Ludolio®
For Developers
For Universities
For Schools
Frequently Asked Questions
Platform Basics
How do students access games through Ludolio
Students download the Ludolio launcher for Mac or PC from ludolio.com/how-it-works, then sign in using their institutional email address. Institutional verification can be via SSO, or by a one-time password (OTP) is sent to that address to verify access — no separate account creation required. Games are then downloaded and installed locally through the launcher. The OTP emails come from auth@mail.ludolio.com — students should check spam if the message doesn't arrive promptly, and your IT team may need to whitelist that domain.
Do students need to download and instal games, or are they streamed?
Games are downloaded and installed locally through the Ludolio launcher. Once installed, students do not need administrator rights to run games or install additional titles. However, the Ludolio application itself will need to be whitelisted for installation on enterprise-managed computers (such as in computer labs).
What games are available on Ludolio?
The current subscription collection includes 20 curated games, with more being added as Ludolio grows. The launch collection includes titles such as Wayward Strand, Webbed, Paperbark, Power Network Tycoon, Amberial Dreams, Nuclear Throne, Short Trip, Hidden Folks, Mars First Logistics, Dujanah, Parking Garage Rally Circuit, and others — with a strong representation of Australian-made games. The collection has been curated by Professor Marcus Carter and Dr Ben Egliston, informed by their teaching in Game Design and Media & Communications. The goal is to give students access to creative, artistic, and innovative games that help them think more deeply and broadly about the medium. If there are specific games you'd like to see available, let us know — we'll reach out to the developer on your behalf.
Who is Ludolio designed for?
The most natural fit in Universities is in Game Design programs, where access to creative and innovative commercial games is central to student learning. It's also well-suited to units in Media & Communications, Visual Communication, Digital Humanities, and any course that uses games as texts for analysis — from semiotics to interaction design. However, we're also seeing Ludolio integrated in Engineering courses (wher games like Power Network Tycoon can introduce complex concepts in an engaginw ay) and Education (empowering pre-service teachers to learn about using games as digital texts). Beyond the classroom, Ludolio gives researchers equitable access to games for study, and provides libraries with a principled, curatorially-guided games collection to support both teaching and research use cases.
What is the Instructor Dashboard?
We developed the instructor dashboard to solve problems we have in our teaching with games. Available at instructor.ludolio.com, it lets teaching staff assign games, view in-game data like achievements and time played, and set learning activities triggered by in-game events. Instructors are added manually. A demo login (demo@ludolio.com) is available to preview it.
Access and Authentication
How does authentication work? Do you support SSO or OpenAthens?
Institutions can choose either email domain based authentication, or SSO. Email-domain based authentication uses one-time passwords sent to a users' institutional email address (e.g. name@sydney.edu.au). We also support AAF SAML SSO and OpenAthens.
Does access extend to international campuses and partner institutions?
Yes, the authorised users definition is permissive and covers anyone authenticating with your institutional credentials, anywhere.
What IT changes are required on our end?
Whitelist the Ludolio application for install on managed computers (no admin rights needed after that), and whitelist the @ludolio.com domain so OTP emails land. No LMS/Canvas integration is currently required. SSO may need separate IT coordination.
Library Procurement
What does Ludolio cost?
Ludolio is available for a fixed annual subscription that gives your entire institution unlimited access to the whole catalogue. There's no tiered access, no per-title licensing, and no usage caps: unlimited installs, unlimited concurrent users, every game included. This pricing model was developed directly from conversations with librarians. We heard repeatedly that the hardest part of game collection development isn't budget, it's the burden of having to evaluate, select, and justify individual titles one by one, often under time pressure and with incomplete information about what students and faculty will actually use. One subscription, one price. Pricing is based on institution EFTSL and the size of your games design program. We offer introductory pricing for the first year, with subsequent pricing based on real data about usage in the previous year. Contact us to get a quote or indicative pricing.
Is perpetual (post-cancellation) access provided?
No. Ludolio is subscription-only; access to Ludolio games ends when a subscription lapses.
Are MARC records available for library cataloguing?
Yes, MARC discovery records are provided for each game so titles can be listed individually in your Library Management System and Library Search pages.
Are usage statistics available?
Yes, via an organisational administrator dashboard, with export and retention supported. We're keen to hear what data would be most useful for your reporting needs.
Where can I find the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and licence agreement?
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use are on the Ludolio website. Please contact us to recieve a copy of the Institutional Agreement template, available on request.
Privacy and Data
How does Ludolio handle student data and privacy?
Our approach to data is outlined in our privacy policy. Ludolio is built to collect as little data as possible to function. University users are treated as adults capable of consenting to data collection in line with OAIC guidance, so no age-verification data is collected. Data isn't used for advertising or shared with third parties. Some individual games may have their own data practices (e.g. multiplayer titles needing third-party accounts), which is distinguished from Ludolio's own practices.
Does Ludolio require a Privacy Impact Assessment?
That depends on your institution's policies. Several partner universities have run PIAs, and we can provide documentation and respond to your privacy team's questions directly.
Trials & getting started
How does Ludolio handle student data and privacy?
We can provide free trials for up to 20 staff to evaluate the Ludolio platform, with access to a limited library of games for testing purposes.
Can individual staff members be given trial access before a full institutional sign-up?
Yes, individuals can be added by email address ahead of any institutional agreement.
What do you wish librarians knew about Ludolio?
If only this was a frequently asked question! Ludolio is a solution to problems that we have faced in our teaching at The University of Sydney, and we think staff at your institution have the same problems. We've built Ludolio to be library-friendly, and simple and easy to use for students. If you think there is a way Ludolio could be a better fit for your University, let us know! If it doesn't suit your institution, you can withdraw at any time.
