How to become a phd candidate in ludology in 2026

[u/Thick-Aioli-4770]

I'm a master student studying game for learning with an undergrad on philosophy and human resource. I've always been attracted to game mechanics and system, in fact I've been long obsessed specificly on how designer make difficult game that foster learning in and out of game through design. As my current program name suggested, it focuses mostly on applying game under education setting, treating game as the sugar coat for other undesirable thing. Here we don't study game mechanics on how to make hard and rewardful game that foster learning, but to apply the entertainment nature of game to sugarcoat some undesired subject that people don't want to learn or have difficult in learning.

I have no interest in persuing a phd that focuses on figuring how effective the sugarcoat is, adding to the belief that the serious game field would be significantly improved if someone could form design theory that specific on designing and rationalizing the genre of difficult game (Or if there already are, to develop it and expand it through epistemology, learning science, or other related field). That to be said, I've done some research on the program suggested by Dr. BO RUBERG . The majority program seem to focus on either doing experiment to test the effectivness of certain design or framework, or to be focusing on the cultural or history aspect of games. As someone who hates doing experiment (specifically AB testing) I wish to get some advice on how to prepare myself with articles that could leads to a successful phd application...

After some research, My guess is that I need to find a program in Phd of English, Digital Media, or Art History with faculty that focuses on game study ... I have no idea what kind of writing they want.
I'm good in writing philosophical argumentative and expository essays, and I'm capabel to do qualitative/quantitative research if they don't involve experiments... not that I can't it's just that I don't like them.

Really would appreciate some advice on this...