Educational games
A mechanic map for games with explicit learning goals, from first encounters with a topic to professional practice. It covers children, teenagers and adults; choose subject, difficulty, context and controls for the learner. Player actions, subject content, instructional support and assessment are distinct layers. Scores and game completion alone do not establish mastery or skill transfer.
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Learning, feedback and assessment
1Introduction, demonstration and scaffoldingOverview and example ↗Demonstrate through examples12
Learning support
Variants
- Demonstrate through examples
- Let the player complete one step
- Guide step by step
- Offer partly solved tasks
- Show a nearby model
- Highlight relevant properties
- Offer requested hints
- Progress from general to specific hints
- Reduce options
- Gradually remove support
- Explain rules before use
- Allow learning through action
Design example. Initially show a command's direction with an arrow, then remove it.
2Feedback and consequencesOverview and example ↗Show immediate results12
Learning support
Variants
- Show immediate results
- Show results after action sequences
- Explain error causes
- Show world consequences
- Compare with a model
- Highlight the wrong step
- Offer self-checking
- Allow answer revision
- Allow retries
- Discuss several valid solutions
- Show improvement over earlier attempts
- Give meaningful character responses
Design example. A miscalculated support fails to hold a bridge, and the game shows the problem.
3Practice, recall and revisiting materialOverview and example ↗Repeat with new examples12
Learning support
Variants
- Repeat with new examples
- Recall without answers
- Revisit at intervals
- Alternate task types
- Repeat difficult elements
- Mix familiar and new
- Repeat after correction
- Apply skills in another story
- Reduce hint reliance
- Test skill stability
- Practice speed after accuracy
- Include earlier learning in composite tasks
Design example. Reuse familiar words after several game episodes.
4Difficulty adaptation and personalizationOverview and example ↗Change object count12
Learning support
Variants
- Change object count
- Change property count
- Change sequence length
- Change distractor similarity
- Change step count
- Change model availability
- Change required precision
- Change event speed
- Select tasks by error type
- Offer level choice
- Match stories to interests
- Separate content and control difficulty
Design example. After an error, keep the concept but reduce distractor count.
5Assessment, diagnosis and self-checkingOverview and example ↗Assess initial understanding12
Learning support
Variants
- Assess initial understanding
- Assess unprompted application
- Assess solving processes
- Assess finished products
- Find systematic errors
- Test understanding with new examples
- Test after a delay
- Ask for confidence ratings
- Compare confidence and results
- Allow next-step choice
- Use explicit criteria
- Test in another context
Design example. Solve a familiar problem type in a new presentation without a model.
6Transfer, generalization and real-world actionOverview and example ↗Apply rules to new objects12
Learning support
Variants
- Apply rules to new objects
- Apply in a new story
- Apply with different input
- Move from objects to symbols
- Move from symbols to real objects
- Infer general rules
- State rule boundaries
- Solve composite tasks
- Combine several skills
- Perform similar off-screen actions
- Distinguish similar-looking tasks with different rules
- Create an application example
Design example. After game shopping, plan a list and budget for a hypothetical real purchase.
7Reflection and managing one's solutionOverview and example ↗State goals before acting12
Learning support
Variants
- State goals before acting
- Predict difficulties
- Choose strategies
- Check intermediate results
- Detect ineffective strategies
- Request appropriate help
- Explain changed understanding
- Compare plans and execution
- Identify error sources
- Plan the next attempt
- Self-assess against criteria
- Decide when to finish
Design example. Choose a method before trying and explain afterward what helped.
Applied learning and evidence work
8Finding and checking digital sourcesOverview and example ↗A learning task is solved by finding, comparing and checking the origins of messages.8
Variants
- Form a query around an information gap
- Find a primary publication from a retelling
- Check a message’s author and date
- Compare a claim with its full context
- Distinguish independent corroboration from a reprint
- Find an original image among altered versions
- Mark information still missing for a conclusion
- Attach a verifiable source link to an answer
Design example. Hypothetical newsroom: verify an event report and assemble a card with supporting evidence.
9Building a claim from evidence and reasoningOverview and example ↗Players connect a conclusion to evidence and a rule explaining that connection.8
Variants
- Match a claim to a supporting observation
- Select evidence that distinguishes two explanations
- Add a rule connecting evidence to a conclusion
- Remove irrelevant supporting evidence
- Identify an assumption in an argument chain
- Extend an argument with a response to an objection
- Qualify a conclusion when evidence is insufficient
- Revise a position after a new observation
Design example. Hypothetical environmental council: justify a site choice using observations and state its limitations.
10Concept maps and relationshipsOverview and example ↗Knowledge is represented as a concept network; players construct and check labeled relationships.8
Variants
- Connect concepts with a labeled relationship
- Choose the direction of a meaningful link
- Add an intermediate concept to a chain
- Distinguish a concept example from its property
- Find an incorrect relationship in a provided map
- Connect a new concept to an existing one
- Compare two maps of the same topic
- Explain a path between distant concepts
Design example. Hypothetical energy atlas: connect sources, transformations and losses while explaining each link.
11Using documentation within a taskOverview and example ↗Players solve an applied task by finding a relevant rule in available documentation.8
Variants
- Find a relevant section using document structure
- Choose instructions for the current tool version
- Extract an allowed range from a table
- Match a warning to the current condition
- Distinguish a required step from a recommendation
- Assemble a short operational checklist
- Apply a retrieved rule to a new case
- Cite the document section justifying an action
Design example. Hypothetical workshop: select a machine setting from a training manual and workpiece properties.
12Peer review and revisionOverview and example ↗Players assess another solution against criteria, give actionable feedback and evaluate the revision.8
Variants
- Apply the same rubric to two submissions
- Identify the specific location of an error
- Distinguish an error from a valid alternative method
- Support feedback with an example or check
- Suggest a correction without replacing the author’s work
- Revise a solution after receiving feedback
- Discuss rating disagreements against the criteria
- Compare original and revised versions
Design example. Hypothetical engineering team: review another player’s bridge design and propose a testable improvement.
13Professional procedure simulationOverview and example ↗Learners carry out a work procedure in a training model with explicit checkable conditions.8
Variants
- Check equipment’s initial state
- Choose a tool for the operation’s conditions
- Perform a procedure in its required order
- Confirm a checkpoint value before continuing
- Detect an omitted required step
- Stop the procedure when allowed conditions are exceeded
- Reconstruct the procedure from an action log
- Repeat a scenario with a changed initial state
Design example. Hypothetical operator trainer: prepare an instrument, calibrate it and record the result. The model does not replace authorization to use real equipment.
14Dialogue practice and debriefOverview and example ↗Players conduct a conversation toward a specific task, check understanding and review the effects of their responses.8
Variants
- Clarify another speaker’s goal with an open question
- Paraphrase what was heard to check understanding
- Choose a follow-up question from the previous answer
- Ask for a missing fact before giving advice
- Explain one rule to different audiences
- Notice a contradiction between two statements
- Return to a branch and compare another response
- Debrief a conversation against its goal and observable actions
Design example. Hypothetical support desk: establish a user’s problem, clarify constraints and agree on a next step.
15Virtual laboratory and experiment logOverview and example ↗Players connect predictions, model settings, measurements and records so an experiment can be repeated.8
Variants
- Record a prediction before running an experiment
- Save the model’s initial parameters
- Run control and modified trials
- Record measurement units alongside a value
- Compare repeated runs of one experiment
- Reproduce another player’s experiment from its log
- Separate observation from explanation in a record
- State a property the model does not reproduce
Design example. Hypothetical laboratory: change one model parameter, record results and test a prediction with a new setting.
16Distributed expertise and reciprocal teachingOverview and example ↗Participants study different parts of a topic and combine their knowledge for a shared task.8
Variants
- Distribute different materials among participants
- Prepare a short explanation of one’s part
- Teach a rule to a partner through an example
- Check understanding with a question rather than verbatim repetition
- Combine information from different specialists
- Swap areas of responsibility in the next round
- Find a gap in the group’s explanation
- Solve a task independently after a group discussion
Design example. Hypothetical expedition: each participant studies one sensor type and teaches the others before a shared mission.
17Projects responding to a client briefOverview and example ↗Learners turn a brief into criteria, produce an artifact and justify it through checks.8
Variants
- Clarify an incomplete client requirement
- Turn a preference into a checkable criterion
- Select evidence for a design decision
- Build a minimal prototype
- Test the prototype against a specified scenario
- Negotiate a trade-off between requirements
- Present a result together with its limitations
- Revise the project after observing its use
Design example. Hypothetical studio: design museum navigation and test whether a visitor can find a target room.
Perception, attention and information
18Choice and responseOverview and example ↗Choose one correct option10
Core actions
Variants
- Choose one correct option
- Answer yes or no
- Answer true or false
- Choose every suitable option
- Exclude incorrect options
- Enter an original answer
- Indicate an image region
- Select an action under a condition
- Choose the best of several acceptable options
- Rank answers by confidence
Design example. Choose a vehicle that lets the character cross a river.
19Matching and correspondenceOverview and example ↗Match identical objects12
Core actions
Variants
- Match identical objects
- Match an object to its silhouette
- Match a part to a whole
- Match words to pictures
- Match sounds to sources
- Match numbers to quantities
- Match symbols to actions
- Match objects to functions
- Match causes to effects
- Match representations of one concept
- Establish one-to-many correspondence
- Establish many-to-many correspondence
Design example. Connect an animal, its tracks and its habitat.
20Search and discoveryOverview and example ↗Find an object in a scene10
Core actions
Variants
- Find an object in a scene
- Find all objects of a specified type
- Find differences
- Find a hidden or partly obscured object
- Find an object from a verbal description
- Locate a sound source
- Search by several properties
- Find an anomaly
- Find a missing element
- Search with a magnifier, flashlight or scanner
Design example. Find room objects whose names begin with a specified sound.
21Distinguishing properties and signalsOverview and example ↗Distinguish colors and shades10
Core actions
Variants
- Distinguish colors and shades
- Distinguish shapes and contours
- Distinguish size and proportions
- Distinguish position and direction
- Distinguish similar symbols
- Distinguish pitch and timbre
- Distinguish rhythms
- Distinguish textures by touch
- Recognize silhouettes or fragments
- Recognize an object from another angle
Design example. Identify an instrument by sound and select its picture.
22Sorting and classificationOverview and example ↗Sort by one property10
Core actions
Variants
- Sort by one property
- Sort by several properties
- Find an outlier
- Find a shared category
- Place objects at category intersections
- Build nested categories
- Change sorting rules
- Invent a rule
- Accept several justified classifications
- Resort after a property changes
Design example. Sort shapes by color, shape and then both properties.
23Comparison and orderingOverview and example ↗Find similarities and differences10
Core actions
Variants
- Find similarities and differences
- Choose larger or smaller
- Compare quantities without counting
- Compare length, mass and volume
- Sort in ascending order
- Sort in descending order
- Find a minimum or maximum
- Find the nearest value
- Compare several criteria
- Select an object satisfying a threshold
Design example. Arrange containers from smallest to largest.
24Memory and reconstructionOverview and example ↗Turn over matching cards10
Core actions
Variants
- Turn over matching cards
- Repeat a sequence
- Restore object positions
- Recall a vanished object
- Recall a changed object
- Repeat a route
- Retain multistep instructions
- Recall after a distracting task
- Reproduce without a model
- Reconstruct observations in another form
Design example. Remember an order and assemble it after the list disappears.
25Attention, switching and inhibitionOverview and example ↗Respond only to a target cue10
Core actions
Variants
- Respond only to a target cue
- Ignore forbidden cues
- Stop an action on cue
- Play with reversed rules
- Track a moving object
- Notice rare events
- Switch between rules
- Ignore distracting properties
- Divide attention across channels
- Pause before choosing
Design example. Select green fish while ignoring green fish with stripes.
Structures, logic and space
26Order, sequences and proceduresOverview and example ↗Order events by time10
Core actions
Variants
- Order events by time
- Restore instructions
- Assemble a recipe
- Order life-cycle stages
- Find a missing step
- Find incorrect order
- Add a beginning or ending
- Respect step dependencies
- Build a schedule
- Distinguish required and optional steps
Design example. Order pictures showing how bread is made.
27Patterns, analogies and rulesOverview and example ↗Continue a repeating pattern10
Core actions
Variants
- Continue a repeating pattern
- Continue a number sequence
- Continue alternating actions
- Infer a transformation rule
- Fill a pattern gap
- Find a pattern violation
- Solve an analogy
- Complete a two-property matrix
- Infer rules from examples
- Create a pattern
Design example. Infer a magic machine's rule from several transformations.
28Wholes and partsOverview and example ↗Assemble fragments into a whole10
Core actions
Variants
- Assemble fragments into a whole
- Divide into equal parts
- Divide unequally under a condition
- Find a missing part
- Assemble in several ways
- Decompose complex objects
- Rearrange while preserving quantity
- Relate parts to system levels
- Find part boundaries
- Check whether enough pieces exist
Design example. Build one area using different sets of geometric pieces.
29Spatial orientation and transformationsOverview and example ↗Distinguish left and right12
Core actions
Variants
- Distinguish left and right
- Distinguish above, below, between and behind
- Rotate shapes
- Reflect shapes
- Change scale
- Complete symmetry
- Relate top and side views
- Read coordinates
- Match nets to solids
- Mentally fold and unfold
- Use another character's viewpoint
- Translate between plans and spaces
Design example. Choose how a tower looks from the other side.
30Logical inference and argumentsOverview and example ↗Apply if-then conditions10
Core actions
Variants
- Apply if-then conditions
- Use AND, OR and NOT
- Eliminate impossible options
- Infer from several facts
- Find contradictions
- Distinguish necessary and sufficient conditions
- Find a counterexample
- Test a generalization
- Justify a choice
- Distinguish observations from assumptions
Design example. Find a character's house using several clues.
31Constraints, grids and placementOverview and example ↗Fill a grid without repetition10
Core actions
Variants
- Fill a grid without repetition
- Place objects next to each other
- Respect adjacency prohibitions
- Satisfy row sums
- Connect pairs without crossings
- Cover a board with specified shapes
- Place under several conditions
- Find a unique solution
- Find all valid solutions
- Determine that no solution exists
Design example. Seat animals so predators are not beside their prey.
32Rearrangement and spatial puzzlesOverview and example ↗Assemble jigsaws10
Core actions
Variants
- Assemble jigsaws
- Solve tangrams
- Slide tiles into an empty space
- Push boxes
- Unblock a path
- Swap elements
- Pack shapes into limited space
- Escape a maze
- Untangle lines
- Reproduce a three-dimensional arrangement
Design example. Move blocks to clear a vehicle's path.
33Encoding and representation changesOverview and example ↗Decode symbolic messages10
Core actions
Variants
- Decode symbolic messages
- Encode a message
- Convert pictures to diagrams
- Convert diagrams to actions
- Convert text to models
- Read pictograms and legends
- Convert quantities to numbers and back
- Convert data to graphs
- Use conventional symbols
- Create a notation system
Design example. Build a route from pictograms and then follow it.
Action, construction and control
34Navigation and spatial explorationOverview and example ↗Follow signs to a goal12
Core actions
Variants
- Follow signs to a goal
- Follow a map
- Map while moving
- Explore unknown areas
- Choose junctions
- Use landmarks
- Find short or safe routes
- Retrace one's own route
- Open passages with tools
- Use a compass
- Locate objects outdoors
- Operate vehicles under rules
Design example. Find a museum using a city plan and street-crossing rules.
35Construction and engineering designOverview and example ↗Build from a model12
Core actions
Variants
- Build from a model
- Build from a plan
- Build to functional requirements
- Choose materials
- Reinforce structures
- Connect modules
- Test under load
- Improve prototypes
- Build with limited parts
- Compare designs
- Disassemble and reuse parts
- Design for a specified user
Design example. Build a bridge with limited parts and load-test it.
36Algorithms, commands and programmingOverview and example ↗Specify command sequences12
Core actions
Variants
- Specify command sequences
- Use repetition
- Use conditions
- Use variables
- Create procedures
- Respond to events
- Use sensors
- Perform parallel actions
- Program character states
- Create recursive rules
- Execute algorithms step by step
- Compare outcomes and costs
Design example. Program a robot to collect objects of a specified color.
37Diagnosis, correction and debuggingOverview and example ↗Find sequence errors12
Core actions
Variants
- Find sequence errors
- Find calculation errors
- Find faulty parts
- Find incorrect connections
- Compare expected and actual
- Localize faults through checks
- Make minimal corrections
- Test fixes
- Check edge cases
- Choose revealing tests
- Explain failure causes
- Restore damaged systems
Design example. Find the command preventing a robot from reaching its goal.
38Physical and mechanical puzzlesOverview and example ↗Direct water flows12
Core actions
Variants
- Direct water flows
- Route light through mirrors
- Connect electrical circuits
- Use levers and pulleys
- Balance structures
- Control gears
- Change friction or slope
- Trigger chain reactions
- Adjust trajectories
- Use magnetic interactions
- Open mechanisms through action combinations
- Switch device modes
Design example. Adjust mirrors to direct a beam onto a receiver.
39Precise control and small movementsOverview and example ↗Touch a target accurately12
Core actions
Variants
- Touch a target accurately
- Drag into a target area
- Fit parts into slots
- Guide objects along paths
- Trace contours
- Rotate into position
- Control press force or duration
- Catch moving objects
- Coordinate two actions
- Follow stroke order
- Thread, fasten and fold
- Cut or fold along lines
Design example. Guide a pencil along a path without crossing its boundaries.
40Whole-body movementOverview and example ↗Repeat a pose12
Core actions
Variants
- Repeat a pose
- Repeat a movement
- Perform movement sequences
- Move to a marked zone
- Maintain balance
- Stop on cue
- Express concepts through movement
- Coordinate with a partner
- Follow rules through an obstacle course
- Throw at targets
- Represent shape or magnitude with the body
- Switch movement when rules change
Design example. Represent an angle from a picture with the body.
41Physical and mixed interactionsOverview and example ↗Play with physical cards12
Core actions
Variants
- Play with physical cards
- Build with real blocks
- Count tokens and pieces
- Use tactile materials
- Control physical robots
- Link object tags to digital scenes
- Complete off-screen tasks
- Photograph found objects
- Use augmented reality
- Combine boards and apps
- Use real measuring tools
- Change physical objects and observe digital results
Design example. Build a real tower and compare it with an app plan.
42Rhythm, tempo and musical actionsOverview and example ↗Repeat a rhythm12
Core actions
Variants
- Repeat a rhythm
- Act on a beat
- Complete a rhythmic pattern
- Distinguish durations
- Change tempo
- Synchronize movements
- Repeat a melody
- Distinguish pitches
- Match notation to sound
- Assemble accompaniment
- Create rhythmic compositions
- Coordinate ensemble parts
Design example. Clap a character's rhythm and invent a response.
Quantity, investigation and systems
43Quantity and number relationshipsOverview and example ↗Count objects individually12
Core actions
Variants
- Count objects individually
- Count groups
- Recognize small quantities without counting
- Establish one-to-one correspondence
- Count out a required quantity
- Compare sets
- Find number compositions
- Move along a number line
- Work with place value
- Represent fractions
- Relate fractions, decimals and percentages
- Work with negative numbers
Design example. Give each character one item and identify the remainder.
44Arithmetic transformationsOverview and example ↗Add and remove objects12
Core actions
Variants
- Add and remove objects
- Combine groups
- Find differences
- Form equal groups
- Divide equally
- Divide with a remainder
- Restore an unknown component
- Balance an equality
- Choose an operation for a problem
- Build an expression
- Find alternative calculations
- Check through inverse operations
Design example. Balance scales by adding and removing number blocks.
45Causes, consequences and predictionOverview and example ↗Predict an action's result10
Core actions
Variants
- Predict an action's result
- Choose an action for an outcome
- Infer causes from effects
- Build causal chains
- Identify multiple causes
- Account for delayed effects
- Test alternative scenarios
- Distinguish coincidence from causation
- Find side effects
- Find feedback in a system
Design example. Predict which garden area loses water after a valve closes.
46Experiment and investigationOverview and example ↗Formulate a question12
Core actions
Variants
- Formulate a question
- Propose a hypothesis
- Select a variable
- Change one factor
- Compare with a control
- Repeat an experiment
- Record observations
- Compare hypothesis and result
- Plan the next experiment
- Identify confounds
- Choose a discriminating experiment
- Explain conclusion limits
Design example. Test how light quantity affects virtual plant growth.
47Measurement and estimationOverview and example ↗Apply a measuring unit12
Core actions
Variants
- Apply a measuring unit
- Choose measurement units
- Read a scale
- Use rulers, scales and clocks
- Estimate before measuring
- Compare estimates to results
- Convert units
- Measure area and volume
- Assess tolerance and error
- Measure indirectly
- Choose a suitable tool
- Establish scale
Design example. Estimate a bridge's length and check with measuring blocks.
48Planning, strategy and optimizationOverview and example ↗Plan several moves ahead12
Core actions
Variants
- Plan several moves ahead
- Find the shortest route
- Minimize actions
- Minimize resource use
- Maximize results
- Compare strategies
- Account for several goals
- Choose speed or robustness
- Respond to changing conditions
- Anticipate another player
- Solve with incomplete information
- Explain trade-offs
Design example. Plan all deliveries with limited fuel.
49Simulation and systems managementOverview and example ↗Manage an ecosystem12
Core actions
Variants
- Manage an ecosystem
- Manage a farm or garden
- Manage a transport network
- Manage a city
- Change physical-model parameters
- Manage a production chain
- Manage stocks and flows
- Balance system needs
- Observe long-term effects
- Compare models with reality
- Explore cycles and equilibria
- Manage delayed systems
Design example. Balance water, plants and animals in a small pond.
50Resources, exchange and economicsOverview and example ↗Collect resources12
Core actions
Variants
- Collect resources
- Transport and deliver items
- Allocate limited stock
- Buy and sell
- Calculate prices and change
- Exchange items
- Build a budget
- Save toward a goal
- Craft from recipes
- Account for opportunity cost
- Plan supplies
- Allocate resources fairly
Design example. Buy meal ingredients within a budget.
51Data, tables and graphsOverview and example ↗Collect observations12
Core actions
Variants
- Collect observations
- Count events
- Fill a table
- Read a table
- Build pictographs or charts
- Read a graph
- Compare datasets
- Find averages and ranges
- Identify trends
- Find outliers
- Choose a visualization
- Check whether evidence supports a conclusion
Design example. Observe a game week's weather and build a chart.
52Randomness, probability and riskOverview and example ↗Predict random outcomes11
Core actions
Variants
- Predict random outcomes
- Compare probabilities
- Distinguish possible and impossible
- Run repeated trials
- Compare frequencies with expectations
- Create a fair random choice
- Explore sampling with and without replacement
- Choose risk or certainty
- Update forecasts with new data
- Enumerate outcomes
- Distinguish independent and dependent events
Design example. Change a bag's contents and test how often a target color appears.
Language and subject applications
53Vocabulary, meanings and semantic linksOverview and example ↗Name objects or actions12
Subject applications
Variants
- Name objects or actions
- Match words to definitions
- Explain words through properties
- Find synonyms
- Find antonyms
- Find shared concepts
- Distinguish multiple meanings
- Select words by context
- Build semantic networks
- Distinguish literal and figurative meaning
- Group words by topic
- Replace general words with precise ones
Design example. Describe an object so another player recognizes it.
54Speaking, listening and dialogueOverview and example ↗Follow spoken instructions12
Subject applications
Variants
- Follow spoken instructions
- Name observations
- Retell what was heard
- Describe routes
- Ask clarifying questions
- Explain solutions
- Take conversational turns
- Match replies to situations
- Record stories
- Listen and repair misunderstandings
- Match intonation to meaning
- Produce coherent speech without preset options
Design example. One player describes a route while another follows without seeing the map.
55Speech sounds and phonological actionsOverview and example ↗Identify initial or final sounds10
Subject applications
Variants
- Identify initial or final sounds
- Find a sound in a word
- Distinguish similar sounds
- Divide words into syllables
- Combine syllables
- Blend sounds into words
- Find rhymes
- Change one sound
- Remove or add sounds
- Match sounds and letters
Design example. Choose passengers whose names begin with the same sound.
56Reading, writing and symbolsOverview and example ↗Recognize letters in different fonts12
Subject applications
Variants
- Recognize letters in different fonts
- Build letters from elements
- Combine letters into syllables
- Assemble words
- Find missing letters
- Read words to act
- Match handwritten and printed forms
- Copy a model
- Write from dictation
- Correct writing
- Follow stroke order
- Read conventional symbols
Design example. Read a sign to choose the correct door.
57Text comprehension and informationOverview and example ↗Find explicit information12
Subject applications
Variants
- Find explicit information
- Identify main ideas
- Infer from text
- Infer reasons for actions
- Predict continuation
- Restore episode order
- Choose headings
- Connect text and images
- Compare two sources
- Distinguish fact and opinion
- Find support for conclusions
- Check message reliability
Design example. Read characters' notes to locate a hidden item.
58Grammar and sentence constructionOverview and example ↗Build sentences from words12
Subject applications
Variants
- Build sentences from words
- Change word forms
- Agree word forms
- Insert prepositions
- Select tense
- Replace repetition with pronouns
- Change word order for meaning
- Insert punctuation
- Connect sentences
- Correct grammar
- Rephrase for another purpose
- Form questions
Design example. Assemble understandable instructions from word cards.
59Subject knowledge and rule applicationOverview and example ↗Identify species and properties12
Subject applications
Variants
- Identify species and properties
- Relate organisms to environments
- Restore natural cycles
- Read geographic maps
- Connect places, cultures and events
- Order historical events
- Apply safety rules in scenarios
- Act under ecological conditions
- Identify material properties
- Match tools to tasks
- Distinguish artistic or musical properties
- Apply digital rules about permissions, sources and privacy
Design example. Select a roofing material according to its properties.
60Foreign languages and language switchingOverview and example ↗Match words, sounds and images12
Subject applications
Variants
- Match words, sounds and images
- Understand another language's instructions
- Recall words without translation prompts
- Pronounce words or phrases
- Use expressions in dialogue
- Switch language on cue
- Assemble utterances
- Read short messages
- Understand contextual speech
- Compare language structures
- Explain unfamiliar words using known words
- Solve through communication
Design example. Order in a virtual cafe using the language being learned.
Goals, constraints and progression
61Goals, tasks and success conditionsOverview and example ↗Reach a point16
Game structure
Variants
- Reach a point
- Deliver items
- Collect sets
- Restore objects
- Help characters
- Maintain working systems
- Complete orders
- Unlock areas
- Solve mysteries
- Build working objects
- Reach target quantities
- Finish without a specified error
- Find all solutions
- Improve personal results
- Complete shared projects
- Reach outcomes through several valid methods
Design example. Restore a bridge so residents can reach school again.
62Progression, mastery and new capabilitiesOverview and example ↗Unlock levels12
Game structure
Variants
- Unlock levels
- Unlock tools
- Unlock rules
- Develop the world
- Develop characters
- Map mastered skills
- Add composite tasks
- Offer next-branch choices
- Revisit areas with new skills
- Unlock creative modes
- Expand independence gradually
- Complete thematic chapters
Design example. After mastering turns, give the robot new routes.
63Constraints, pace and informationOverview and example ↗Limit turns14
Game structure
Variants
- Limit turns
- Limit resources
- Limit tools
- Limit time
- Use turn-based play
- Use real-time events
- Allow pauses
- Hide information
- Reveal information through actions
- Change conditions during tasks
- Add random events
- Add linked goals
- Prohibit actions
- Delay consequences
Design example. Build with six parts while allowing several solutions.
64Rewards, collections and game consequencesOverview and example ↗Award points12
Game structure
Variants
- Award points
- Award stars or badges
- Reward tasks with items
- Expand collections
- Reveal story fragments
- Change world appearance
- Grant abilities
- Show personal improvement
- Provide meaningful action results
- Show contributions to shared goals
- Allow reward choice
- Collect creations in albums
Design example. Successfully grown plants remain in the child's garden.
65Autonomy, identity and persistent worldsOverview and example ↗Choose characters12
Game structure
Variants
- Choose characters
- Customize appearance
- Choose themes or routes
- Choose task order
- Choose tools
- Choose solution methods
- Preserve constructions
- Care for characters
- Return to long projects
- Change the world through decisions
- Create personal goals
- Choose difficulty or support
Design example. Choose a city area to restore and decide how to do it.
66Turns, random tools and action-set managementOverview and example ↗Take turns12
Game structure
Variants
- Take turns
- Roll dice and move
- Draw task cards
- Choose from an open set
- Collect card sets
- Build decks
- Use card combinations
- Place pieces to select actions
- Wager tokens on predictions
- Change available actions
- Exchange turns for information
- Make hidden simultaneous choices
Design example. Select tool cards to solve a problem with limited turns.
67Formats and mechanic combinationsOverview and example ↗Quizzes20
Game structure
Variants
- Quizzes
- Lotto or bingo
- Dominoes
- Memory matching
- Movement board games
- Card games
- Puzzles
- Quests or escape rooms
- Exploration adventures
- Platformers with learning actions
- Object-selection runners
- Rhythm games
- Simulations
- Strategy games
- Sandboxes or construction tools
- Interactive books
- Roleplaying games
- Team games
- Active movement games
- Physical-object and app games
Design example. A quest combines notes, object search, inference and maps.
Learning goals and outcome checks
Define a subject outcome and an observable check for each project. The catalog proposes design options and reports no completed trials.
Age and context
An educational game can serve preschool, school, university, independent study or employee training. Adjust subject difficulty and controls independently.
Action and support
Searching, measuring and explaining are learner actions. Hints, adaptation, practice intervals and assessment organize instruction and should be designed as a separate layer.
Reward and mastery
Check whether players can earn the game result while bypassing the learning action. Assess mastery with a new unassisted task, a delayed check and an appropriate real context.
Model limits
A trainer simplifies the work environment. State assumptions and assess transfer separately; completion is not professional authorization.
Overlapping families
The applied families refine general actions for specific instructional tasks. They use a different level of description, not a claim that each family has a unique effect.
Parameters that change almost any mechanic
Combine these with the families above. Matching can use audio, cooperation, a disappearing model and no time limit: four independent implementation choices.
Learning function
Introduction · Investigation · Practice · Recall · Application · Generalization · Diagnosis · Creation
Independence
Full demonstration · Joint execution · Step-by-step support · Nearby model · Requested hints · Independent solving · Independent goal-setting
Errors and repetition
Free retries · Current-step correction · Checkpoints · Limited attempts · Modeled consequences · Undo · Review after a series
Difficulty
Element count · Property count · Step count · Option similarity · Memory load · Uncertainty · Precision · Event speed
Information channel
Images · Text · Speech · Nonverbal sound · Movement · Touch · Combined channels
Action method
Touch or buttons · Dragging · Drawing · Text input · Voice · Gesture or movement · Physical objects · Sensors or tools
Answer type
One correct answer · Several correct answers · Best against criteria · Several justified answers · Original product · Open investigation
Information
Fully available · Partly hidden · Disappearing model · Information gathering · Divided information · Irrelevant information · Uncertainty
Time
Unlimited · Turn-based · Real time · Rhythmic · Pausable · Delayed consequences · Spaced revisiting
Participants
Individual learner · Learner and virtual character · Pair · Group · Teams · Learner and instructor · Asynchronous participants
Participant relationships
Independent play · Cooperation · Competition · Negotiation · Mutual teaching · Divided roles · Shared products
Environment
Digital · Board game · Physical materials · Active movement · Outdoors · Mixed · Augmented reality
Combining mechanics
The learning goal must appear in the action required for a game result. Genre names and rewards do not determine learning content. These are hypothetical designs.
Robot workshop
Build → program → predict → run → debug → solve a new task without hints
Expedition
Read maps → plan routes → observe → classify discoveries → explain conclusions
Shop
Sort goods → read orders → calculate costs → choose purchases → check the budget
Cooperative construction
Divide plans → explain → allocate parts → assemble → test → revise
Detective story
Read notes → compare facts → eliminate options → test hypotheses → justify
Musical story
Listen → repeat rhythms → choose instruments → compose → coordinate parts → perform
Sources and examples
Sources support particular techniques or methodology, not every family variant. Design examples and mechanic combinations are illustrative.
- Arnab et al. Mapping learning and game mechanics for serious games analysis
The LM-GM model maps learning and game elements. This page’s detailed taxonomy was compiled independently.
- Plass, Homer, Kinzer. Foundations of Game-Based Learning
Methodological context for game actions, learning goals, scaffolding, feedback, adaptation and assessment.
- PhET: inquiry activities with simulations
The PhET guide illustrates prediction, parameter exploration and explanations of observations. A simulation is a learning tool here; a simulation is not automatically a game.
- Minecraft Education: Chemistry
The official page provides the Chemistry Resource Pack and a teacher Lab Book, a specific example of subject tools inside a game world.
- Dunlosky et al. Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques
The review compares learning techniques including retrieval, distributed practice and interleaved practice. It contextualizes the instructional layer without validating every game variant.
CC BY 4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors
Story, communication and creativity
68Cooperation and distributed tasksOverview and example ↗Solve shared tasks12
Core actions
Variants
Design example. One player has the plan and another the parts, requiring explanation to build.
69Story, roles and character decisionsOverview and example ↗Choose dialogue12
Core actions
Variants
Design example. Act as a park ranger investigating the animals' water shortage.
70Emotions, relationships and social perspectiveOverview and example ↗Recognize emotions through several cues12
Core actions
Variants
Design example. Help two characters agree on sharing a toy.
71Creative expressionOverview and example ↗Draw freely12
Core actions
Variants
Design example. Invent and draw a creature adapted to a specified environment.
72Explanation, discussion and teaching othersOverview and example ↗Explain solution steps12
Core actions
Variants
Design example. Teach a robot to recognize suitable shapes, then test new examples.
73Open projects and creating gamesOverview and example ↗Choose personal goals12
Core actions
Variants
Design example. Create a maze solvable in exactly ten commands.
74Competition, negotiation and mutual choiceOverview and example ↗Compete in solving12
Core actions
Variants
Design example. Trade cards so everyone completes a required set.