New in Nuremberg: International Master's in Game Design

What makes a good game? An exciting story, clever rules, surprising twists—in other words, a gaming experience that captivates.
For those who want not only to enjoy such experiences but also to create them themselves, the Georg Simon Ohm University of Applied Sciences in Nuremberg will offer a new program starting in the summer semester of 2027: the English-language International Master’s in Game Design (M.A.).

From an Idea to a Compelling Gaming Experience

The focus is on the creative design of games. Future game designers at Ohm University don’t just develop individual game features; they’re responsible for how all the elements work together—from game mechanics and dramaturgy to level and narrative design, and on to motivation, suspense, and player guidance. The program combines creative design with psychology, storytelling, and systems thinking. Programming skills are not the primary focus—what matters most is the ability to develop a compelling gaming experience from an idea.

From the Concept of a Game to Your Own Game

The program goes beyond theoretical concepts, thanks to the master’s program’s strong project-based focus: Over the course of four semesters, students work in interdisciplinary teams to develop their own game prototype, which should have the potential to secure funding and be released later. In the process, they go through key stages of game production—from the initial concept through playtesting and balancing to the pitch. And, of course, the curriculum also covers entrepreneurship skills and the unique aspects of the indie game market.

Interdisciplinary Approach: Design, EFI, and Computer Science

This master’s program is unique in Germany thanks to the collaboration of three faculties at Nuremberg Tech: Its curriculum combines expertise in design, computer science, and other media-related disciplines, making it ideal for students changing career paths from diverse professional backgrounds. The history of Nuremberg as a “city of games” offers a unique perspective: In addition to digital games, the program also examines analog game systems—a connection that fits perfectly with Toy City.

Game Design Meets Gamification: One Degree, Many Paths

Graduates have a variety of career paths open to them: from working as game, systems, level, or narrative designers at indie studios and larger game companies to founding their own studios. Their skills are also in demand outside the gaming industry, for example in gamification, education, or UX and service design.

In the long run, much more than just entertainment

Video games are the world’s largest entertainment medium—larger than film and music combined. But that’s not all: Game design serves as a driver of technological innovation, an empathetic educational medium, and a tool for solving real-world problems. By combining psychology, technology, and storytelling, modern game design is having a lasting impact on our culture, economy, and science.

The Market vs. Production Paradox

That’s set to change: Although Germany is one of the top five markets, only a fraction of the games played here are actually developed in the country. In recent years, the market share of games developed in Germany has accounted for a meager four to six percent of total domestic revenue. On the global market, the share of German productions is negligible.

From the lecture hall to the director's chair—in Toy City

The interdisciplinary master’s program in Game Design at Nuremberg Tech trains students to take on the leading role in game design—the person who conceives and is responsible for the gaming experience as a whole: the game designer. The focus is not on technology or programming, but on thinking in terms of game systems. Building on Nuremberg’s tradition as a city of games—with a long history of toy and board game culture—students learn to conceptualize and design both digital games and analog game systems.

Visit the Master Game Design website
 

Author Profile

Sibylle Dorndorf has been writing about the toy industry for over 30 years; most recently, she served as editor-in-chief of the TOYS magazine family at Göller Verlag in Baden-Baden. Her passions include companies that reinvent themselves, brands that position themselves authentically, people who have something to say, and products with a future.