Gaming Islam is a collaborative project that explores how Islam is represented in games—visually, narratively, and mechanically. Alireza Doostdar and Ghenwa Hayek situate these portrayals within a longer history of cultural representations of Islam, from scholarly texts and art books to popular films. Their research pays particular attention to how race, gender, and difference are framed through design choices across the game industry.

At the heart of Gaming Islam is the joy of gaming. Both researchers grew up playing video games, and this project allows them to bring together academic expertise with a lifelong passion for play. Rather than producing only traditional scholarship, their main outputs will include a video series of gameplay commentaries, a co-taught undergraduate course, and a public-facing workshop that brings together scholars, game developers, artists, and advocates of diversity and inclusion in games.

The project is designed to reach a wide audience—not just academics, but also players, designers, writers, musicians, and others shaping the future of games. By surfacing questions of cultural representation in an accessible and compelling way, Gaming Islam aims to support the creation of more inclusive game worlds.

For updates on Gaming Islam, follow the project on social media: Twitter (@gamingislamshow), Instagram (@gamingislamshow), Youtube (@gamingislamshow), and Twitch (@gamingislam).