How can you design more inclusive and diverse learning games?

There are few people who do not like playing games. Therefore, one of the most valuable tools we can use for learning is games. So, do we all enjoy every game we play? Are we all equally engaged in every game? Regardless of the subject, the first thing we need to do when designing games for learners is to get to know our learners. The more detail we can go into when making this definition, the better chance we will have of making the right moves. Defining Persona using Design Thinking methodology will be the first and most effective step. After defining a right Persona type and taking our game to the MVP stage, we must have it tested by the audience suitable for the Persona we have defined and design new moves according to their feedback.

For games, it is really not that difficult as you can simply study the existing games, their demographics etc. Game makes are extremely keen on having that information available and there are a lot of resources that one can draw upon. While user testing and focus groups are good, there is nothing better, than studying what people actually do (ie, games that people play) rather than asking what they want to do. Sometimes people want to want things, and report what they wish they wanted, rather than what they will actually use.

Designing inclusive learning games involves accurate representation, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility features like subtitles and adjustable difficulty. Gathering diverse feedback, allowing customization, and embracing universal design principles ensure games cater to a broad audience, fostering inclusivity in learning experiences.

The principles I try to adhere to: -The story features characters of different races, genders, ethnicities, abilities, and backgrounds. - We avoid the use of gender and other stereotypes. - Use language that is respectful of all players.

Content will depend greatly what kind of learning we are talking about. If teaching STEM subjects, like, for example Math, cultural context is much less critical. 2+2 is 4 all around the globe. Staying at this level, rather than trying to apply problems to real-life situations will allow for a culture sensitive, inclusive and universally acceptable content.

Accessibility needs to be a pillar of your game from the very start. It needs to be addressed during the design and the implementation of your game mechanics. It is not an afterthought design you fit in.

Often, game design and accessibility are at odds with one each other. It maybe impossible to design certain type of games for certain types of color-blindness. They key is, to identity the kinds of conditions you want to address and be explicit about which can be met and which cannot. WCAG is a great general guidelines but it does not apply to all types of games perfectly

Incorporate adaptive technologies and flexible user interfaces. By providing options like text-to-speech, adjustable text sizes, color contrast settings, and alternative control schemes, games can be made more accessible to learners with various disabilities, including visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments.

People learn better when they feel represented. The visceral charge of empathy you get from seeing someone in a story or a piece of educational material who looks like you cannot be overstated. On the most basic possible level, you need to consider age, gender identity, ethnicity, body type and if applicable, religion. I know I'm missing some and I know right now this looks intimidating and some of you are asking why you should bother. Because people learn better when they feel represented. And if you embrace diverse representation, you not only do something good but get an ambient, and vital, good will bump with your audience for being one of the vanishingly small number of companies who bother to do so.

If the purpose of the game is encouraging or teaching collaboration, this has to be taken into effect. However, many games, like Math games, can effectively teach core math curriculum (such as one presented by Mathantics.com) in isolation, which may allow the game to be accessible to a wider audience.

Include your user audience as much as you can, and try and expand it often (i.e. ensure 'new' players are exposed to also test your first-time user experience). Get support from game players with disabilities. Evaluate the game with that diverse group of players, and ensure you can provide many ways to collect input from players (e.g., online surveys, calls, group chats, whatever works best for your audience)

The key in making games more accessible, is to be very explicit about what you want to achieve, what you want to address and what you will not be addressing. An educational game, to be successful, has to be a game first, educational second. It has to be entertaining and enticing. Otherwise, you simply have a educational tool, that one is forced to use , with unnecessary game mechanics, that may even slow down progress. Making a compelling game is key, and being explicit about what you can achieve and what you cannot, as to accessibility and such, is critical. Many developers in edutainment have found, that it is often easier to add education to already successful games (like Minecraft), rather than invent a new game.

If your game has some complex controls or mechanics - it might be a good idea to have some sort of "Help" page in the pause menu. Some players skip tutorials and dialogs. Some players are just forgetful or inattentive. Sometimes a player can find another way to progress without learning what you wanted them to learn. And sometimes things are just not that obvious, as you might have thought they would be. So having this small reference book that a player can address whenever they feel confused - is a good thing. It's not a requirement, but if your gameplay is pretty complex - it might be a good idea.