Quest Context / Intro
One of the first steps in any game design process is understanding what already exists within a given topic space. Before proposing new mechanics or experiences, it is critical to examine prior work—what has been successful, what gaps remain, and where opportunities for innovation may exist.
As part of this exploration phase, I reviewed and (when possible) played a selection of games and simulations aligned with potential client topic areas. This post documents what I found, what I did not find, and the insights gained from surveying the current design landscape.
🧩 Part 0: Topic Option(s) Explored
At this stage of the design process and the time of writing this blog post, our team has not yet finalized a single client topic. So, this blog post may be updated in the future once this has been ironed out. In order to support early market research and identify potential design opportunities, I explored several topic options that align with common learning needs and are well-suited to game-based or simulation-based approaches.
Topic Option 1: Systems Thinking & Cause-and-Effect
Focus on understanding how interconnected systems behave over time
Common in domains such as infrastructure, organizational processes, environmental systems, and technical workflows
Well-suited for simulation and strategy-based game mechanics
Topic Option 2: Safety, Risk, & Procedural Decision-Making
Emphasizes learning how to identify hazards, follow procedures, and make safe choices
Often addressed through simulations, branching scenarios, or role-play
Relevant to workplace training, technical education, and compliance contexts
Topic Option 3: Problem-Solving & Troubleshooting
Centers on diagnosing issues, testing solutions, and iterating based on feedback
Frequently appears in puzzle-based games and simulation games
Applies broadly to technical, mechanical, and systems-based learning environments
Topic Option 4 (Exploratory): Collaboration & Communication
Focuses on teamwork, role clarity, and shared decision-making
Commonly implemented through role-playing games, board/card games, or multiplayer digital experiences
Particularly relevant for organizational or professional learning contexts
These topic areas were selected to allow flexibility during early exploration while still providing enough structure to guide meaningful game and simulation research across multiple platforms. Updates from the team will be considered as they come up.
🔍 Part 1: What Did I Find?
🎮 Game / Simulation 1: Crack the Circuit
📍 Where found:
🧠 What is the game about?
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Core dynamic: Puzzle-solving and logical reasoning
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Narrative: Minimal to none; the focus is on problem completion
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Purpose: Educational
👥 Intended players:
This game appears to be designed for beginners or learners with little prior experience in electrical systems, likely targeting middle school through early high school learners or introductory technical training contexts.
📝 Relevance to topic areas:
🎮 Game / Simulation 2: Wired
📍 Where found:
Online (browser-based game)
🧠 What is the game about?
Wired is an atmospheric puzzle-platform game where players progress by constructing working electrical circuits within a physical environment. Unlike more abstract puzzle games, Wired emphasizes a realistic model of electricity, requiring players to understand how current flows and how circuits behave under different configurations.
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Core dynamic: Exploration and experimentation
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Narrative: Environmental and implied rather than explicit
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Purpose: Hybrid — educational through interaction, framed as a game
👥 Intended players:
This experience appears best suited for older learners or players with some existing familiarity with electrical concepts, such as high school students, technical learners, or curious adult players.
📝 Relevance to topic areas:
Wired connects closely to systems thinking and procedural decision-making, as players must test hypotheses and learn from failure within a simulated environment.
🎮 Game / Simulation 3: Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
📍 Where found:
Steam (commercial entertainment game)
🧠 What is the game about?
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a cooperative multiplayer game in which one player defuses a bomb while others consult a manual to provide instructions. Success depends on clear communication, shared understanding of systems, and rapid decision-making under pressure.
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Core dynamic: Collaboration and communication
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Narrative: Situational rather than story-driven
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Purpose: Entertainment, with strong transferable learning mechanics
👥 Intended players:
Designed for groups of players, this game targets a general audience but is especially relevant for teams practicing communication, coordination, and procedural reasoning.
📝 Relevance to topic areas:
Although not explicitly educational, this game offers valuable insight into collaboration, role clarity, and procedural execution, making it a useful reference for learning-focused design despite its entertainment framing.
🧠 Related Games
While not all games explored were directly aligned with the client topic areas, several entertainment-focused games still provided useful reference points. These experiences demonstrated effective mechanics for communication, decision-making, and system comprehension that could be adapted for educational or training contexts.
📘 Part 2: What Did I Learn About Games in These Topic Areas?
Exploring existing games and simulations across multiple platforms revealed several important patterns about how learning-focused experiences approach topics such as systems thinking, problem-solving, safety, and collaboration. While each game differed in presentation and purpose, common design trends emerged that help clarify both opportunities and limitations within this space.
Commonalities Across Games and Simulations
One of the most consistent patterns observed was an emphasis on learning through interaction rather than direct instruction. Games such as Crack the Circuit and Wired rely heavily on trial-and-error, experimentation, and visual feedback to help players understand cause-and-effect relationships within systems. This approach aligns strongly with systems thinking and problem-solving topic areas, where understanding emerges from observing how components interact rather than memorizing rules.
Another commonality was the use of clear constraints and goals. Even in experiences without strong narrative framing, players are guided by explicit objectives—complete the circuit, power the system, or progress through a level. These constraints help focus player attention and reduce cognitive overload, especially when dealing with abstract or technical concepts.
Key Differences in Design Approaches
Despite these similarities, the games differed significantly in how they balanced realism, accessibility, and engagement. For example, Crack the Circuit simplifies electrical behavior to support accessibility and quick comprehension, making it suitable for novice learners. In contrast, Wired leans more heavily toward realism, encouraging deeper exploration but requiring greater persistence and tolerance for ambiguity.
Entertainment-focused games like Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes introduced a different design lens altogether. Rather than teaching explicit content, this game emphasizes collaboration, communication, and procedural execution. While not designed as an educational product, its mechanics reveal how social dynamics and role differentiation can be powerful drivers of engagement and learning—particularly in group-based or professional learning contexts.
Learning Domains and Genre Trends
Across the games reviewed, learning most frequently targeted:
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Conceptual understanding (how systems work)
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Procedural reasoning (what steps to take and when)
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Decision-making under constraints
Puzzle and simulation-game hybrids were especially common, suggesting that this genre is well-suited for teaching complex systems without overwhelming players. Fully realistic simulations appeared less common, likely due to higher development costs and steeper learning curves.
Implications for Future Design Work
This exploration highlighted several opportunities for future design:
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Many games focus on individual mastery, leaving room for experiences that emphasize collaboration and shared problem-solving.
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There is a noticeable gap between highly abstract educational games and high-fidelity simulations, suggesting space for hybrid designs that balance realism with approachability.
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Entertainment games continue to offer valuable inspiration for learning design, particularly in how they motivate players through tension, feedback, and social interaction.
Understanding these patterns will help inform future design decisions as our team refines a client topic and begins concept development. Rather than designing in isolation, this research reinforces the value of learning from existing successes—and learning where meaningful gaps remain.
Closing Line
"Mapping the landscape reveals not only what exists—but where new paths can be forged."
🎯 Closing Reflection
This exploration reinforced the importance of conducting early market research before committing to a specific design direction. Even when few direct examples exist, related games and simulations provide valuable insight into mechanics, player expectations, and design constraints. These observations will inform future design decisions as our team refines its topic focus and begins concept development.
