# Game AI

How might we use novel AI techniques including machine learning and decision search to create more effective and engaging game agents and understand human behaviour in games?

Project areas include:

- AI agents that play games using Deep Reinforcement Learning and Statistical forward planning
- AI agents as non-player characters
- General Video Game AI - AI that can be transferred between video games
- AI agents for game balancing and Quality Assurance testing

## iGGi People relevant to this Theme:

### Michael Aichmüller

iGGi Alum

# Game AI, Applied Games

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/michael-aichmueller)

### Dr Martin Balla

iGGi Alum

# Game AI

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/martin-balla)

### Dr Daniel Berio

iGGi Alum

# Game AI

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/daniel-berio)

### Dr Ignacio Castro

Supervisor

# Game AI, Applied Games, Player Research, Game Data

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/dr-ignacio-castro)

### Dr Memo Akten

iGGi Alum

# Game AI

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/memo-akten)

### Prof. Richard Bartle

Supervisor

# Design & Development, Game AI, Player Research

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/prof-richard-bartle)

### Toby Best

iGGi PG Researcher

Available for placement

# Game AI, Design & Development, Player Research

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/toby-best)

### Dr Tom Cole

iGGi Alum + Supervisor

# Game AI, Design & Development

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/dr-tom-cole)

### Dr Myat Aung

iGGi Alum

# Game AI

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/myat-aung)

### Matt Bedder

iGGi Alum

# Game AI

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/matt-bedder)

### Dr Ivan Bravi

iGGi Alum

# Game AI, Player Research

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/ivan-bravi)

### Dr Tom Collins

Supervisor

# Game AI, Game Audio, Game Data, Player Research, Esports

[Read More](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/dr-tom-collins)

## iGGi Publications relevant to this Theme:

###### Tiny Moves: Game-based Hypothesis Refinement
A Dobrowolska, R Hintzen, M Balla, K Gemayel, S Reichert, T Charman, ...
arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.09801, 2026

[Dr Martin Balla](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/martin-balla)

[View Details](https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=VvT5c_gAAAAJ&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=VvT5c_gAAAAJ:ufrVoPGSRksC)

###### Gaze for Dyads & Blinks for Triads: Task Engagement Predictors in Free-Flow VR Interactions
C Gonzalez Diaz, GC Dobre, E Andre, C Conati

2026 IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and eXtended and Virtual Reality (AIxVR)

[Dr Cristina Dobre](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/cristina-dobre)

[View Details](https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=YVfBldUAAAAJ&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=YVfBldUAAAAJ:Y0pCki6q_DkC)

###### Beyond the Spotlight: Co-Designing AI for Theatre Audience Communication
A Pedrassoli Chitayat, S Carter, BA Robertson, J Hook

Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

[Dr Alan Pedrassoli Chitayat](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/alan-pedrassoli-chitayat)

[View Details](https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=YfuBda0AAAAJ&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=YfuBda0AAAAJ:3fE2CSJIrl8C)

###### Language Model Inversion through End-to-End Differentiation
KY Denamganaï, K Subr

arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.11044, 2026

[Dr Kevin Denamganaï](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/kevin-denamganai)

[View Details](https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=PPdQb4QAAAAJ&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=PPdQb4QAAAAJ:BmWJbWwHJAwC)

###### Statistical Forward Planning Algorithms
SM Lucas, J Goodman, M Tot

Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference Companion, 2025

[Dr Marko Tot](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/marko-tot)

[View Details](https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=4fgTaHgAAAAJ&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=4fgTaHgAAAAJ:zYLM7Y9cAGgC)

###### World and human action models towards gameplay ideation
A Kanervisto, D Bignell, LY Wen, M Grayson, R Georgescu, ...

Nature 638 (8051), 656-663, 2025

[Dr Marko Tot](https://www.iggi-phd.org/people/marko-tot)

[View Details](https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=4fgTaHgAAAAJ&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=4fgTaHgAAAAJ:UeHWp8X0CEIC)