Matthew Higgins

Matthew Higgins is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Creative & Cultural Industries at the University of Portsmouth, where he leads the BA (Hons) Computer Games Art course and teaches across games and creative technologies programs. His expertise spans game design, art, and programming, with 13 years of independent game development experience and nearly a decade of teaching in the field.

Education: Dr. Higgins earned his PhD in 2022, focusing on psychologically-informed principles for game design that facilitate narrative interpretation as a form of play.

Research Interests: His research applies cognitive psychological perspectives to story-focused digital games, exploring how narrative interpretation can be integrated as a core gameplay mechanic. This work bridges psychology and game design, creating practical applications for both academic and commercial game development.

Recent Work: His research has produced both theoretical frameworks and practical outputs, including the upcoming commercial story game White Lake. His publications consistently explore the intersection of cognitive psychology and interactive narrative design.

Awards:

• Excellence in University/Industry Collaboration Award (2023)
• Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Internationalisation (2023)

Teaching & Projects: He teaches modules across all four levels of the university's games programs, covering 3D modeling, game development, programming APIs, and advanced graphics techniques. His active projects include Interpretation as Play and White Lake, alongside collaborative initiatives exploring narrative design and disability awareness through games.