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< Back Zoë O’Shea Goldsmiths iGGi PG Researcher Zoë O’Shea is an Irish freelance games designer and artist, working on her thesis in game design and player psychology. Her previous qualifications include 3D Generalism, and an MA in Digital Game Design and Theory. She is endlessly curious about the meaning and value that technology can bring to the world, exploring the human experience as a core principle of her work. She firmly believes in the importance of creating a more joyful and inclusive world. Zoë has previously worked with a range of clients and companies including A Brave Plan, Surgent Studios, Transport for London (TfL) and LEGO. In 2019, Zoë was awarded a Digital Fellowship from the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in collaboration with Magic Leap. Zoë worked with other creatives for a year to explore the future of theatre and Spatial Computing (Mixed Reality). The programme completed in Feb 2020, through the generous support of Magic Leap, the RSC, their technologists, industry partners, i2 Media Research and the University of Portsmouth. Currently, Zoë is working on completing her thesis while offering consultancy services for games and start-ups looking to expand their knowledge in soft aesthetics, tend & befriend game design and immersive technology. A description of Zoë's research: Tend & Befriend: A New Perspective on Player Psychology in Digital Games Many are familiar with the term "fight-or-flight" - a stress response activated when animals come into conflict with a stressor or threat. Less commonly known is "tend & befriend", an alternative theory of stress response which suggests that engaging with tending and affiliative behaviours under duress can soothe and protect us. This thesis investigates this phenomenon in digital games, with a focus on empirical data and design. Results demonstrate a consistent niche in the games industry for "tend & befriend" centric design and the value in synthesising previous design frameworks to create a intentional and polished experience for players. z.oshea@gold.ac.uk Email Mastodon Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/meowmentai/ LinkedIn BlueSky Github Supervisor(s): Prof. Richard Bartle Featured Publication(s): The impact of self-representation and consistency in collaborative virtual environments Themes Design & Development Immersive Technology Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Ross Fifield University of York iGGi PG Researcher Available for placement I am a user-centred games designer and researcher with a background in both practical and theoretical dimensions of play. I hold a BA and MA in Games Design from Falmouth University and have recently been engaged in teaching further and higher education courses in games development. My work sits at the intersection of design innovation, player psychology, and emerging technology, with a particular focus on how people find, engage with, and sustain play in social contexts. Currently undertaking a PhD as part of the iGGi programme, my research investigates the social and psychological factors that influence whether and how individuals choose to play with others. I aim to develop actionable insights that reduce barriers to engagement, support better player matchmaking, and encourage more inclusive and sustainable multiplayer experiences. I am particularly interested in live data applications and their potential to inform adaptive matchmaking systems and enhance game discovery. My practice draws from speculative and disruptive design methodologies, with a commitment to developing future-proof solutions that benefit academic, educational, and commercial communities alike. I maintain professional interests in affective psychology and digital heritage. As a player, I take an agnostic approach to genre, though I have a particular affinity for First Person Shooters, MMOs, sandbox games, and live-action roleplay. I am seeking placement opportunities with studios and organisations that are open to collaboration on live, data-driven projects focused on social play, player engagement, matchmaking and game discovery. My goal is to contribute meaningfully to real-world game development while refining methodologies that support more empathetic, inclusive, and dynamic player experiences. ross.fifield@york.ac.uk Email https://bsky.app/profile/rossfifield.bsky.social Mastodon http://www.rossfifield.com Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossfifield/ LinkedIn https://bsky.app/profile/rossfifield.bsky.social BlueSky Github Supervisors: Dr Joe Cutting Prof. Paul Cairns Themes Player Research Previous Next

< Back Dr Mona Jaber Supervisor Mona Jaber is a lecturer in Internet of Things (IoT) who’s research is centred at the intersection of IoT and machine learning for sustainable development goals. In particular, she is interested in harnessing IoT data to model mobility trends in a digital twin platform that allows users to test future measures in a verisimilar virtual environment. Her research is grounded in privacy-preserving measures for capturing and analysing IoT data. She is the winner of a new investigator award research grant (DASMATE £500K) in which she examines distributed acoustic sensors systems and a privacy-preserving alternative data source to model active travel. She is interested in supervising students on the topic of serious game building that engages the public in shaping their neighbourhood through interventions in the virtual environment towards sustainable 15 minutes city goals. m.jaber@qmul.ac.uk Email Mastodon http://eecs.qmul.ac.uk/profiles/jabermona.html Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/mona-jaber/ LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes Accessibility Applied Games Game AI - Previous Next

< Back Filip Sroka Queen Mary University of London iGGi PG Researcher Filip is a Computer Science researcher specialising in Game AI. He acquired an Integrated Masters in Computer Science from Queen Mary University of London and is pursuing a PhD in Game AI with iGGi. With a passion for algorithms and problem-solving, he constantly seeks new challenges to enhance his skills. As an avid LEGO collector and investor, he brings a unique blend of technical and creative abilities. He is excited about the potential of the Metaverse and is driven by the role of technology in shaping its future. His research explores the integration of Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA) into VR rhythm games such as Beat Saber, with the goal of enhancing player skill development and motivation through the application of learning theories. By addressing difficulty spikes, the project creates personalised learning experiences using human-made maps designed to accelerate the learning process. Key components include player evaluation, map segmentation, and procedural generation. The broader aim is to extend these findings to other rhythm games, offering benefits to players, game developers, and the health and fitness industry. f.sroka@qmul.ac.uk Email Mastodon Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/filip-sroka-134954197/ LinkedIn BlueSky https://github.com/FilipSroka Github Supervisor: Dr Laurissa Tokarchuk Themes Applied Games Game AI Immersive Technology - Previous Next

< Back Dr Adrian Bors University of York Supervisor Adrian G. Bors is an Associate Professor at the University of York and has published more than 150 papers in international journals and conferences in the areas of his research interests. He is interested in supervising projects related to the application of novel artificial intelligence methods and computer vision in Game AI. One of the areas of interest is in the modelling of game characters (intelligent agent) continuously learning from their environments, able to transfer their knowledge from one stage to the next, while accumulating the information, like human/animal beings and enabling to continuously adapt to their environments. Another topic of interest is represented by conditional image and video generation for developing game environments. The conditional video/image generation will depend on certain factors that can be pre-established or be the result of self-learning by an (intelligent agent). Most existing games relying on no movement representation lack in representing realistic and continuous movement. In this direction of research, we will aim to generated video which would be consistent with realistic movement of game characters. Specific attention will be paid to modelling the interaction of the generated movement with the environment or other actors (game characters). In another direction of research, Adrian G. Bors will supervise projects in digital watermarking of 3D graphical characters. Codes will be invisible embedded and retrieved from the 3D graphics representations. The code embedded, like the DNA in human/animals, will enable the character to act in specific ways, defining behavioural traits in similarly looking graphics characters. adrian.bors@york.ac.uk Email https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Adrian-Bors Mastodon https://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/adrian/ Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-bors-32a3668/ LinkedIn BlueSky https://github.com/AdrianBors Github Themes Game AI - Previous Next

< Back Dr Mariana Lopez University of York Supervisor Dr Mariana Lopez is a researcher in the field of sound design. She works on two main fields: accessibility and heritage. Her work on accessibility focuses on how sound design can be used to create accessible experiences for film and television audiences with sight loss, providing an alternative to traditional Audio Description practices. She was the Principal Investigator of the project Enhancing Audio Description funded by the AHRC. In the field of heritage, she focuses on acoustical heritage, by exploring how acoustic measurement techniques, computer modelling and the recreation of soundscapes can help us understand the sonic experiences of our ancestors. She was the Principal Investigator of the British Academy-funded project – The Soundscapes of the York Mystery Plays. Related to these fields she is supervising and has supervised projects in the field of mental health in connection to the creative arts; interactive installations; serious gaming and its impact on sustainability; accessibility and gaming; and sound design in participatory theatre, among others. Research themes: Game Audio and Music Games with a Purpose Sound and accessibility Equality and social justice Acoustical heritage Sound installations mariana.lopez@york.ac.uk Email Mastodon https://marianajlopez.com/ Other links Website https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mariana-lopez-9a229096 LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes Applied Games Game Audio - Previous Next

< Back Dr Jeremy Gow Queen Mary University of London iGGi Training Coordinator Supervisor Jeremy Gow is a game AI researcher with a focus on computational game design, exploring ways in which AI can help us understand players and games, enhance the game development process, and contribute to the creation of game content. He has been a lecturer at EECS and a member of the Queen Mary Game AI group since 2018. He has a background in artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction research, and a PhD in AI from the University of Edinburgh. He is particularly interested in supervising students with a game development or AI background on the following topics: Automated playtesting and QA AI-based game development tools Modelling player experience AI for the design of agents and procedural generators Computational creativity in games Research themes: Game AI Game Analytics Game Design Computational Creativity jeremy.gow@qmul.ac.uk Email Mastodon Other links Website LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes Creative Computing Design & Development Game AI Game Data - Previous Next

< Back Dr James Walker University of York iGGi Industry Liaison Supervisor Dr James Walker is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and Digital Creativity at the University of York. A member of the Digital Creativity Labs, and the York Cross-disciplinary Centre for Systems Analysis (YCCSA). His current research focuses on bio-inspired algorithms (including AI and machine learning) and their application to games and game data analytics. He is also a senior member of the IEEE. James@digitalcreativity.ac.uk Email Mastodon Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-walker-96a53465/ LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes Creative Computing Esports Game AI Game Data - Previous Next

< Back Alex Flint University of York iGGi PG Researcher Available for placement Alex has an academic background in Psychology and Human-Computer Interaction. Their Master’s dissertation comparing measures of perceived challenge and demand in video games was published at CHI 2023. Alex has previously worked on the Research Operations team at PlaytestCloud and as a freelance Games User Researcher. They are also a Student Video Games Ambassador for UKIE, and regularly volunteer at conferences such as CHI Play and the GamesUR Summit. When they aren’t at their desk, you can find Alex figure skating, playing roller derby, or DJing 80’s rock. Alex’s research focuses on levelling up the narrative testing practices of indie video game developers. Narrative testing is a specialised games user research (GUR) practice that requires resources and knowledge not easily accessible to indie developers, meaning they are often disadvantaged compared to their larger AAA counterparts. Thus, Alex's work proposes the direct study of indie developers to level the playing field by democratising narrative testing best practices and empowering non-research team members to conduct GUR activities. Alex aims to achieve this goal by: 1) Defining narrative testing best practices. 2) Identifying key challenges indie developers face when evaluating narrative. 3) Co-designing and evaluating narrative testing prototype(s). 4) Assessing methods for disseminating GUR knowledge. The successful completion of this work will impact how indie studios conduct narrative testing, ultimately leading to the creation of better games. alex.flint@york.ac.uk Email Mastodon https://alexflint.tech Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexlflint/ LinkedIn https://bsky.app/profile/alexlflint.bsky.social BlueSky Github Supervisor: Dr Alena Denisova Dr Jon Hook Featured Publication(s): Comparing Measures of perceived challenge and demand in video games: Exploring the conceptual dimensions of CORGIS and VGDS Faking handedness: Individual differences in ability to fake handedness, social cognitions of the handedness of others, and a forensic application using Bayes’ theorem Themes Design & Development Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Tom Wells University of York iGGi PG Researcher Available for placement Tom has an interest in niche alternative and indie games which evoke strong emotions and are narratively immersive. He studied Experimental Psychology as an undergraduate in Oxford, specialising in conscious brightness perception in specific optical pigments. His Masters was in Computational Neuroscience, Cognition and AI from Nottingham, and focused on Computer Vision (specifically facial recognition) and Visual Attention. He enjoys heavy metal, strength sports and literature. A description of Tom's research: With the rise of digital art, Uncanny Valley has emerged from an esoteric robotics concept into an infectious memetic phenomenon, with specific memes such as 'Uncanny/Canny Mr. Incredible', or more generally uncanny faces being used as reaction images for humor. Critics and players will now refer to specific media being 'Uncanny' rather than using more general words as 'off-putting', demonstrating uncanniness cementing itself in the public consciousness as examples increasingly abound; ergo digital artists should be aware of evoking the uncanny even with modern rendering technology, as audiences become increasingly discerning of the Uncanny. This is most pertinent in videogames, where rendering is performed in real-time, meaning rendering constraints must be implemented. This potentially confines characters to the Uncanny Valley, as it may not be possible to increase graphical fidelity, thus artists may be left to either accept the uncanny or demaster their work (both undesirable options). This project aims to learn about the Uncanny Valley pertaining to modern skin rendering techniques, using artificial intelligence (specifically GANs) to directly map skin rendering parameters onto user assessments of uncanniness and realism. This can then be reverse engineered to provide automated tools for generatively rendering realistic non-uncanny skin, and predicting audience responses to skin realism, expediting QA testing. The primary experimental stage is to generate a face database with photorealistic skin to be assessed using psychometrics by participants. This is additionally one of few studies looking into the novel phenomena of training AI's to generate human-oriented psychologically salient content. tw1700@york.ac.uk Email Mastodon Other links Website LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes - Previous Next

< Back Dr Joseph Walton-Rivers University of Essex iGGi Alum Controlling Non-player characters. (Industry placement at Visteon) Within games non-player characters help to sell the world and give meaning to the player's experiences. These characters in games are presently not very believable and often lack the ability to interact with each other in meaningful ways. This work is looking at creating socially capable, believable agents to populate the worlds of role playing games. These agents need to be able to cope with player's actions and be capable of acting independent in the world. Joseph studied computer science at the University of Essex, obtaining a first class degree. During his study there he received two awards for academic achievement. After graduation he worked in the IT team of a company with offices across the United Kingdom where he developed and maintained their IT systems. Since starting IGGI he has worked on research involving co-operative agents working together to solve shared goals. He has a keen interest in programming and the Free Software movement. During his free time he enjoys strategy and puzzle games including Prison Architect, the Shadowrun series and Galactic Civilization 2. Please note: Updating of profile text in progress Email Mastodon Other links Website LinkedIn BlueSky Github Featured Publication(s): Evaluating the Effects on Monte Carlo Tree Search of Predicting Co-operative Agent Behaviour An Exploratory Analysis of Student Experiences with Peer Evaluation in Group Game Development Projects Student Perspectives on the Purpose of Peer Evaluation During Group Game Development Projects The 2018 Hanabi competition Hexboard: A generic game framework for turn-based strategy games Fireworks agent competition Evaluating and Modelling Hanabi-Playing Agents Controlling co-incidental non-player characters Monte carlo tree search applied to co-operative problems Distributed Social Multi-Agent Negotiation Framework For Incomplete Information Games Themes Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Dr Claudio Guarnera University of York Supervisor You can get more out of your site elements by making them dynamic. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data. Once connected, you can update it anytime without affecting your design or updating elements by hand. Add any type of content to your collection, such as rich text, images, videos and more, or upload it via CSV file. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. claudio.guarnera@york.ac.uk Email Mastodon https://www.cs.york.ac.uk/cvpr/member/claudio/ Other links Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/giuseppe-claudio-guarnera LinkedIn BlueSky Github Themes Applied Games Creative Computing - Previous Next