Reference
Values Library
The study identified seven clusters of values shaping serious game design. Use this library as a shared vocabulary: pick the values that matter for your project, and follow the links to see where each one is won or lost in practice.
1. Civic & ethical values
Anchor games in social responsibility — public safety, harm reduction, human dignity, empathy and inclusion.
Harm reduction
Avoiding physical, psychological or social harm to users and communities — non-traumatising scenarios, careful handling of vulnerable users.
Appears in: Functional description, Player choice
Dignity & respect
Respecting the status, autonomy and humanity of users and represented groups — adults treated as adults, non-patronising narratives.
Appears in: Functional description, Narrative premise & goals, Characters, Aesthetics
Empathy & understanding
Encouraging players to understand others' perspectives and situations, through narrative, second-person address and NPC design.
Appears in: Narrative premise & goals, Rules for interaction with players & NPCs, Point of view
Inclusion & diversity
Representation of diverse identities and experiences; reducing exclusion for low-income, low-literacy and marginalised users.
Appears in: Key actors (stakeholders), Societal input, Technical constraints, Characters, Hardware, Interface, Aesthetics
2. Learning, clinical & industrial values
Prioritise rigour and real-world utility — learning outcomes, evidence, fairness, efficiency, reliability, compliance.
Learning effectiveness
Alignment with learning outcomes, depth of understanding, and transfer to real practice.
Appears in: Functional description, Financial constraints, Technical constraints, Narrative premise & goals, Rules for interaction with the environment, Verification
Evidence-based practice
Clinical and educational rigour; claims supported by data, validation studies and controlled design.
Appears in: Technical constraints, Interface, Game engine & software, Verification
Fairness & comparability
Equal conditions across learners; unbiased, standardised assessment free of confounds.
Appears in: Actions in game, Context of play, Rewards, Strategies, Verification
Efficiency & productivity
Time- and cost-efficiency; streamlined workflows; scalable delivery.
Appears in: Functional description, Interface, Game engine & software, Game maps
Reliability & precision
Accurate measurement and repeatable results; stable builds for clinical contexts.
Appears in: Actions in game, Verification
Compliance & safety
Legal conformity and adherence to regulations and organisational policies, embedded in rules and checklists.
Appears in: Key actors (stakeholders), Actions in game, Player choice, Context of play, Rewards, Strategies, Game maps
3. User-centred & psychological values
Focus on the individual player's experience — accessibility, psychological safety, autonomy, consent, engagement.
Accessibility
Usable by diverse abilities, languages and hardware — simple controls, mobile compatibility, low-spec support.
Appears in: Societal input, Financial constraints, Technical constraints, Player choice, Point of view, Hardware, Interface, Context of play, Strategies, Game maps
Psychological safety
Avoiding shame, anxiety and undue stress — hidden scores, friendly failure feedback, non-threatening aesthetics.
Appears in: Financial constraints, Characters, Player choice, Rules for interaction with players & NPCs, Rules for interaction with the environment, Point of view, Interface, Context of play, Rewards, Aesthetics
Autonomy & agency
Allowing choice and control within safe limits — free exploration, self-set goals, optional disclosure.
Appears in: Key actors (stakeholders), Actions in game, Player choice, Rules for interaction with the environment, Point of view, Strategies, Game maps
Consent & boundaries
Respecting user comfort and willingness — opt-in sharing, clear limits on what activities can ask of people.
Appears in: Player choice, Strategies
Engagement & enjoyment
Making experiences compelling without undermining seriousness — “more fun than a lesson.”
Appears in: Narrative premise & goals, Rules for interaction with players & NPCs, Rules for interaction with the environment, Hardware, Context of play, Rewards
4. Cultural & representational values
Demand that games reflect authentic local contexts and foster genuine belonging.
Authenticity
Faithful reflection of real contexts and cultures — region-specific content, real processes, local signage and flora.
Appears in: Key actors (stakeholders), Societal input, Narrative premise & goals, Characters, Rules for interaction with players & NPCs, Rules for interaction with the environment, Point of view, Game engine & software, Strategies, Aesthetics
Recognition & belonging
Players see themselves and their communities — real photos and stories, co-designed characters.
Appears in: Aesthetics
Respect for local norms & laws
Adherence to local legal, professional and cultural standards, such as chain-of-responsibility law in safety games.
Appears in: Societal input, Rules for interaction with players & NPCs, Aesthetics
Global vs local balance
Reconciling internationalisation with local relevance — localisation is a matter of values, not just language.
Appears in: Societal input
5. Inspirational & experiential values
Attend to the emotional and imaginative dimensions of play — wonder, curiosity and joy within serious subject matter.
Wonder & awe
Fascination and a sense of scale and possibility — space exploration, immersive soundscapes, large environmental vistas.
Appears in: Functional description
Curiosity & exploration
The desire to explore, experiment and discover — open simulations, hidden interactions, experimental strategies.
Appears in: Functional description, Actions in game, Context of play, Rewards
Playfulness & joy
Enjoyment, humour and playful interaction — light-hearted mechanics, gentle jokes and surprises.
6. Market, institutional & fame-related values
The commercial and reputational pressures studios face — viability, investor expectations, recognition, compliance culture.
Financial viability
Profitability and studio sustainability — the ability to pay staff shapes which projects are possible.
Appears in: Financial constraints, Characters, Game engine & software, Verification
Investor & shareholder expectations
Risk control, reputation and return on investment — pushing toward safer themes and predictable deliverables.
Appears in: Key actors (stakeholders), Financial constraints
Recognition & legitimacy
Awards, reputation and professional credibility — a pull toward visual polish and flagship projects.
Appears in: Societal input
Compliance culture
Auditability, documented completion and external standards — a gravitational pull toward pass/fail e-learning patterns.
7. Technical & infrastructural values
The practical foundations of game-making — reach vs fidelity, collaboration, durable systems.
Accessibility vs fidelity
Balancing reach against technical richness — low-spec support vs high-end VR; motion-sickness-aware design.
Appears in: Technical constraints, Hardware
Collaboration & interdisciplinarity
Enabling diverse team members to contribute — tools and pipelines that let designers and artists build logic.
Appears in: Key actors (stakeholders), Game engine & software
Sustainability & craftsmanship
Durable, maintainable systems and artefacts — robust hardware, maintainable codebases, long-term support.
Appears in: Hardware
Social good
Public safety, environmental stewardship, public health and humanitarian concern as the reason the game exists.