The MICA Game Lab explores the role of play within culture and its potential to create new forms of meaning. We believe that games are a cultural form that is vital to how we learn, create community, tell stories and engage with the world.  We create playful projects and games, hold public events, host a designer in residence program and are a hub for game related activities at MICA and the Baltimore community.

At the MICA Game Lab, we practice what we preach by designing games and conducting play related research. Some of these are internal projects but we also work with community partners looking to explore the potential of games and play within their field.

We have worked with Johns Hopkins University, The Walters Art Museum, The Creative Alliance, Arlington Arts Center, VitalCrowd and Art Works for Change. If you have a project that could benefit from our expertise in game design, play theory and systems thinking please get in touch: gamelab@mica.edu

The Baltimore area has a rich gaming history, it has been the birthplace of many influential game companies like Avalon Hill, Microprose, Firaxis, Bethesda, and Big Huge Games. It also has a thriving startup and indie game scene many of whose companies were started by or are staffed by our former students.

The MICA Game Lab acts as a hub for the local Baltimore scene by hosting game exhibitions, workshops, lectures and promoting the unique games made in our community.

As part of the Interactive Arts department at the Maryland Institute College of Art, we coordinate the school’s Game Design BFA. The four year program explores game design using an experimental and hands on approach rooted in art and design making.

Students in the program learn to create games from the ground up, building skills in design, programming, and prototyping and have the ability to concentrate in supporting areas like 3D animation, graphic design, physical computing and illustration. Alongside their studio practice students take supporting academic courses in game history, psychology, media theory and entrepreneurship.

You can find more about the program here:
MICA Game Design BFA

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