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REPLAY - THE EUROPEAN GAME DESIGN MASTERS
Curriculum 2024–2026
About the programme
Director of REPLAY in Aalto University: Anna-Kaisa Kultima, University Lecturer
REPLAY is a joint degree programme between Aalto University (Finland), Lusófona University (Portugal) and LUCA (Belgium). The programme provides an international and culturally diverse view on game making practices
exposing the students to three distinct game industry ecosystems. Students learn to create and evaluate meaningful game experiences through various co‐creative and collaborative design projects, experiments, seminars and lectures.
The programme provides skills and competences as well as a springboard for influencing the future of game design, tapping into the industry's capacity for creativity, innovation, and societal impact.
In the programme, the students start their studies at Portugal, moving to Belgium for the second semester, studying in Finland for the third semester and conducting their final project at Portugal, Belgium or Finland.
On successful completion of this major, the students will be able to:
- Apply and critically assess theories and practices of game design.
- Initiate, plan, carry out, and critically evaluate artistic, educational, and entrepreneurial game projects in cross‐cultural, international, and transdisciplinary environments.
- Work effectively and respectfully within a game design team and communicate well with different institutions, stakeholders, and partners.
- Extend and develop their professional competence within the game industry communities, learning and sharing together with others and planning their individual learning paths utilizing the professional networks.
- Partake in developing, evaluating, and expanding the professional domains of game design in contemporary societies.
Degree structure for Master of Arts
|
Major studies
|
120 cr |
Programme studies 120 cr
Code |
Course name |
Credits |
Period /
|
|---|---|---|---|
1st semester in Lusofona University (Portugal) |
|||
| Game Seminars I | 3 | 1. year | |
| Critical Play | 6 | 1. year | |
| Experimental Play Lab | 12 | 1. year | |
| Design Sprint I | 9 | 1. year | |
2nd semester in LUCA School of Arts (Belgium) |
|||
| Game Seminars II | 3 | 1. year | |
| Speculative Design | 6 | 1. year | |
| Play in Context | 12 | 1. year | |
| Design Sprint II | 9 | 1. year | |
3rd semester in Aalto University (Finland) |
|||
| ݲ‐E8001 | Games Now! Community | 6 | 2. year |
| ݲ‐E8002 | Game Jam | 3 | 2. year |
| ݲ‐E8003 | Game Project Seminar | 6 | 2. year |
| ݲ‐E8004 | Learning with Game Industry Professionals | 15 | 2. year |
4th semester in Lusofona University, LUCA School of Arts, Aalto University |
|||
| AXM.thes | Master's thesis | 30 | 2. year |
| ARTSa.matr | Maturity test | 2. year | |
Compulsory language studies
Language study requirements: Students who have received their primary and secondary education abroad or whose language of primary and secondary education is other than Finnish or Swedish must demonstrate their foreign language proficiency either by completing three (3) credits of language and communication studies corresponding to the degree requirements in one foreign language, or by completing three (3) credits of language and communication studies in Finnish or Swedish. More information below.
Language study requirements
Students educated in Finnish or Swedish
For students educated in Finnish or Swedish language studies are designed to be completed as part of the Bachelor of Arts (Art and Design) or another Bachelor’s degree. Students who have not completed the required language studies before starting to pursue the master’s degrees specified above must complete them either as elective studies or in addition to the studies required for the degree. In such cases, the language requirements are as follows:
Master of Arts (Art and Design):
- 9 credits: 3 cr in written and oral communication, 3 cr in the second national language of Finland, and 3 cr in one foreign language.
Students whose language of primary and secondary education is other than Finnish or Swedish
Students who have received their primary and secondary education abroad or whose language of primary and secondary education is other than Finnish or Swedish must demonstrate their foreign language proficiency either by completing three (3) credits of language and communication studies corresponding to the degree requirements in one foreign language, or by completing three (3) credits of language and communication studies in Finnish or Swedish.
Note! We aim to arrange a specific English course (3 ECTS) for REPLAY students during their semester in Aalto.