An Agent Based Approach to Designing Serious Games: The PNPV Case Study

Serious game development requires a transition from traditional, artisan-based design methods toward structured, validated frameworks that leverage multi-agent systems. By integrating agent-based modeling, designers can effectively balance the demands of simulation realism with specific pedagogical objectives. This approach facilitates the incremental introduction of complexity, which is essential for supporting exploratory learning environments where students must navigate multifaceted social and business challenges.

The PNPVillage project serves as a primary application of this methodology, focusing on vocational education and training students within the tourism sector. The game utilizes a competitive market simulation where students manage strategic and operational levers to influence the behavior of autonomous customer agents. Through a seven-level progression, the design emphasizes discovery learning and learning-by-doing, ensuring that the simulation remains grounded in realistic economic dynamics. To maintain educational integrity, the development process incorporates early validation through benchmarking and quest-based testing, which aligns the technical simulation with intended learning outcomes.

While the agent-based framework provides a robust architecture for serious game design, the long-term impact on student entrepreneurial skill acquisition remains a subject for ongoing investigation. Future research is necessary to empirically validate the effectiveness of these simulations in real-world educational settings. Nevertheless, the integration of multi-agent systems offers a scalable and repeatable methodology for creating complex, interactive environments that foster critical decision-making skills in professional training contexts.