Joel Kessler
Studio Management · Game Design
The visionary and heart of PlayInsight Studios.
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The team
We are game developers and educators working at the intersection of games, education and technology. Our motto: “Insightful Play, Heartfelt Creations!”
Game design meets education
We combine creative game design with teaching expertise and educational methods. Our aim is to make digital learning enjoyable, support knowledge transfer and help people develop skills.
Our core team
Jamie Tülp
Art · Design Education
Makes the first brushstroke of our projects.
Jonas Heinke
Project Management · Programming
Always finding new ways to automate processes.
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Ben Vogl
3D Art · Level Design
Creates with passion and an eye for detail.
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Patricia „Pati“ Rohrbacher
Motion Design
Loves bringing images — and the PlayInsight team — to life.
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Nathanael Wachsmuth
Game Didactics · Audio Design
Defines the musical soul of our projects.
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Alexander Josef Palz
Sales · Business Development
Connects development with real-world use.
LinkedInHow PlayInsight began
Our beginnings in Thuringia
PlayInsight Studios GmbH was officially founded on 7 July 2025. The idea began much earlier: Joel moved to Thuringia and saw the region’s potential for a game studio. The GameDev & XR Meetup Thüringen developed alongside it, laying the foundations for a network and the first connections.
A passion for serious games
Joel brought former fellow students into the team who had already worked on indie games as a hobby. The original group of six combined game design, technical expertise and educational knowledge. Their shared vision was to use games for education, training and digital innovation.
From decision to development
In May 2024, the Thuringian start-up grant helped us decide to pursue the project. Funding was approved in the autumn. Since then, our first client projects, game jams, a growing network and experience in founding and marketing a business have shaped the studio.
Our mission today
“Insightful Play, Heartfelt Creations”: we connect education, game design and technology. We develop interactive learning experiences that share knowledge through play, encourage motivation and bring people together.
Our vision for the future of education
We want a future in which learning excites, inspires and connects people. Through play, technology and creative design, we rethink education. We believe lasting learning happens when knowledge becomes an experience and people take an active part.
We aim to create experiences that encourage motivation, develop skills and have a lasting impact. Learning can be an opportunity: something enjoyable, something that sparks curiosity and stays with you.
Explore our servicesOur values
The joy of learning
We believe learning is especially effective when it is enjoyable. Through playful approaches, we aim to spark curiosity, encourage motivation and help knowledge stay with learners.
Creative education with purpose
Our projects combine game design, education and technology. We aim to create learning experiences that develop skills and make a difference.
Collaboration & responsibility
We work across disciplines, transparently and as partners, both within our team and with our clients. We take responsibility for the quality of our work and the impact of playful education on people and society.
Memberships
Connected across Thuringia and Central Germany.
Life at the studio
Between ideas, shared experiences and little breaks.
Let’s shape the future of learning together.
We support projects from the first idea to the finished application. With partners from education, industry and research, we create mobile learning apps, VR simulations, browser experiences and interactive learning platforms. Our aim is to connect with learners’ lives and support educators in their work.
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