Gaming for Understanding: How Play Can Foster Empathy and Insight

Games are often seen as a source of entertainment, a way to unwind, or even a competitive arena. But can games be more than just fun? Can they be a powerful tool for understanding complex and sensitive topics? Brenda Brathwaite, a game designer, believes they can. She shares her experiences in using games to explore difficult subjects like slavery, cultural identity, and immigration, revealing how interactive play can foster empathy and deeper comprehension.

Beyond Entertainment: Games as a Medium for Understanding

We often associate games with lighthearted fun, but they can evoke powerful emotions and experiences. Think about the intensity of a close hockey game in the Olympics or the collective joy of a city celebrating a World Series win. These events, while technically games, hold deeper meaning and connect us to something larger than ourselves. Brathwaite asks, "Can games mean something more to us?" She believes they absolutely can, and her work demonstrates how.

The Turning Point: A Daughter's Question

Brathwaite's journey into designing games for understanding began with a simple question from her daughter, Mesa. After learning about the Middle Passage in school, Mesa recounted the historical facts but seemed to lack a true grasp of the human suffering involved. This sparked an idea in Brathwaite: could she use her skills as a game designer to help her daughter truly understand the gravity of this historical tragedy?

Creating "The New World": A Game of Empathy

Brathwaite created a game using small figures representing families, placing them on a makeshift boat to simulate the journey of the Middle Passage. As her daughter played, she was forced to make difficult choices about food and survival, confronting the harsh realities of the transatlantic slave trade. This immersive experience had a profound impact.

• The game allowed Mesa to connect with the people involved on a personal level.
• It moved beyond abstract facts and figures, fostering a deeper emotional understanding.
• It sparked a heartfelt conversation about the realities of slavery and its lasting impact.

Exploring Difficult Topics Through Play

Inspired by the success of "The New World," Brathwaite continued to design games that tackled challenging subjects. She created:

• Shakan Lot: A game exploring her family's Irish history.
• Train: A game about the Holocaust (left intentionally ambiguous in the transcript, but implied).
• A game about the Trail of Tears, using 50,000 individual pieces to represent the magnitude of the event.

Mexican Kitchen Workers: An Expression of Love

Brathwaite's current project, Mexican Kitchen Workers, delves into the lives and experiences of Mexican immigrants. Initially conceived as a math problem exploring the economics of illegal immigration, the game evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and the central role of food as an expression of love, beauty, and connection.

The Power of Games for Change

Brathwaite's work demonstrates the transformative potential of games. By actively participating in a game, players become involved in the story, learning and changing their perceptions along the way. Games can:

• Change how we see topics.
• Change our perceptions about people and topics.
• Change ourselves.

Games offer a unique opportunity to foster empathy, understanding, and critical thinking. By embracing the power of play, we can create meaningful experiences that challenge our perspectives and connect us to the world in new and profound ways.

Tags: games, education, culture