Research and PhD Programmes

Research in games covers a wide spectrum of theoretical and practical areas; the relation between video games and other media; video game aesthetics and politics; immersive technologies and game design, game-based learning, serious games, ludomusicology, inclusive games design, agency in games, games and socio-cultural studies. Projects often happen in collaboration with industry partners in the games and other creative industries. Our students are given opportunities to participate in research so that they extend their knowledge, implement the skills they learn in their studies into real world contexts, and extend their teamwork and management skills, while enriching their portfolio.

Research opportunities for students 

Research students are welcomed to Brunel as valued members of our thriving, research-intensive community. Browse PhD opportunities below and find out about the funding available for students.

Research in Games Design

Find people, projects, groups and publications in Games Design and read more about related research to this area. 

Related Research

Applied games and gaming research

Interdisciplinary research via and on games from the standpoint of applied games design.

Brunel Software Engineering Lab

Promoting all sides of empirical and formal investigations of software artefacts – code, formal models and human aspects.

Creative Computing

Multidisciplinary research at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (machine learning), serious and fun gaming, and cognitive modelling to simulate a physical world either as a virtual, augmented or mixed reality environment.

Games Research Lab

The Games Research Lab at Brunel is a space for cross disciplinary explorations, collaborations, experimental projects, and applied research, and a hub for research in applied gaming and beyond.

Institute of Digital Futures

Brings together digital science and technology innovation and advancement, aligned with the Grand Challenges of the UK’s Industrial Strategy, thereby enhancing the global citizen’s quality of life.

Intelligent Digital Economy and Society

Research into intelligent digital economy and society using AI, data analytics, 6G, media, human-machine interaction, digital games, augmented and virtual reality, digital twins, IoTs, cyber security, data & information fusion.

Interactive Multimedia Systems

Building sensor and media-rich, cross-layer, inclusive e-systems, with an interest in human-machine interaction, sensorial-based interfaces, data visualisation and multimedia.

Living avatars

Uniquely interdisciplinary approach to better understand the social, cognitive, and political impacts of avatar use.

Media Communication

Conducting, promoting and disseminating world-class research in the expanding area of Media Communications systems and technologies.