Games are some of our most effective teachers. They pull us into their small worlds with the enticement of entertainment and of winning, teaching us their own particular rules along the way. When their worlds and rules mirror those of our own, they teach us about reality itself. In this session, game production experts will discuss when games are the most effective format for exposing people to certain realities, conveying information, and explaining complex topics. In turn, this can make players begin to understand and invest in an issue, while equipping themselves with new knowledge and skills to confront adversities in real life too.

Relevant Materials

• Cards against calamity, a game from the Wilson Center
• The COVID-19 Cataclysm, or Preparing for Crises through Games, by Elizabeth Newbury
• Beyond Blue, a game coming from E-Line Media and BBC

Quotes

• “Life is more fun if you play games.” – Roald Dahl
• “Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.