Search Results

< Back Callum Deery University of York iGGi Alum Callum is a researcher and game developer investigating how real-time player experience measurement can be used to drive adaptive games. Aiming to embed player experience questionnaires into games in a way that doesn’t break immersion and presence, his PhD is focussed on leveraging the wide range of existing player experience questionnaires to improve games ability to adapt to players. This will involve exploring the states of immersion and presence: What is necessary to maintain them? What experiences can players reflect on without breaking immersion? How do we embed a questionnaire into an in-development game without disrupting the player experience? Email callum.deery@gmail.com Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Supervisors: Dr James Walker Dr Anna Bramwell-Dicks Themes Accessibility Design & Development Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Dr James Goodman Queen Mary University of London iGGi Outreach Coordinator iGGi Alum James has picked up degrees in Chemistry, History, Mathematics, Business Administration and Machine Learning. After a career in Consultancy and IT Project Management he is now finally doing the research he always wanted to. James is interested in opponent modelling, theory of mind and strategic communication in multi-player games, and how statistical forward planning can be used in modern tabletop board-games (or other turn-based environments). With a constrained budget, how much time should an agent spend thinking about it's own plan versus thinking about what other players might be doing to get in the way. How does this balance vary across different games? His secondary research interests are in using AI-playtesting as a tool for game-balancing and game-design. Email james.goodman@qmul.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Supervisors: Dr Diego Pérez-Liébana Prof. Simon Lucas Featured Publication(s): Dice, Cards, Action! The Analysis, Play and Design of MultiplayerTabletop Board Games with Monte Carlo Tree Search From code to play: Benchmarking program search for games using large language models LLM-based Program Search for Games Seeding for Success: Skill and Stochasticity in Tabletop Games From Code to Play: Benchmarking Program Search for Games Using Large Language Models Skill Depth in Tabletop Board Games Measuring Randomness in Tabletop Games A case study in AI-assisted board game design Following the leader in multiplayer tabletop games PyTAG: Challenges and Opportunities for Reinforcement Learning in Tabletop Games MultiTree MCTS in Tabletop Games Visualizing Multiplayer Game Spaces TAG: Terraforming Mars Fingerprinting tabletop games AI and Wargaming Metagame Autobalancing for Competitive Multiplayer Games Does it matter how well I know what you’re thinking? Opponent Modelling in an RTS game Weighting NTBEA for game AI optimisation Re-determinizing MCTS in Hanabi Noise reduction and targeted exploration in imitation learning for abstract meaning representation parsing UCL+ Sheffield at SemEval-2016 Task 8: Imitation learning for AMR parsing with an alpha-bound Themes Design & Development Game AI - Previous Next

< Back Dan Cooke University of York iGGi PG Researcher Available for post-PhD position I have a keen interest in the world of finance and regulation and controls for prevention of crime in video games and wider financial marketplaces. I am interested in how criminals seek to exploit systems to transfer and disguise proceeds of crime or for the use of further crime. I have a background in accounting and finance and graduated with a MA in Applied Accounting from De Montfort University in 2019. Outside of my professional interests I play MMO's daily and am involved in the community for Old School Runescape and Runescape. My research interests include money laundering, secondary marketplaces in video games and user experience. A description of Dan’s research: The focus of my research is on detecting money laundering in video games using outlier detection methods to assess the risk of outliers relative to the data population. I aim to have identified money laundering risk and scale within the steam marketplace data i am working with and identify whether certain games or items have higher risk of being exploited for the purpose of money laundering purposes. My current research is looking at using anomaly scores (how severe of an outlier a data point is) to assess the risk of laundering within certain groups using a multi level grouping analysis. This aims to assess different risk levels per item and game and challenge the assumption that the whole marketplace behaves the same and identify risk variance between groups. Email dan.cooke@york.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Supervisor(s): Dr David Zendle Featured Publication(s): Money laundering through video games, a criminals' playground Themes Esports Game Data Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Dr Shringi Kumari University of York iGGi Alum Shringi is a seasoned game designer with more than nine years of experience making games for companies including EA, Zynga, Bigpoint, and Wooga. She became a researcher four years ago, wondering how game designers can take inspiration from other creative fields. In her PhD, she is now studying how stage magic can be translated to games for creating believable illusions of choice and moments of surprise. She continues to consult as a game designer for companies and has started a lecturership in game design at University of East London. In the past years she has spoken about game design across the world at a number of known platforms: Indiecade Europe, Develop, Game Happens, SOMA Chicago, GDC India to count some. As a creative, she engages in working on disruptive design both in games and beyond. Her work reflects her Indian background and discusses universal issues of identity, need for diversity and the idea or illusion of home. She has recently published her debut poetry collection,“The Saree Shop” and has featured in a short story anthology with her story ”Garden of Vaginas”. Shringi is supervised by Dr Sebastian Deterding (York) and Dr Gustav Kuhn (Goldsmiths). Please note: Updating of profile text in progress Email Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Featured Publication(s): The role of uncertainty in moment-to-moment player motivation: a grounded theory Why game designers should study magic Investigating uncertainty in digital games and its impact on player immersion Studying General Agents in Video Games from the Perspective of Player Experience The Magician's Choice: Providing illusory choice and sense of agency with the Equivoque forcing technique. Design Inspiration for Motivating Uncertainty in Games using Stage Magic Principles Themes Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Dr Jon Hook University of York Supervisor Jon Hook is a Senior Lecturer (equivalent to an Associate Professor) in Interactive Media in the Department of Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media at the University of York. His research is situated in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and explores the design and development of new interactive media content forms and tools to support their creation. This research combines his deep interest in new forms of interactive technology and media with empirical, theoretical and methodological perspectives, in the human-centred design of novel interfaces and interaction techniques for a broad range of artistic and everyday creative practices. His current research is focused on the design and development of new forms of responsive and immersive media content, with a particular interest in data-driven storytelling. He was recently the principal investigator of the EPSRC funded Perspective Media: Personalised Video Storytelling for Data Engagement project. He also a co-investigator of the InnovateUK WEAVR: Pioneering Fully Integrated Cross-Reality Spectator Experiences in Esports and Beyond immersive experiences demonstrator and the Digital Creativity Labs – a £4m EPSRC, AHRC and InnovateUK funded research centre exploring impact-driven research in the creative industries. He was also previously Co-I of the AHRC Within the walls of York Gaol: Memory, Place and the Immersive Museum the AHRC Digital Creativity for Regional Museums: Immersive Experiences Smart Commissioning Toolkit. He is especially interested in supervising students who’d like to do HCI research that involves making and evaluating new interactive media experiences. Some example topic areas that he might be the right supervisor for include, but aren’t limited to: Games to support broader data engagement and literacy Data-driven storytelling in, and about, games The intersection between games and interactive documentary film Responsive and interactive video storytelling in games The space where theatre and games converge Cultural heritage engagement using games Research themes: Game Design Games with a Purpose E-Sports Player Experience Email jonathan.hook@york.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Themes Applied Games Esports Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Dr Joe Cutting University of York iGGi Alum + Supervisor Dr Joe Cutting is a Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction in the Department of Computer Science at the University of York, UK. He has a BSc in Computer Science and an MSc in Cognitive Science from the University of Birmingham and completed an IGGI PhD at the University of York in 2019. Much of his research is in the area of the effects of playing video games on outcomes such as learning, cognitive abilities, wellbeing and behaviour change. This includes new psychological theories of how learning happens in video games and how game play can affect mental health, as well as studies on how game play can prevent cognitive decline in older people. He is also creating applied games to address current issues in education such as student wellbeing and teacher recruitment. Before becoming an academic, Joe enjoyed a varied career which included working as an interactive producer for the London Science Museum and founding his own digital startup company in the area of applied games. Email joe.cutting@york.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Supervisor(s): Prof. Paul Cairns Featured Publication(s): 01 01V Difficulty-skill balance does not affect engagement and enjoyment: a pre-registered study using artificial intelligence-controlled difficulty Higher working memory capacity and distraction-resistance associated with strategy (not action) game playing in younger adults, but puzzle game playing in older adults Objective difficulty-skill balance impacts perceived balance but not behaviour: A test of flow and self-determination theory predictions The task-attention theory of game learning: a theory and research agenda The Relationship Between Lockdowns and Video Game Playtime: Multilevel Time-Series Analysis Using Massive-Scale Data Telemetry Four grand challenges for video game effects scholars: How digital trace data can improve the way we study games Measuring the experience of playing self-paced games Measuring game experience using visual distractors Four dilemmas for video game effects scholars: How digital trace data can improve the way we study games The many faces of monetisation: Understanding the diversity and extremity of player spending in mobile games via massive-scale transactional analysis Busy doing nothing? What do players do in idle games? Understanding whether lockdowns lead to increases in the heaviness of gaming using massive-scale data telemetry: An analysis of 251 billion hours of playtime Themes Applied Games Design & Development Player Research - Previous Next

< Back - Meet me @ Develop:Brighton 2026 - Nicole Levermore University of York iGGi PG Researcher Available for placement Nicole's academic background is within Neuroscience, having achieved BSc Neuroscience and Psychology, MSc Translational Neuroscience and an MPhil in Auditory Neuroscience. Outside of her research interests, she enjoys playing video games, hiking and playing the cello. A description of Nicole's research: Video games have enormous potential for research on cognition and mental health. In my project, I will use video games to perform basic research into a common psychiatric disorder (ADHD), paving the way for improved diagnosis, monitoring and therapy. ADHD is typically diagnosed in childhood and is characterised by failures of attentional state maintenance. This project involves using cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques to investigate how subjects with and without ADHD switch between attentional states (for example, ‘engagement’ and ‘flow’) while playing a cognitively engaging video game. The ultimate goal is to use video games to understand how mental health impacts people’s ability to focus on cognitively demanding tasks and, potentially, to develop therapeutic intervention. Email nicole.levermore@york.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Supervisor: Prof. Alex Wade Themes Accessibility Design & Development Immersive Technology Player Research https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRFe1EOPW_4 Previous Next

< Back Dr Nathan Hughes University of York iGGi Alum Nathan Hughes is a player experience researcher who focuses on how player make choices within games. Specifically, the work explores open world games such as Skyrim and the Witcher 3, as these games allow players a vast amount of choice with little restrictions on how and when these are made. However, little research has considered these choices, so little is known about how players experience choice in open world games. Therefore, research questions for this work include; why do players choose not to pursue the main quest? What do players choose to do instead? When and how do they make this decision? His background is in psychology, and so asks these questions from a psychological perspective. The aim is to uncover how the process of choosing unfolds, and how this is influenced. In turn, this may allow reflections on how the decision-making process operates - by analysing choices within open world games, a more controlled (but still intrinsically motivating) setting can be studied. Email ngjhughes@gmail.com Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Supervisor Prof. Paul Cairns Featured Publication(s): Clinicians Risk Becoming "Liability Sinks" for Artificial Intelligence Understanding specific gaming experiences: the case of open world games The need for the human-centred explanation for ML-based clinical decision support systems Growing Together: An Analysis of Measurement Transparency Across 15 Years of Player Motivation Questionnaires Contextual design requirements for decision-support tools involved in weaning patients from mechanical ventilation in intensive care units Opening the World of Contextually-Specific Player Experiences No Item Is an Island Entire of Itself: A Statistical Analysis of Individual Player Difference Questionnaires Ethereum Crypto-Games: Mechanics, Prevalence, and Gambling Similarities Themes Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Prof. Anders Drachen Supervisor Anders Drachen, PhD, (born 1976) is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science, with Digital Creativity Labs and Weavr at the University of York (UK). His work in games research is focused on user behavior, user experience and audience engagement and the application of data science, information systems modelling, business intelligence, design and Human-Computer Interaction in these domains. His research and professional work are carried out in collaboration with companies across the Creative Industries, from big publishers to indies. He is recognized as one of the most influential people in his domains of work and have authored over a hundred publications with international colleagues across industry and academia. Having lived and worked on four different continents, Anders Drachen has had the mixed pleasure of fending off three shark attacks in Africa and Australia. He is also the youngest Dane in history to publish a cooking book – dedicated to ice cream. Research themes: Data Science, Analytics, Machine Learning in Interactive Media Big Data, behavior- and social media analytics in the Creative Industries Data Mining and Business Informatics in the Creative Industries Data-Driven Storytelling and Audience Engagement Games User Research and User Experience in Games Data-Driven Design and Development Human-Computer Interaction Esports and Sports Analytics Behavioral/Market Analytics and Business Intelligence Entrepreneurship in the Creative Industries Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies Email anders.drachen@york.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Themes Design & Development Esports Game Data Player Research - Previous Next

< Back Matt Bedder University of York iGGi Alum Abstraction-Based Monte Carlo Tree Search. (Industry placement at PROWLER.io) Monte Carlo Tree Search is a popular artificial intelligence technique amongst researchers due to the remarkable strength by which it can play many games. This technique was prominently used as the basis for AlphaGo, the AI by Google DeepMind that became the first of its kind to beat professional human players at the game Go. But despite lots of interest from academics into Monte Carlo Tree Search, the technique has seen little use in the games industry - due in part to how it is not fully understood, and due to how complex it is to implement into large games. Matthew’s research is looking into how game abstractions can be used to help implement and optimise Monte Carlo Tree Search into existing commercial video games. Semi-automated methods for domain abstraction are being investigated, with the aim of making it fast and easy for game developers to be able to implement Monte Carlo Tree Search into their products, and to exploit the wealth of academic research into this technique. Matthew is currently studying towards his PhD at the University of York, having previously graduated for the Department of Computer Science with a MEng in Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence. Before starting his PhD, Matthew spent a year at BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre working on contracts with the European Space Agency, and has performed research into vertebrae models of Parkinson's disease with York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis. Please note: Updating of profile text in progress Email Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Featured Publication(s): Characterization and classification of adherent cells in monolayer culture using automated tracking and evolutionary algorithms Computational approaches for understanding the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease Automated motion analysis of adherent cells in monolayer culture Themes Game AI - Previous Next

< Back - Meet me @ Develop:Brighton 2026 - 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. Email alex.flint@york.ac.uk Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link 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 Stefan Stoican University of Essex iGGi Alum Understanding human crowd behaviour via virtual environments: feedback loop between games & research This project uses computer game experiments to explore decision-making in a virtual evacuation simulation. Can one be “saved by the gaze”? Currently, Stefan is investigating how innate social cognition components such as gaze-cuing might inform one’s egress. Do “Us versus Them” scenarios occur? He is also testing how one’s feelings of social identification with the surrounding crowd might modulate one’s risk-taking. Does hoarding prevent herding? Lastly, the project is looking at how cultural differences might affect egress time, when one insists to save personal possessions. More broadly, Stefan’s research concentrates on two key open questions in human crowd behavioural research. Firstly, how do social groups (that the player observes or is a member of) within the simulated crowd of agents affect both individual decision-making and the emergent behaviour of the crowd? Secondly, both empirical and virtual experiments of human crowds have not fully explored the effect of agent or player interactions with underlying landscape features (e.g. layout, signage, debris, large objects and other obstacles, etc). The outcomes of the experimental studies using real human participants will subsequently be used to develop more realistic decision-making and behavioural response algorithms and hence improve the behaviour of simulated agents in follow-on computer games. Stefan’s academic background may lie in Mathematics and Psychology, but his interdisciplinary mindset has constantly pushed him towards games and Computer Science. For his final Mathematics project, he designed an Android app that gamified teaching statistics. As part of his Psychology Masters degree, he investigated the potential benefits of MOBA games such as League of Legends with regard to visual attention. Currently, his extracurricular projects aim to explore video games’ effects on coping with trauma and on one’s perception of vulnerable groups, via commemorative gaming name choices or via in-game refugee storylines, respectively. Please note: Updating of profile text in progress Email Website LinkedIn Mastodon BlueSky GitHub Other Link Themes Game AI - Previous Next