Digital Learning Games

DLG alumni pursue careers in a wide range of fields where games, learning, and design intersect. Common career paths include:

• Game industry: DLG alumni work as designers, developers, and in other roles in game studios in Estonia and beyond.
• Education: many of our graduates work as educational technologists, teachers, and instructional designers in both formal and non-formal education.
• Academia: completing the programme opens up a pathway to pursue a doctoral degree in educational technology, game studies, and other relevant fields.
• ICT: DLG alumni have used their skills to help integrate gamification and improve the user experience in various software companies and tech startups.

Digital Learning Games is a two-year programme taught in English. At the core of the programme is the Game Design, which includes the following courses:

• Introduction to Digital Learning Games and Game Studies.
• Fundamentals of Game Design.
• Learning Game Development.
• Games for Learning and Teaching.

Students can also choose from a variety of elective courses that support specialisation in game development, educational psychology, game art, or industry."

At the end of their studies, students will produce a research-based Master’s thesis, which may focus on designing and testing a digital game or gamified tool; using game-based approaches in educational and work settings; and other relevant topics.

Digital Learning Games curriculum

Nominal division

(Note that the programme is subject to change.)

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General requirements

• Completed Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent
• Proof of English Proficiency

Please see the complete overview of general admission, application requirements and deadlines for Master's level applicants.

Admission exam

• CV
• Motivation letter
• E-portfolio of previous works (not mandatory)
• An interview with the admission committee (will be done via Internet, e.g., using Zoom, a web-camera is required)

An e-portfolio is not mandatory, but it will give a better overview of the applicant's background. Feel free to present your previous work, like games, game recordings, graphical design elements, photos, audio recordings, sounds, texts, etc. The recommended format is web-based (easy to share and view), but all other formats are also acceptable (PDF, video, etc.). The portfolio can uploaded to DreamApply or sent by email to dlg@tlu.ee, as a PDF file or as a web link.

Applicants are evaluated based on:

• The relevance and excellence of their academic background, as illustrated by the academic transcript.
• The relevant professional experience and training as illustrated by the CV.
• The submitted statement of research intentions as illustrated by the motivation letter.
• Technical and/or design and/or research skills as illustrated by the portfolio 
• English language skills, as illustrated by the English language certification and the interview.

The admission exam consists of an assessment of the documents (50% of the final score) and the interview (50% of the final score).

Application Procedure 

Watch videos with our students and alumni:

Read Interviews with our alumni: 

• Ahmed Elshenawy
• Anni Hõ 
• Saad Mehmood
• Giorgi Shakulashvili
• Indrek Kaine
• Artyom Grigoryan

Below are some of the educational games DLG staff and students have worked on.

Spoofy is a game introducing the basics of Internet safety and cybersecurity to primary schoolers. In the game, you play as an interstellar traveller visiting five different worlds and helping their inhabitants solve their cyber-issues. Spoofy was created by CGI Inc. in collaboration with Tallinn University, whose team was responsible for expanding the game by designing the fifth world.

Find more information about the game and play

BIG GAME is an Erasmus+ funded online game about climate change, set in the near future. In the game, teams of students role-play as members of the newly established United Nations Anti-Apocalypse Force and develop solutions to environmental crises around the globe. In November-December 2023, the game was played by over 220 school teams from across Europe. The game was designed by a team from Tallinn University in collaboration with partners from Finland, Estonia, Italy, and Romania.

Watch the introductory video

Explore the mission content

Methodyca is a point-and-click adventure game designed to introduce university students to research methods in the social sciences and design. In the story, the protagonist is a student on a quest to find their missing thesis supervisor. This quest takes them to a parallel world, where they encounter a variety of eccentric characters and unlock mini-games about qualitative and quantitative research methods. The game was funded by the Estonian Education and Youth Authority.

Watch the trailer

Find more information about the game and play

Interview Simulator is a game for the Digital Learning Games (DLG) master's program at Tallinn University. The goal of the simulator is to familiarise the admission interview process and the nature of the DLG programme in general. Learn what kind of questions are asked during the interview and see what kind of responses the DLG academic staff prefers. Keep an eye on the teachers' reactions to your answers! The simulator was developed by students of the Computer Science bachelor's program for the software development course at Tallinn University.

Play the Admission Interview Simulator here

As part of our commitment to fostering academic excellence, Tallinn University offers tuition discounts for the top three applicants (in the first semester) and students (in subsequent semesters) in the programme.

75% tuition discount to the highest-performing applicant or student: The top-performing applicant or student will be awarded a 75% tuition discount. This prestigious award recognises those who have demonstrated exceptional academic ability, innovative approaches to digital learning, or significant contributions to the field of learning games.

50% tuition discount to the second highest performing applicant or student: The second-best applicant or student will receive a 50% discount on tuition fees. This discount is for those who have shown strong potential and excellent performance, contributing meaningfully to the development of digital learning experiences through games.

25% tuition discount to the third highest-performing applicant or student: The third-place applicant or student will be awarded a 25% tuition discount. This is aimed at students who have demonstrated solid academic achievement, creativity, and dedication to advancing the role of digital games in education.

Please note:

• The recipients of the scholarship for the first semester will be announced on September 1, 2026 (once all new enrolled students are confirmed).

Kristi Oikimus

Study Counsellor and Specialist of the programme

For additional guidelines regarding the admission procedure, please contact the international admission specialist.