Welcome to Game Studies

Shape the present and future of game design and criticism with a minor in Game Studies

As a Game Studies student, you'll explore how interactive technologies can be used to create, distribute, and play digital games—a global industry with a major presence in the Greater Toronto Area.

Courses in the minor adopt humanistic and social science approaches to studying the evolution of games, the game production industry, the role of games in social transformation, and the diverse communities who make and play games. Become a sophisticated critic of games while learning fundamental principles in the creation and testing of tabletop, role-playing, and digital games.

Game Studies at UTM is one of the only undergraduate programs in North America to focus on both the creation and analysis of games. The minor prepares students for graduate-level study and careers within the game production industry.

Department
English & Drama

Program of Study
Minor Program ERMIN2023 Game Studies (Arts)

Contact
Megan Janssen, Undergraduate Advisor for English and Drama

How to Enroll in Game Studies Courses

Students playing board games birds eye view

Do you have questions about Game Studies courses and enrolment, our faculty, or the skills and opportunities a Game Studies minor can provide?

Resources for Prospective Students

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Are you currently enrolled in Game Studies and want to learn more about getting involved?

Resources for Current Students

Courses sneak peak

Discover the evolution of immersive narratives and multiverses and explore the ways you can “play” games, film, fiction, theatre, and theme parks in ENG218H5: Interactive Storytelling and Worldmaking.

Join CCT285H5: Immersive Environment Design to develop worlds of your own while gaining skills in bitmap/vector graphics and audio/visual production and editing.

In ENG319H5: Sexuality, Race, and Gender in Video Games and Gaming Culture, learn how to discuss and design games that change society, influence how people think, and let players inhabit diverse bodies, stories, and experiences.

Understand how the global game industry operates, from Atari and Activision to Sony and Nintendo, and how technology, law, and the marketplace shape the games you get to play in CCT334H5: History and Theory of Game Production.

Visit the Academic Calendar for a full listing of Game Studies courses and their descriptions.

UTM Academic Calendar

Group of diverse students playing video games and eating popcorn

Access Canada's largest video game collection, the Syd Bolton Collection

Students at UTM have access to the Syd Bolton Collection, the largest known collection of video games, game consoles and systems, and game periodicals in Canada, and one of the largest in the world.

With over 14,000 games (and adding more all the time), hundreds of consoles and systems, and over 5,000 issues of game periodicals and books, you’ll have an incredible resource at your fingertips.

Explore the Syd Bolton Collection

The Serious Play Conference is coming to UTM Summer 2024!

Explore how the power of play, games and gamification are transforming education, training, and knowledge mobilization. Experience interactive sessions, compelling speakers, and cutting-edge research. This is where learning and innovation come to play.

Register for Serious Play Now!