About GIC
The Game Innovation Center is a hybrid educational hub and innovative research unit at Alfaisal University's College of Engineering, focused on game research, innovation, design, and development. We explore the possibilities of play and enable game creators to drive real-world change — using games that help people learn, improve their communities, and contribute to making the world a better place. Our fully equipped game studio hosts game jams, competitions, research projects, and collaborations with industry partners across education, healthcare, entertainment, and strategic sectors using VR, AR, and gaming robotics.
Director
Facilities
Industry-grade environments built so you graduate ready — not just educated.
Industry-grade VR/AR headsets — Meta Quest, HTC Vive, Microsoft HoloLens. Six full development stations with haptic feedback rigs.
20-seat competitive arena with 240Hz gaming monitors, mechanical keyboards, and professional streaming infrastructure for tournament broadcasts.
Full-body optical motion capture with 12-camera array. Directly export to Unity and Unreal Engine — animate characters with real human movement.
30 high-spec workstations with RTX 4090s, dual-monitor setups, and licensed seats of Unity, Unreal, Maya, and Adobe Creative Suite.
Dedicated Robogames workspace with modular arenas, micro-controllers, servo kits, 3D printers, and laser cutters for rapid prototyping.
Soundproofed podcast and game streaming booth with 4K cameras, LED lighting rigs, and professional audio mixing. Used for events and content creation.
Programs & Workshops
Immersive tracks designed to take you from concept to shipped product.
Events & Exhibits
Team & People
Faculty leads, lab directors, and student team heads driving innovation every semester.
Projects & Research
VR game for dyslexia screening — a capstone project published on Springer and presented at HCI2023 in Denmark.
Virtual Arabic Sign Language chatbot — published at HCI2025 in Sweden with a patent application registered.
A cybersecurity educational game published at HCI2024 in Washington DC — making security concepts accessible through gameplay.
Alfaisal Virtual Reality Engineering Expo Platform — winner of the Boeing Award for innovation in virtual environments.
An educational game designed to help diabetic children understand and manage their condition through engaging gameplay.
An interactive robot for on-campus navigation at Alfaisal University — a patent application has been submitted.
News & Announcements
FAQ
Partners & Sponsors
Our programs are shaped by the studios and tech companies our graduates will work at.
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PUBG Mobile
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Saudi Esports Fed.
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Global Game Jam
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Gamers W/O Borders
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AstraValle Studio
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Digital Game Assoc.
KACSTGen.G EsportsTencentKraftonPUBG MobileMicrosoftBoeingSaudi Esports Fed.Savvy Games GroupGlobal Game JamLevel InfiniteNine66Gamers W/O BordersUpDown StudioSheraf GamesPartnerQindeel StudioAstraValle StudioExel by MerakMSIPurdue UniversityNesma & PartnersLightspeed StudiosDigital Game Assoc.KACSTMSIPurdue UniversityNesma & PartnersLightspeed StudiosDigital Game Assoc.KACSTGen.G EsportsTencentKraftonPUBG MobileMicrosoftBoeingSaudi Esports Fed.Savvy Games GroupGlobal Game JamLevel InfiniteNine66Gamers W/O BordersUpDown StudioSheraf GamesPartnerQindeel StudioAstraValle StudioExel by MerakMSIPurdue UniversityNesma & PartnersLightspeed StudiosDigital Game Assoc.KACSTGen.G EsportsTencentKraftonPUBG MobileMicrosoftBoeingSaudi Esports Fed.Savvy Games GroupGlobal Game JamLevel InfiniteNine66Gamers W/O BordersUpDown StudioSheraf GamesPartnerQindeel StudioAstraValle StudioExel by MerakInterested in partnering? gamelab@alfaisal.edu
