Adapting Epic Theatre Principles for the Design of Games for Learning

This paper proposes a design framework for educational games intended for play outside formal classrooms, drawing on Brechtian and Piscatorian epic theatre to foster critical reflection on complex systems such as economics. Its central thesis is that traditional educational games often fail to transfer learning because they prioritize "fun" balancing and immersion, which the authors argue overlook the root causes of student disengagement. Instead, they propose that learning itself should be the primary design goal, with critical reflection rather than immersion or empathy alone as the intended outcome.

The framework rests on three components: a controlled play context, explicit educational framing, and tightly scaffolded content free of extraneous elements. The authors maintain that play context strongly shapes whether reflection occurs. Case studies such as The Oregon Trail, where unsupervised students ignored the learning goal, and a Morrowind classroom study, where teacher-structured play increased participation, suggest that an educator or cooperative setting is often necessary. Immersion and flow, which dominate much game design, are seen as obstacles because they limit the self-awareness reflection requires.

Adapting epic theatre principles, the paper argues that every element and player action should serve the game's educational arguments, maintaining a strict economy of design that becomes harder to sustain as games grow in size. Educational games should not disguise their learning purpose and should connect to players' real lives rather than fantasy settings. Games should also expose the systemic causes of problems, with comparisons to Final Fantasy 7, We Are Chicago, and The McDonald's Videogame illustrating how such exposure can build cross-group solidarity rather than individual empathy alone.

The paper's recommendations emphasize personal relevance, multi-perspective presentation, and explicit in-game representation of societal systems. Drawing on Brechtian distancing, it argues that exposing systemic forces as artificial makes them appear changeable. The work is largely conceptual and theoretical, grounded in game-studies and educational research, and it presents no quantitative findings or empirical data beyond its illustrative case studies.