Are You Sure You Want to Do that? Teaching Values with Serious Games

Serious games have become a popular way of teaching players certain values. The methods they use, however, vary in game elements that are used and their degree of meaningful decision-making. Starting from basic definitions, the contribution examines the effectiveness of digital games in conveying values of different kinds. The role of game design, various approaches towards the inclusion of social values, and research on the potential of digital games for teaching about values are presented. Finally, an example is discussed to illustrate a rather novel approach of employing youtube-like commentary within a game to make gamers feel more empathetic towards refugees.