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Understanding Stories of
Diversity, Inclusion, and
Tolerance Through Games

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HELLO!
I am Sherry Jones.
Philosophy + Game Studies
Subject Matter Expert and Lecturer
@RMCAD.
Twitter @autnes
Site: http://about.me/sherryjones
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About This Presentation.
In light of the current immigration and refugee crisis, we
recommend a collection of digital games that can be assigned
in the classroom to frame students’ perspective on the issues of
immigration, the refugee crisis, race, diversity, inclusion, and
tolerance.
The games will invite students to engage with social issues by
interacting with the hypothetical playable histories and
playable futures, and consider what is at stake for today’s
world.
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4.
Access the Interactive Version of This Presentation.
To access the interactive version of this presentation, please
visit:
http://bit.ly/diversitygames
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1. Why Do Games Matter in
Conversations about Social Issues?
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Games Can Model Events.
◈ Games are story machines that model versions
of real world and hypothetical events in the form
of interactive stories.
◈ Some games respond to and reflect
contemporary social issues (whether or not they
are designed to do so).
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We Can Experience Events Through Gameplay.
◈ Unlike a book that one can simply flip through,
a game will not allow us to explore its story
without engaging in physical interactions that
require logical thinking.
◈ Through gameplay, we “experience” the story
that the game models.
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2. Games Are Perspectives in Play.
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Games Are Not Reality Simulators.
◈ To assume that games can simulate and
represent all the conditions of real world
events would be a ludic fallacy.
◈ Games only represent limited conditions of
reality based on the designers’ gaze.
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Games Can Frame Perspectives.
Games can frame our perspectives of events by
modeling:
◈ Playable historical events.
◈ Playable counterfactual historical events.
◈ Playable hypothetical future events.
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“The interactivity of games gives them the
unique ability to make this an incredibly
powerful experience . . . Games convey
complicity like no other medium can.
Brenda Romero (August 1, 2016)
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3. Games on Race.
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Note on Recommended Games about Race.
◈ The following games are recommended for
experiencing certain events of race relations
through various perspectives.
◈ Race relations issues are not merely
mentioned as a footnote in the game
narrative, but are experienced through the
gameplay. 13

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AnOther by
Jordan Sparks
(2015)

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A Journey
Through Time:
Exploring
Racism by
MacDonald et.
al. (2013)

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Parable of the
Polygons by Vi
Hart and Nicky
Case (2014)

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Mafia III by 2K
Games (2017)

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Thralled by
Odisseu
(Coming Soon)

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Mission U.S. by
WNET 13
(2012)

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4. Games on Immigration.
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Note on Recommended Games about Immigration.
◈ The following games are recommended for
experiencing certain events of immigration
through various perspectives.
◈ Immigration issues are not merely mentioned
as a footnote in the game narrative, but are
experienced through the gameplay.
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Inside the
Japanese
American
Internment by
tfickle (2013)

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The Migrant by
heckgeog2
(2016)

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Syrian Journey
by BBC (2015)

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The Migrant
Trail by
Gigantic
Mechanic
(2014)

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Cloud Chasers
by Blindflug
Studios (2015)
(on Google Play
and iOS)

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Papers Please
by Dukope
(2013)

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5. Games on Disabilities.
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Note on Recommended Games about Disabilities.
◈ The following games are recommended for
experiencing certain events of disabilities
through various perspectives.
◈ Disability issues are not merely mentioned
as a footnote in the game narrative, but are
experienced through the gameplay.
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Perception by
The Deep End
Games
(Coming Soon)

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A Blind Legend
by Dowino
(2016) (on
Google Play
and iOS)

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Sea Hero Quest
by Glitchers
(2016) (on
Google Play
and iOS)

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Teaching with Games
Explore Theory
Discuss theories, such as race,
intersectionality, feminism, etc.
to contextualize students’
gameplay experience.
Critical Play
Ask students to play a game
while examining the gaming
experience through critical
lenses.
Critical Reflection
Ask students to pose questions
about the perspective of the
game (i.e. question the version
of “reality” presented by the
game).
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Research
Ask students to conduct
research as a way to evaluate
the accuracy of the version of
reality as presented by the
game.
Application
Ask students to either write a
research paper on their
gameplay experience, or make
a game as a proposal for
addressing a social issue.
Presentation
Ask students to present their
essay or game to receive peer
feedback.

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THANKS!
Any questions?
Find me on Twitter @autnes
Site: http://about.me/sherryjones
Slides: http://bit.ly/diversitygames

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CREDITS
Special thanks to all the people who made and
released these awesome resources for free:
◈ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival
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