realities

The Clash of Realities international research conference on the art, technology and theory of digital games is providing the opportunity for interdisciplinary exchange and dialogue.

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About

Institute

The Cologne Game Lab Founded in 2010, the CGL has been on an expansion course for the last few years and is one of the most renowned educational offerings in the field of game development in Germany. With an extended team of nine professors, including internationally recognized scientists and artists, the new location at Mülheim’s […]

Sample Page

This is an example page. It’s different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there! I’m a bike messenger […]

Yeti

Curious about the perks of remote work? The team of Antonia Hayler, Fernando Chan, Yadira Marin, and Seifeddine Mokaddem explore this question in their stop motion animation project titled “Yeti” The story follows the lovable character of Mr. Yeti, who is determined to revolutionize his family’s business by working from the comfort of his own […]

Tamasha

Streetfighting takes a whole new meaning in the VR project “Tamasha.” The team, composed of Mahee Pal, Akhil Mathew, and Hazem Zakaria, created a prototype of an interactive VR film with the help of Quill. Their project features two fighting dice in the slums of Bombay, an idea that writer and director Mahee had been […]

Mycelium

The discontinuation of manned space flight by NASA does not seem to be permanent, according to the team of Utkarsh Agnihotri, Omar Qandeel, David Seul, and Tarek Zaytouneh. They developed the prototype of the multiplayer game “Mycelium,” which explores the intergalactic conflict between humanity and the eponymous Mycelium network. Humanity sends its advanced armored units […]

Der Televisionär (2016)

Der Televisionär: Wolfgang Menges transmediales Werk. Kritische und dokumentarische Perspektiven Lisa Gotto / Gundolf S. Freyermuth (Hg.) Wolfgang Menge (1924-2012) was one of the most important screenwriters of the post-war German Federal Republic. Television plays like “The Dubrow Crisis”, “The Million Game” or “Smog” wrote TV history, series like “Steel Net”, “A Heart and Soul” or […]

Clash of Realities 15/16 (2017)

Clash of Realities 2015/16 Proceedings of the 6th and 7th Conference Clash of Realities (Hg.) Digital games as transmedia works of art – Games as social environments – The aesthetics of play – Digital games in pedagogy – Cineludic aesthetics – Ethics in games – these were some of the important and fascinating topics addressed […]

Playing Utopia (2019)

Playing Utopia. Futures in Digital Games Benjamin Beil / Gundolf S. Freyermuth / Hanns Christian Schmidt (eds.) Media narratives inform our ideas of the future – and Games are currently making a significant contribution to this medial reservoir. On the one hand, Games demonstrate a particular propensity for fantastic and futuristic scenarios. On the other […]

Games Studieren (2019)

Games studieren – was, wie, wo? Staatliche Studienangebote im Bereich digitaler Spiele Björn Bartholdy / Linda Breitlauch / André Czauderna / Gundolf S. Freyermuth (eds.) Games are the most influential audiovisual expression and narrative form of digital culture. The currently emerging state educational offerings are therefore gaining artistic and cultural, but also scientific and economic significance, as was the case with film […]

Ind. Videogame Developers (2020)

The Publishing Challenge for Independent Videogame Developers. A Practical Guide. Odile Limpach The Publishing challenge for Indie Game Developers defines what game publishing means for the Indie developer and offers a concise framework to tackle the decision of whether to self-publish or not. Furthermore, the text establishes a catalog of current known publishers with some […]

Zarla

In her first year as student of the Master’s program 3D Animation for Film & Games Antonia Hayler created Zarla. Zarla 1st semester | Individual Project | WT 2021/22Virtual Character Creation TeamAntonia Hayler 3D Character Artist

Choy the Cheese

In his first semester Mahee Pal created Choy Credence. Part Cheese, part android Choy works as a bartender at Spacebar (the watering hole of the fag end of the solar system). He wants to take the bar’s singer out for dinner but the cheese part of him stinks too much. The bigger problem is that […]

Whack a Mole

In an exciting venture into VR development, Rebecca Barona, Gamze Sunar, Mahdieh Tabatabaei, Tanya Fuks and Veda Sai Megana from the MA 3D Animation for Film & Games program have reimagined the iconic Whack-a-Mole game. This innovative 3D VR version boasts mischievously animated moles, brought to life through Motion Capture technology, providing a lively and […]

Virtual de-extinction

In “Virtual de-extinction: Creating Credible 3D Simulated Dinosaurs with Art-Science Collaboration for Configurable Immersive Experiences,” Yavuz Volkan Kutucu takes a leap in blending art and science to breathe virtual life into extinct dinosaurs. His master’s thesis revolves around crafting realistic 3D models of these ancient giants using CGI, grounded in the latest scientific discoveries. Kutucu […]

A Coral Story

Discover the breathtaking revival of The Great Coral Reef in Australia, as a miraculous cure brings marine ecosystems back to life. But when a turtle uncovers a shocking secret, the thriving corals’ true fate is exposed. Episode one from a future series of short films meant for Social Media platforms. Delving into pressing environmental problems […]

Zeek

As her first project Kendys Ortega developed Zeek, the time traveller. The automaton scientist, created by ancient civilization, lives in a future where humans are extinct. His motivation is to travel back in time to meet his creator race, that is why he wants to find a way to turn himself into a time machine. […]

Plague Doctor

The character designed by Nilesh Kishore as his first project is a Plague doctor by the name of Ben. Admired for his exceptional medical skills, he is betrayed by those he has pledged to protect as a doctor. Mourning the loss of his murdered family, he develops a time machine, only to realize that what […]

Bloom – A Journey Through Seasons

Have you ever dreamed of befriending a bumblebee dragon? Then you need to play “Bloom: A Journey Through Seasons,” a 3D platformer game that invites you on a journey of discovery and collaboration. Join Nym, the elf, and Buzz, the bumblebee dragon, to gather pollen in a world that resembles a pinkish fairy tale forest. […]

Min

Min is a creature created by memories, it can travel in time through the mind of people & its main goal is to remind us about the lovely details of life. It was the first project Rebecca Barona completed as part of her Master’s degree. Min 1st semester | Individual Project | WT 2022/23Virtual Character […]

Pulse of Fear

Venture into the shadows with “Pulse of Fear,” a VR walkthrough created in Unity that taps into the stark, emotional depths of German expressionist cinema to confront the issue of street harassment. Developed by Gamze Sunar, Mahdieh Tabatabaei, Megana Veda Sai, Rebeca Barona, and Tetiana Fuks for an adult audience, this experience is designed to […]

Beyond the Dusty Shelves

Uncover the hidden mysteries of “Beyond the Dusty Shelves,” where the library is more than meets the eye. Kishore Srinivasan, Nilesh Kishore Monver, Sajjad Lotfi, and Mahshad Farhangi invite you on a journey into the heart of this realtime rendered library. As the new librarian navigates through the corridors and browses the books, he seems […]

Bakthak

The Iranian myth of the “Bakthak” will be right down your alley if you enjoy an increased heart rate and have no trouble sleeping at night. A team of students consisting of Kendys Ortega, Narina Allakhverdian, Nicole Mynarek and Sina Rezaeinejad resurrects this ancient tale through the medium of 3D animation. Utilizing the cutting-edge capabilities […]

VR Re-construction of Max Ernst’s Sedona Site

This Master’s project by Savish Uttam revives Max Ernst’s iconic Capricorn sculpture in a detailed digital reconstruction. While the original is lost and museum replicas fall short of capturing its intricacies, this project uses historical references and photographs to create the most faithful version of the artwork to date. The experience extends beyond Capricorn with […]

Publishing-Strategien… (2020)

Publishing-Strategien für unabhängige Spiele-Entwickler. Kriterien und Leitfaden für die Wahl zwischen einem Publishingpartner oder einer Selbstveröffentlichung Odile Limpach (ed.) AbstractProfessor Odile Limpach gibt unabhängigen Entwicklern alles, was sie brauchen, um Ihr Videospiel erfolgreich zu vermarkten. Das Buch bietet eine Analyse vom Indie Spielmarkt, eine Kategorisierung von Publishing Leistungen, sowie Zugang zu den Learnings von jungen […]

Paratextualizing Games (2021)

Paratextualizing Games Investigations on the Paraphernalia and Peripheries of Play Gundolf S. Freyermuth | Benjamin Beil | Hanns Christian Schmidt (eds.) How did games rise to become the central audiovisual form of expression and storytelling in Gaming no longer only takes place as a »closed interactive experience« in front of TV screens, but also as […]

Playing at a Distance (2022)

Playing at a Distance. Borderlands of Video Game Aesthetic Sonia Fizek An essential exploration of video game aesthetic that decenters the human player and challenges what it means to play. Do we play video games or do video games play us? Is nonhuman play a mere paradox or the future of gaming? And what do […]

Mental Health | Atmospheres (2022)

Mental Health | Atmospheres | Video Games. New Directions in Game Research II Alvarez Igarzábal, Federico | Debus, Michael S. | Maughan, Curtis L. | Vozaru, Miruna | Zimmermann, Felix | Aguilar Rodríguez, Jimena | Song, Su-Jin (eds.) AbstractGaming has never been disconnected from reality. When we engage with ever more lavish virtual worlds, something […]

Playful Materialities. (2022)

Playful Materialities. The Stuff That Games Are Made Of Freyermuth, Gundolf S. | Beil, Benjamin | Schmidt, Hanns Christian | Rusch, Raven (eds.) AbstractGame culture and material culture have always been closely linked. Analog forms of rule-based play (ludus) would hardly be conceivable without dice, cards, and game boards. In the act of free play […]

Time and Space in Video Games (2023)

Time and Space in Video Games.A Cognitive-Formalist Approach Alvarez Igarzábal, F. Abstract:Video games are temporal artifacts: They change with time as players interact with them in accordance with rules. In this study, Federico Alvarez Igarzábal investigates the formal aspects of video games that determine how these changes are produced and sequenced. Theories of time perception […]

Video Games and Mental Health

Video Games and Mental Health.Perspectives of Psychology and Game Design Federico Alvarez Igarzábal / Chad Comeau / Emmanuel Guardiola / Carmen Johann / Katharina Tillmanns (Eds.) Abstract: How do video games and mental health intersect from the perspectives of psychology and game design? In recent years, the topic of mental health has gained tremendous importance […]

Newsletter

Newsletter To make sure you don’t miss any news, dates and information about our projects, CGL sends out a newsletter every other month. You can sign up here:

Goethestrasse 56 (2021-2022)

Goethestrasse 56 – Learning German with Virtual Reality With the virtual reality learning environment Goethestrasse 56, a new approach to learning German at the A1 (beginner) level was realized in cooperation with the Goethe Institute Washington. The application, finalized at the end of 2021, allows primarily young users to immerse themselves in the everyday life […]

FemSTEAM Mysteries (2021-2022)

About FemSTEAM Mysteries – A Role-Model Game-Based Approach to Gender Equality in STEAM The Erasmus+ project “FemSTEAM Mysteries” is based on the values of gender equality and non-discrimination between men and women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM), creativity, and innovative entrepreneurship. Through the adoption of an innovative approach, that […]

The Game Starter Foundry

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Alumni

ubisoft bluebyte excerpt

Teams

Border Zone (2021-2023)

About Border Zone is an XR game app that takes visitors to Potsdam’s Park Babelsberg on a unique journey through the park’s multifaceted history at the time of German-German division. Using location-based XR technology, the project fuses past and present into a touching experience that brings lost or hidden traces of contemporary history back to […]

BUNG (2021-2022)

About BUNG – Developing nearly zero energy building skills through game-based learning The BUNG is an Eramus+ project with the aim of delivering knowledge, developing zero energy building skills, and encouraging energy-efficient behavior amongst building occupants through the development of an nZEB (nearly Zero Energy Building) learning game (BUNG game) that maximizes the learning effect […]

SOLVE (2019-2023)

About SOLVE – Development and pilot testing of an innovative game-based prevention intervention for adolescents with increased risk for substance misuse and dependencies. BackgroundIn this interdisciplinary project, psychologists from the German Institute for Addiction and Prevention Research (DISuP, Katholische Hochschule NRW, Cologne) in collaboration with game designers from the Cologne Game Lab (CGL, Technische Hochschule […]

ImTech4Ed (2021-2023)

About ImTech4Ed – Immersive Technologies for Education The Immersive Technologies for Education (ImTech4Ed) is an Erasmus+ project where researchers, educators, and game design students from Germany, Greece, and Cyprus contribute to design aspects of immersive solutions. ImTech4Ed aims at creating interdisciplinary and international collaboration among students, educators, and researchers from the participating disciplines in order […]

MILKI-PSY (2021-2023)

About Multimodal Immersive Learning with Artificial Intelligence for Psychomotor Skills A research consortium around the Cologne Game Lab at TH Köln is developing a learning environment with artificial intelligence to support the independent learning of psychomotor skills. The research project “Multimodal Immersive Learning with Artificial Intelligence for Psychomotor Skills” (MILKI-PSY) designs an innovative environment for […]

NOLI (2021-2023)

NOLI – Auf der Suche durch die Zeit is a non-linear narrative in and with digital media: Empirical reception study and development of a didactic storytelling concept for elementary school The research collaboration is based on the question of the extent to which the multimodal transformation of the literary landscape has changed the requirements for […]

Migrants’ Chronicles (2020-2023)

About The Migrants’ Chronicles-project is a serious game teaching migration from Luxembourg to America around 1892. The team of the Cologne Game Lab (TH Köln) is responsible for the game, while the Faculty of Humanities Education and Social Sciences of the Luxembourg University and the Humanities Center of Carleton College is responsible for the content […]

ARUB (2022-2023)

Augmented Reality (AR) in inter-company training We have teamed up with BZB (Bildungszentren des Baugewerbes e.V.) who have initiated the project “ARUB” funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) via the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) as part of the special program “ÜBS Digitalisierung”. ARUB stands for “Augmented Reality […]

Cave Experience Center (2022-2023)

About The CGL and the municipality of Engelskirchen team to develop a concept for a virtual reality experience in the planned Engelskirchen Cave Experience Center. The holistically integrated VR experience gives up to 16 visitors in an area of ~250 m² the chance to slip into the role of cave explorers and experience the Windloch’s […]

somafest

SomaFest (2023-2024)

SomaFest is a 7-day festival with a public exhibition, specialist workshops, and industry meet-ups to explore full-body engagement as the future of XR. It took first place in August 2023 at Cologne Game Lab! SomaFest 2023 is over but you can already save the date for next year´s event: We will be back September 16-22, 2024. For […]

Fear//Anxiety (2021-2024)

About In this project, virtual reality is used as a method to investigate the fundamental differences between anxiety and fear. The objective is to gain new biological insights into these two primary emotions and to derive therapeutical measures for the treatment of anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and phobias. Anxiety and fear arise in a confrontation […]

HyTea (2022-2024)

About HyTea – Model for Hybrid Teaching Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems can provide automatic, personalized and real-time feedback to learners in distance learning settings when a human expert is unavailable. AI feedback has the potential to be always available and can allow learners to practice deliberately and repeatedly at their own pace. Embedding AI feedback […]

Games Technology Network (2021-2024)

About Four universities in North Rhine-Westphalia have joined forces to establish the Games Technology Network (GTN). The Cologne Game Lab and the Institute for Information, Media and Electrical Engineering of TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences have teamed up with Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (coordination), RWTH Aachen University and Düsseldorf University of Applied […]

MASDIGU (2022-2024)

About Materialgestütztes argumentierendes Schreiben mit digitalen Medien im sprachsensiblen Geographieunterricht: Entwicklung eines digitalen Adventurespiels zu einem Raumnutzungskonflikt in Köln (MASDIGU) // Material-supported argumentative writing with digital media in language-sensitive geography lessons: development of a digital adventure game on a spatial-use conflict in Cologne The interdisciplinary project MASDIGU focuses on the potential of digital games for […]

Erika-Fuchs-Haus 4.0 (2023-2024)

About The Erika-Fuchs-Haus – Museum for Comic and Language Art in the town of Schwarzenbach an der Saale and the CGL are aiming to merge museum, town and history with a game in the form of an innovative augmented reality application (AR application). In the first part of the research collaboration, they have jointly developed […]

Greening Games (2021-2024)

Greening Games Building Higher Education Resources for Sustainable Video Game Production, Design and Critical Game Studies (Principal Investigator & Project Coordinator) Within the framework of the “Greening Games” project, we will develop, test and distribute flagship didactic materials addressing the interdisciplinary nature of green digital gaming. These will be tested in selected higher education programs […]

Dr. Federico Alvarez Igarzábal

Federico researches games and play with a mix of theoretical and experimental approaches. In his interdisciplinary work, he combines game studies, aesthetics, cognitive psychology, philosophy of mind, and more to elucidate the experience of individuals at play.

The ISEDA Project (2022-2025)

Upcoming Event About The issue of domestic violence (DV) continues to represent a significant challenge across Europe, with adverse consequences for both individuals and communities. In response to this situation, the ISEDA project (Innovative Solutions to Eliminate Domestic Abuse), coordinated by Cologne Game Lab from the TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences, has been […]

Team

Team VR4VET is a cooperation between: Cologne Game Lab (CGL), TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences BZB Krefeld (Bildungszentren des Baugewerbes e.V.) NTNU Trondheim TU Delft Rotterdam Technology College NAV Trøndelag Trøndelag County Council The project is funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union.

Construction Sector VR App

About the Construction Sector VR app: The VR4VET Construction Sector VR app simulates a construction warehouse equipped with materials, tools, and safety gear. Users can practice tasks like building a wooden frame wall—adding insulation, housewrap, and vapor barriers—and assembling roof layers by understanding structures and laying tiles.The application can be used as supplementary material for […]

VR4VET (2022-2025)

VR4VET: Virtual reality in career guidance and counseling While COVID 19 has brought the need for digitization into even sharper focus, the pandemic also contributed to rising youth unemployment: More than 3 million young people in Europe between the ages of 15 and 24 are currently unable to find a job; the number of people […]

PREMIERE (2023-2027)

Co-creation for innovation – Preparing multi-actor projects All across Europe, rural areas are facing major social, economic, and environmental concerns and challenges. Innovative solutions are needed to help farmers, foresters, and other rural businesses or initiatives to meet the expectations of wider society, whilst at the same time running their own successful businesses and working […]

Humanitarian Game Network

Introduction: At the heart of the Humanitarian Game Network initiative is a regular webinar series, where we’ll bring you face-to-face with the minds behind influential humanitarian games. Each month, we’ll feature a different developer, delving into their creative process, the purpose behind their games, and the tangible impact they’re striving to make. From social issues […]

STRATEGIES (2024-2028)

STRATEGIES — Sustainable Transition for Europe’s Game Industries — is a Horizon Europe funded project that supports Europe’s game industries in realising their potential as drivers of sustainable innovation, contributing to achieving the goals of the European Green Deal and delivering an economy that works for people. The Project: Europe’s game developers are a vital […]

SOILSCAPE

SOILSCAPE: Spreading Open and Inclusive Literacy and Soil Culture through Artistic Practices and Education The Project: SOILSCAPE harnesses the power of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), artists, and civil society organizations (CSOs) to promote soil preservation across Europe and beyond. Working with experts from the worlds of soil sciences, arts, decision-making, and humanities, this project […]

Gen-AIvatar (2025-2028)

Project Description: Creating high-quality human movements is complex and resource-intensive, especially in applications such as the growing market for virtual reality soft skill training, which require authentically portrayed emotions. Gen-AIvatar revolutionizes the creation of animated avatars for 3D applications by making this process simpler, more efficient, and more cost-effective through the use of the key […]

The Antura Initiative (2016-2026)

About The Antura Initiative is an applied research program investigating the use of games for children’s education and psychosocial well-being. The approach utilised by the initiative deploys free, open-source, solutions based on mobile gaming technology. The Antura Initiative targets children between the ages of five and twelve, with a particular focus on ones having limited […]

REACH

Combining multi-user training with human-robot interaction The REACH consortium of industrial and academic XR experts creates and provides a holistic authoring system for the easy creation of multi-user VR/MR applications, which foster collaboration between real robots and their digital twins. We integrate multimodal interaction like gaze, voice, sound, and visuals for smooth communication with robotic […]

HistoVeaR (2026-2028)

HistoVeaR – Experiencing Historical Clothing in Virtual Reality is an interdisciplinary research project dedicated to the digital reconstruction, simulation, and experiential exploration of historical clothing in virtual environments. The project is carried out in collaboration with World of VR, the Cologne Game Lab at TH Köln, the Computer Graphics Group, and the University of Paderborn, […]

Project Plot – Play a Story Network (2025-2027)

“Project Plot – Play a Story Network” is an interactive Unity 3D educational software prototype and analytical tool that transforms complex storyworlds into navigable semantic networks. Developed as the practical component of Pedro Mota’s practice-based theoretical PhD research entitled “RHIZOLUDENS SEMIOPHAGIAS: Semiotic Borders of Narrative Ecosystems in Collaborative Rhizomes”—originally initiated at the University of São […]

Play!

The Clash of Realities international research conference on the art, technology and theory of digital games is providing the opportunity for interdisciplinary exchange and dialogue.

SomaFest

SomaFest is a 7-day festival with a public exhibition, specialist workshops, and industry meet-ups to explore full-body engagement as the future of XR. It took first place in August 2023 at Cologne Game Lab! SomaFest 2023 is over but you can already save the date for next year´s event: We will be back September 16-22, 2024. For […]

Transformations – Dynamics of Change in Media Environments

This year, the CGL celebrated its 15th anniversary with Transformations – Dynamics of Change in Media Environments. From September 23–25 2025, international experts from academia, the games industry, and the creative sector came together to explore the future of media, game development, and digital storytelling. The program featured keynote talks by Odile Limpach, Benedikt Grindel, […]

Planetary Futures Summer School

Planetary FuturesThe STRATEGIES Summer School on Ecological Games & Responsible Development Date & Venue 31 August – 2 September 2026TH Köln – University of Applied SciencesCologne Game LabSchanzenstraße 2851063 Cologne, Germany What is it about? In recent years professionals and scholars have studied how games represent ecological collapse and engage with environmental themes. As the […]