Open by design: building inclusive game creation in Europe
Europe’s video games industry has unexplored opportunities: stronger links with culture, education and other public domains could diversify its innovation base and open it up to new audiences. Yet smaller actors frequently struggle to access the talent, resources and visibility they need to grow. The EU-funded i-Game(opens in new window) project set out to change that. Rather than competing with established game production pipelines, i-Game focused on broadening the ecosystem around them. As project coordinator Sotiris Diplaris explains, “Its contribution is to create new routes into game creation for organisations and communities that have strong content, knowledge or social relevance but limited access to conventional development structures.” By reaching into domains not traditionally associated with game production – such as museums, heritage, education and fashion – the i-Game project has widened the pool of partners and ideas available to the European games sector.
A platform for non-specialists
The project’s main output is a freely available, open-source platform that guides users through the game design process step by step, free from the cost and constraints of proprietary tools. Unlike conventional development environments that assume prior technical knowledge, i-Game’s platform translates core game design logic into a structured workflow accessible to non-specialists. Users are guided through an inclusive, collaborative co-creation process covering objectives, target audiences, motivations, narratives, game mechanics, storytelling, AI-supported game aesthetics, inclusion choices and intended impact. The process results in a structured game design document, helping non-specialist users translate ideas into a game concept and creating a shared reference point for further development. “This structure does not dictate the outcome. It gives users a clear framework while preserving freedom to shape the concept according to their own context and aims,” notes Diplaris. Beyond co-creation, the project also bridges design and production. Supporting tools include a VR world builder for rapid 3D prototyping, as well as AI-based technologies for training non-player characters, generating story-relevant dialogues and tuning game balance. The platform is fully operational and has already attracted 190 registered users and 122 game projects across public and private settings. Piloted in three countries, it has yielded a diverse range of prototypes. In Estonia, teams developed culturally rooted games drawing on textile heritage and folk craftsmanship. In Italy, initiatives explored sustainable fashion, repair and upcycling in connection with museum collections. In Greece, one project focused on dressing skills and accessibility for children with autism.
Ethical design and social impact
A distinctive feature of i-Game’s approach is its emphasis on ethical design, meaning actively integrating inclusion, accessibility and accountability from the very start of the design process, not as a corrective afterthought. The project draws attention to persistent challenges in the games industry, including under-representation of women(opens in new window) in the workforce and the risk that AI-driven design tools may reproduce existing biases if ethical considerations are not embedded early. The project also identified design principles for developing games with societal value. The team found that impact happens when design starts with real user needs and has clear, measurable goals from the beginning. In addition, the most promising concepts translate social relevance into engaging play rather than didactic messaging. Diplaris also highlights continuity between the game and the world around it: “Several concepts aim not only to inform, but to encourage real-world reflection, repair, reuse or cultural engagement beyond play.” Beyond the platform, i-Game has produced methodological insights into how co-creation can be structured as a rigorous, sustainable process. “A platform alone is not enough; what matters equally is how participation around it is structured,” Diplaris says. This includes clear roles, governance mechanisms and feedback loops, which contribute to understanding what makes collaborative game ecosystems function effectively.