When Falmouth University launched its Games Academy in 2015, it did so with a bold premise: that games should not be treated as an offshoot of computing or media, but as a distinct discipline where creativity and technology could merge to shape new fields, industries and ways of thinking.
Beginning as a newly created bespoke department the Games Academy is now internationally recognised as a top-tier institution for game design, ranked 13th globally and second outside the United States in the 2025 Princeton Review. But its story is not just one of global rankings. It is a story of how a purpose-built, interdisciplinary department – housed within a specialist arts university – can drive research, pedagogy, and feed regional industries while preparing the next generation of creative leaders.
“The Academy’s story goes hand-in-hand with that of the university itself,” says Dr Doug Brown, a senior academic at Falmouth. “It’s helped us transition from a 120-year-old art school into a hub of digital and creative excellence, with an impact across teaching, research, and regional growth.”
Building games education from the ground up
The Academy’s unique approach begins with how it teaches. Students work in multidisciplinary teams from day one, building real games in a studio environment that mirrors the industry. This group-working model is utilised from the outset through to graduation and underpins a distinctive pedagogical framework that prioritises collaboration, critical thinking and iterative development.
Students are embedded in teams comprising designers, artists, programmers, writers, and producers. By the time they graduate, they’ve taken part in three full game development cycles – an unparalleled level of hands-on experience that makes them stand out in the job market.
“We never wanted to create a pipeline of graduates with narrow technical skills,” Dr Brown explains. “Our aim has always been to nurture team players and creative problem-solvers who can lead innovation, whether in games or beyond.”
Facilities include motion capture studios, VR/AR and esports labs, 3D printing, and other cutting-edge technologies. The Academy also maintains close ties with leading studios such as Supermassive Games, Creative Assembly, and Behaviour Interactive. Industry partners not only offer placements and mentoring – they help shape the curriculum through an advisory board.
This real-world alignment is one reason why the Academy was one of the first UK games courses to be accredited by the British Computer Society. It also explains why it produces graduates in high demand at companies like Ubisoft, EA and Sony.
Fostering founders: embedding entrepreneurship into education
While many students do go on to work at major studios, the Games Academy has also made a name for itself as a springboard for indie studios and start-ups. One key factor in this entrepreneurial culture is that students retain 100% ownership of their intellectual property, allowing them to take their final-year projects into the marketplace.
Supporting this culture has been the Games Incubator, which was established in 2015 alongside the Academy and has supported 13 new companies. Among the most prominent is Knights of Borria, whose debut title Leximan secured a publishing deal with Marvelous Europe.
The incubator has evolved over the years into the formation of the wider Launchpad programme – Falmouth’s knowledge exchange front door for business – which has nurtured successful ventures including Toxic Games (Q.U.B.E.), Hertzian AI, Studio 316, and Codices. In 2019, Launchpad was recognised as a University Enterprise Zone by UKRI.
“The Games Academy taught us how to collaborate, how to fail fast, and how to pitch effectively,” says Chris Jones, co-founder of Knights of Borria. “That foundation helped us turn a university project into a commercially published game.”
Game-based research: from mental health to peacebuilding
The Academy’s impact is not limited to education. It is a major contributor to Falmouth’s research agenda, especially in areas where digital media intersects with social good. From immersive heritage to digital mental health, serious games are becoming serious tools and the Academy is leading the charge.
The ATTUNE project, in partnership with the University of Oxford, used immersive storytelling to explore and improve responses to the mental health impact of adverse childhood experiences. The Peace Gaming project with Cambridge University’s centre for social innovation involved representatives from the UN and many countries’ militaries to explore the potential for conflict resolution and diplomacy through interactive media.
This merging of creativity, technology and gaming knowledges beyond the gaming world helped lay the ground for first the £2million Immersive Business initiative that helped SMEs to adopt new digital tools. In turn the experience here led to Falmouth’s headline research centre the £7m Centre for Blended Realities (CBR ) – a focal point for immersive and creative technology research.
The wAVe Project, funded by the Coastal Communities Fund, introduced AR and VR into heritage settings across Cornwall, improving visitor engagement and revitalising local museums. Further afield, a collaboration with Tongji University in China brought AR storytelling into public gardens, blending game technology with landscape art.
“We’ve shown that games can be tools for understanding, healing, learning and community-building,” says Dr Brown. “And that’s changing how people think about what games can do.”
Impacting a region: Cornwall’s growing digital economy
The Games Academy has had a profound effect on Cornwall, helping establish it as a credible digital and screen hub. As of 2022, the region had the fastest-growing tech sector in the South West. A pipeline of creative graduates – from games, animation, film and design – is a major part of that success.
“The Academy is central to our vision for a vibrant digital economy in Cornwall,” says Louis Gardner, Cornwall Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Economy. “Its graduates are talented, ambitious and increasingly choosing to stay here and build their businesses.”
One such business is Studio 316, which launched from the Games Incubator and now counts the Eden Project and Excalibur Games among its clients. Another, Hertzian AI, is using procedural content generation techniques developed through the Academy to power AI solutions for a wide range of sectors.
All of this points to the Academy’s expanding role as a regional innovation engine; supporting business growth, creating jobs, and anchoring the local creative economy.
A decade of difference
Over ten years, the Games Academy has done more than build an internationally renowned games education programme. It has helped redefine what a modern university can look like – fusing art school principles with cutting-edge tech, while delivering tangible benefits to students, industry and community alike.
“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved,” says Dr Brown. “But what excites me most is what’s next. Games and the ways they intersect with entertainment, society and the creative process are evolving rapidly. So long as we continue to innovate, collaborate and challenge convention, I believe our graduates can track and effect this change to help shape the future.”