Draft:Persuasive Games

• Comment: Due to the lack of inline citations, I'm unable to tell if some claims in the draft comes from the author or from the sources. I'm assuming it's the former here, because I severely doubt that games lacking an article has enough sources to merit a mention. AlphaBetaGamma (Talk/report any mistakes here) 23:47, 16 July 2025 (UTC)

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Persuasive video games are a subgenre of serious games designed to influence players’ attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors. These games aim to deliver intentional messages through gameplay mechanics and interactivity, often addressing social, political, educational, or health-related issues. Unlike games made purely for entertainment, persuasive games use gameplay to present arguments, challenge perceptions, and inspire critical reflection.

The concept was developed by Ian Bogost in his 2007 book, Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames, where he introduced the idea of procedural rhetoric—a persuasive method based on the processes and rules embedded in a game's design, rather than through linear storytelling or audiovisual cues.

History and origins

While persuasive games gained prominence in the early 2000s, their foundations draw from earlier traditions in educational software, military simulations, propaganda games, and games for training. Early analog and digital games often aimed to influence players, even if not explicitly labeled as persuasive.

In the 1980s and 1990s, games like Oregon Trail and SimCity were used in classrooms to teach history and systems thinking. These games subtly introduced players to ideological assumptions about development, resource management, and governance.

The 2000s saw a rise in games explicitly designed to advocate for causes or explore real-world issues. The spread of browser-based Flash games enabled rapid development and mass distribution, making it easier for independent developers, NGOs, and educators to reach diverse audiences.

Notable early persuasive games include:

• Darfur is Dying (2006): Developed by Take Action Games, this award-winning browser game simulates the challenges faced by displaced people in Sudan, aiming to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis during the War in Darfur.

• Re-Mission (2006): Created by HopeLab, this 3D shooter targets young cancer patients, casting players as a nanobot fighting cancer cells inside the body. Clinical trials showed it increased treatment adherence and empowerment.

• September 12th: A Toy World (2003): Created by Gonzalo Frasca, this game critiques military interventionism. Players bomb a Middle Eastern town and observe how civilian casualties lead to increased terrorism, emphasizing unintended consequences.

Design and mechanics

Persuasive games leverage interactive systems to simulate real-world processes and arguments. They differ from traditional media by requiring players to act within rule-bound environments, often experiencing consequences that provoke reflection or empathy.

Design techniques include:

• Procedural rhetoric: This approach embeds arguments into gameplay systems. For example, Democracy models policy choices across taxation, healthcare, and civil rights, showing how political decisions create cascading social effects.

• Narrative framing: Persuasive games often include emotionally resonant storytelling to deepen player engagement. PeaceMaker uses real news footage and contextualized missions to simulate the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, encouraging understanding from both perspectives.

• Simulation and abstraction: By simplifying complex systems into game mechanics, designers highlight key tensions or trade-offs. For example, The McDonald's Videogame by Molleindustria satirizes fast-food industry ethics, environmental impact, and marketing manipulation through simplified management gameplay.

• Moral and ethical dilemmas: Games like Papers, Please confront players with bureaucratic decisions that challenge their ethical reasoning, highlighting the human cost of dehumanized systems.

• Reward and punishment structures: Players often receive feedback that reflects the intended persuasive message. This feedback loop encourages reflection on the player's actions and their consequences within the game world.

Designers must balance persuasion with player agency. If a game feels too overtly manipulative or limits meaningful choice, players may resist its message. Conversely, games that offer too much freedom may dilute their persuasive impact.

Applications

Persuasive games are used across domains from public health to civic education and journalism.

Public health:

• Re-Mission demonstrated how gaming can influence medical adherence.
• Night Shift trains emergency room doctors to detect signs of sepsis.
• PlayForward: Elm City Stories teaches adolescents about decision-making related to sexual health, reducing HIV risk.
• Beat the Boss and Escape COVID-19 promote pandemic-related safety behaviors.

Politics and activism:

• Balance of Power simulates geopolitical tensions, allowing players to experiment with diplomacy over military force.
• Not Tonight and Papers, Please critique nationalism, surveillance, and authoritarian systems through immersive role-play.
• Campaigns and advocacy groups have commissioned games like Tax Invaders or Kumawar to promote specific viewpoints or satirize opponents.

Education:

• iCivics, founded by Sandra Day O’Connor, offers civic learning games reaching millions of students in U.S. schools.
• Quandary and Mission US offer ethical and historical dilemmas aligned with curriculum standards.
• Climate Challenge engages students with sustainability and resource trade-offs tied to global climate change.

Journalism and newsgames:

• Endgame: Syria by Auroch Digital and Syrian Journey by BBC News immerse players in contemporary conflict stories.
• Budget Hero and The Voter Suppression Trail help players explore U.S. political issues through interactivity.

Criticisms

Persuasive games face several criticisms:

• Oversimplification of complex issues: To make systems playable, developers often abstract real-world dynamics. This can result in misleading representations or reinforce stereotypes. Critics argue that simulations may inadvertently encode ideological bias under the guise of neutrality.

• Ethical concerns about persuasion: Some scholars question the ethics of embedding persuasive messaging in entertainment. Players may not always be aware of the game's agenda, and vulnerable audiences (such as children) may be more susceptible to influence.

• Varied effectiveness: Meta-analyses show mixed results. While many persuasive games increase awareness or short-term attitude change, sustained behavior change is less consistent. Scholars note that persuasive efficacy often depends on player engagement, message clarity, and context of play.

• Critiques of procedural rhetoric: Miguel Sicart (2011) argues that procedural rhetoric overlooks player interpretation and ethical dimensions of game design. He advocates for broader design strategies that consider aesthetics, emotions, and player reflection.

Some researchers, including Lee, Abdollahi, and Agur (2022), propose that persuasive impact is shaped by levels of involvement and immersion. This means the more emotionally and cognitively engaged a player is, the more likely they are to internalize the game’s message.

Notable developers and institutions

• Ian Bogost: Game scholar and developer who co-founded Persuasive Games LLC. His work includes political and educational games for clients such as CNN, the Howard Dean presidential campaign, and airport security simulations for TSA training.

• Molleindustria: A radical game studio founded by Paolo Pedercini. Their satirical games critique capitalism, religion, labor, and surveillance culture. Notable titles include Faith Fighter, Phone Story, and To Build a Better Mousetrap.

• HopeLab: A nonprofit focused on improving health outcomes through behavioral science and technology. In addition to Re-Mission, it has produced digital interventions for mental health and resilience in youth.

• iCivics: Offers free educational games and resources promoting civic literacy. It combines gameplay with lesson plans, assessments, and teacher tools aligned with U.S. standards.

• Games for Change: An organization that promotes the creation and distribution of games for social impact. It hosts an annual conference, incubates impact-driven titles, and collaborates with institutions like the UN and World Bank.

See also

• Serious games
• Educational games
• Gamification
• Games for Change
• Simulation video game
• Health game
• Advergame
• Newsgame
• Impact games
• Digital storytelling

References

• Bogost, I. (2007). Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• Lee, E., Abdollahi, M., & Agur, C. (2022). Conceptualizing the roles of involvement and immersion in persuasive games. Games and Culture, 17(5), 703–720. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120211049576
• Kato, P. M., Cole, S. W., Bradlyn, A. S., & Pollock, B. H. (2008). A video game improves behavioral outcomes in adolescents and young adults with cancer: A randomized trial. Pediatrics, 122(2), e305–e317. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-3134
• Sicart, M. (2011). Against procedurality. Game Studies, 11(3). http://gamestudies.org/1103/articles/sicart_ap
• Flanagan, M. (2009). Critical Play: Radical Game Design. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• De La Hera, T. (2019). Persuasive Gaming in Context. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
• Barab, S., Gresalfi, M., & Ingram-Goble, A. (2010). Transformational play: Using games to position person, content, and context. Educational Researcher, 39(7), 525–536. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X10386593