Author: Gideon Gyamfi

Responses to Readings

What Learning Games Have You Played? How Do They Fit Into Learning Theories?

Games teach in different ways. Typing Club uses repetition and rewards to build typing speed, but not deep thinking. Minecraft: Education Edition lets players learn by creating and problem-solving, needing some teacher guidance. Foldit uses teamwork for real science, but needs background knowledge. Minecraft is likely the best, as it encourages hands-on learning and problem-solving over simple repetition.

Is Gamification Bullshit? What is Ian Bogost’s Argument?

Bogost thinks gamification is a trick. Companies use points and badges to control people, not to make things fun or educational. They add game-like things to make people keep using their products, but without real value.

I agree. Things like Duolingo streaks and Starbucks rewards make people do things without really learning. But, some gamification, like Khan Academy’s, can be good if it’s used to help real learning. I’ve seen it myself: reward programs feel like marketing, and Duolingo focuses too much on streaks, not learning.

What is a Serious Game, and Why Aren’t They Chocolate-Covered Broccoli?

Serious games teach, not just entertain. Bad games try to hide learning, like boring math games. Good games teach through playing, like “Papers, Please.” Good games are fun by themselves. Gamification can be bad, but good for real learning. Learning games are best when players explore, create, and work together.

How does Mary Flanagan’s definition of a game differ from Chris Crawford’s, as well as the definition crafted by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman?

Mary Flanagan sees games as more than just fun or competition. For her, games can be tools for activism or making a statement, not just about winning or losing. Chris Crawford focuses on how games are different from puzzles. He says games are dynamic—they change as players make decisions, while puzzles stay the same until you solve them. Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman define games more strictly. They see games as systems with rules, where players face artificial challenges and work toward a clear outcome, like winning or losing.

What is an activist games

Activist games teach about social issues. They try to make players think about problems like fairness and equality. They’re more than just fun.

What other games feature “perfect information” like Go and Chess?

Checkers, Shogi, Othello, and Mancala are games where everyone sees everything. No secrets or luck.

Why might chance or gambling games hold spiritual or religious importance to ancient cultures?

Long ago, people thought luck and chance came from the gods. Gambling was seen as fate or the gods’ power. It was both fun and spiritual.

When was the earliest battle between governments/religious groups and games? What modern games have been banned or demonized?

Some people have always thought games were bad. Like in Egypt and Mesopotamia, they thought gambling was a bad influence. Today, some video games are criticized for violence like GTA and Doom, and some board games for promoting capitalism.

What is a fox game, and what would be a modern example?

Fox games have one player (fox) against many (geese). The fox tries to win. Dead by Daylight is a modern example with a killer (fox) hunting survivors (geese).

What was the purpose or intent of the game Mansion of Happiness?

Mansion of Happiness was a game to teach good Christian behavior. Good actions helped you, bad actions set you back

Why did artists from the Fluxus and Surrealist movements play games? Why did Surrealists believe games might help everyone?

Artists like Fluxus and Surrealists used games to be creative and different. They wanted to challenge old ideas. Surrealists thought games helped people think creatively and avoid strict rules.

Changes in what can signal profound changes in games? How were pinball games reskinned during WWII?

Games can change with what people believe. Like during WWII, pinball machines were changed to support the war instead of gambling.

What statements did Fluxus artists make by reskinning games like Monopoly and Ping Pong?

Fluxus artists changed Monopoly and Ping Pong to show problems with capitalism. They made them silly, cooperative, or critical, not about winning or losing.

How are artists like Lilian Ball, Marcel Duchamp, Takako Saito, Yoko Ono, Gabriel Orozco, and Ruth Catlow using war games?

Artists change war games to show war is bad and to talk about peace. They sometimes make war games abstract or symbolic to challenge how we usually think about war.

Why is it important for players to have agency in a critical or serious game?

Agency means players can actively take part and think about a game’s ideas. Without agency, players just passively receive messages, without really thinking about them.

What advergames have you played? Did they influence a purchase?

Played Pepsi Man While fun, they felt gimmicky rather than persuasive.

Why do the advergames Tooth Protector and Escape work?

Tooth Protector (Johnson & Johnson): Embedded educational content into gameplay (protecting teeth from cavities by dodging harmful food).

Escape (Kellogg’s Nutrigrain): Action-packed, simple controls, and tied into the brand’s theme of having “energy” from a healthy breakfast

Why do Chase the Chuckwagon and Shark Bait fail?

Chase the Chuckwagon (Purina Dog Food): Boring gameplay Felt more like a forced promotional gimmick than a game.

Shark Bait (Quaker Oats): Poor controls and gameplay that lacked engagement.

What does Volvo’s Drive for Life accomplish? The game simulates realistic road hazards and responsible driving, indirectly promoting Volvo’s reliability and advanced safety features.

What company used in-advergame advertising : Nike, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s used in-game billboards and branded items within sports and racing games.

What was one of the first home console advergames, and what beverage was it for?

kool aid man

What makes the toilet training game sophisticated, and do you agree?

Yes, since it makes an educational experience more dynamic and fulfilling while also transforming a routine task (potty training) into an interesting challenge.

What do advergames and anti-advergames have in common, and what principles do they share?

Both sway player perception through persuasive game mechanics.

Ian Bogost points out that social games, like Cow Clicker, are often boring and repetitive. In Cow Clicker, all you do is click a cow every few hours, which highlights how these games rely on simple, addictive mechanics instead of meaningful gameplay.

Games like FarmVille treat friends as resources. , which can turn friendships into something more like a transaction than a real connection.

Social games often force players to check in frequently or wait for timers to run out. This can make people feel tied to the game.