The Compass Rose of Social Impact Games

Abstract

Within games that are meant for more than play, specific processes and procedures lie hidden within game mechanics that are key to gameplay. These keys provide an opportunity for the player to help or guide others, think about moral or ethical issues, learn about a problem in society, and learn about social issues, like a compass rose. This article presents an overview of the research related to persuasive games with a social impact component. The overview begins with a brief introduction of the use of persuasive games in education and concludes with their development over the last ten years. Next the author introduces each of the four compass points and uses examples of current social impact games to support how the processes and procedures within the game are affected by the game design. Finally, three recommendations are discussed for the design of social impact games in respect to the four compass points of social impact games.