The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) Faculty of Design is expanding its programmes to include the new area of specialisation Game Design for the winter semester 2025/2026. Under the motto "Game Design for a Better Tomorrow", students on the Bachelor's degree programmes in Product and Object Design and Communication Design will learn to develop digital games that go beyond pure entertainment and address societal, social and ecological issues.
"Games have long been more than just entertainment. They are a form of cultural expression, an educational tool and a social medium. With the new area of specialisation, we are responding to this development and training designers who create games with attitude - games that arouse emotions, provide food for thought and contribute to positive change," says Professor Thorsten Kraus, who teaches communication design for digital media at the Faculty of Design.
The specialisation focuses on the design of serious games and indie games with social relevance. The degree programme combines artistic and conceptual skills with modern technologies and a clear foundation of values. The aim is to develop game worlds that are thought-provoking, open up discussions and creatively address topics such as climate protection, social justice, inclusion and digital ethics.
Presentation at gamescom 2025
From 20 to 24 August 2025, the Faculty of Design will be presenting the new area of specialisation at gamescom in Cologne. Visitors can expect to see a wide range of student projects - from initial prototypes to almost finished games.
At the HSNR stand (F-022, Hall 10.1, "gamescom campus area"), there will be information on current tools and technologies such as Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, Blender and AI-supported design. Interested parties can find out about programme content, specialisations and career prospects in the field of game design in personal discussions with students and lecturers.
Further information on the Product and Object Design and Communication Design degree programmes can be found at www.hs-niederrhein.de/design/.
