Digital games are now one of the most influential cultural and creative industries in the world. From classrooms to communities, people in Australia and across the globe are playing, making, and learning through games more than ever before.

The Sydney Games and Play Lab at the University of Sydney brings together leading researchers to examine the design, use, and impact of games and play across education, culture, and technology. Our work generates new insights into how games shape learning, creativity, identity, and social life in a rapidly changing digital world.

Games are a defining medium of the 21st century and at the forefront of innovation in artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and interactive storytelling. They are central to contemporary youth culture and increasingly embedded in sectors such as education, health, and the creative industries.

In Australia, over two-thirds of people play digital games, reflecting a diverse and growing player base. Globally, the games industry exceeds USD $200 billion in annual revenue, making it one of the largest entertainment sectors worldwide.

This growth is driven not only by technological advancement, but by an expansion in who plays games, the stories they tell, and the ways they are used across society. The Sydney Games and Play Lab responds to this moment by advancing interdisciplinary research across areas including:

• game design and player experience
• games and learning
• digital cultures and communities
• immersive and emerging technologies
• creative industries and game development

Our researchers collaborate with educators, industry partners, cultural institutions, and policymakers to shape the future of games in Australia and internationally. We are committed to understanding games not only as entertainment, but as powerful tools for education, innovation, and social impact.

From training the next generation of game designers, artists, educators, and researchers to partnering with industry and schools, the Lab supports an expanding ecosystem of game development, research, and education—one that connects local expertise with global conversations.

The Sydney Games and Play Lab conducts interdisciplinary research in three main areas: Make, Play and Learn.

• Make involves innovative research into the design of games and playable media, including the use of emerging technologies such as AI and creating new games and playful experiences
• Play encompasses research into play cultures and practices, including livestreaming and game spectatorship, and critical philosophical work about this emerging medium
• Learn focuses on the serious potential for applying games and other playable media in educational contextsWe aim to foster research excellence through global and local partnerships with the broader games industry; and by providing a world-class environment for ECRs and PhDs.

We aim to foster research excellence through global and local partnerships with the broader games industry; and by providing a world-class environment for ECRs and PhDs.

You can learn more about our research at the Sydney Games and Play Lab.

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Find out how we can work together
Email js.curwood@sydney.edu.au