Sustainability & Environment

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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: […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

#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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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.

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 […]

Press Coverage

B.A. Digital Games

Digital Games BA excerpt