In its regulated and symbolic form, play represents one of the most fertile contexts for education in responsibility. Strategic and reflective games—such as chess or role-playing games—place decision-making, consequence evaluation, and acceptance of outcomes at their core. These elements, often overlooked in educational programs focused primarily on content transmission, acquire central significance in contexts where the goal is personal growth and the restructuring of identity, such as re-educational pathways for adults in situations of restriction or vulnerability.
In rule-based games, every move is a choice. Every choice entails a loss or gain, a possibility or a risk. As Dewey (1938) observed, education is a continuous process of experimentation and evaluation of consequences. In this sense, games educate not only in strategy but in ethical thinking: they compel players to confront their decision-making power, to manage uncertainty, and to assume responsibility for their actions—even when those actions prove ineffective.
Game theory, in educational contexts, goes beyond the logic of rules. It also includes the emotional experience of risk, anticipation of outcomes, the ability to delay gratification, and the acceptance of failure. Damasio (1994), in his work on the integration of emotion and reason, demonstrated how every decision results from a complex interplay between cognitive processes and somatic signals. In a well-structured game, these dynamics surface in a symbolic yet tangible form: the individual learns to “feel” the quality of their choices, to tolerate ambiguity, and to make decisions under pressure.
Unlike traditional lectures, where knowledge flows in one direction, play forces participants to be active agents, to interpret the context, and to evaluate the impact of their actions. Bateson (1972) defined play as a metacommunicative context, in which each gesture is both real and symbolic. This duality allows for the exploration of complex moral dimensions without the real-world consequences of everyday action. And precisely because of this, play teaches responsibility in a deeper and more lasting way: every decision becomes a learning opportunity.
Furthermore, play supports the construction of agency, understood as the perceived capacity to influence the course of events. In environments such as prison, where the perception of control over one’s future is often minimal, regaining the ability to choose—even within a simulated framework—can have a transformative impact. As Bandura (2001) argues, agency is not merely a psychological condition but an educational process: it is built through structured experiences of choice and reflection on consequences.
Another pedagogical strength of play lies in the management of error. In play, mistakes are not punished but integrated: they become opportunities for recalibration, iterative learning, and alternative exploration. This dynamic stands in contrast to the punitive logics of many formal or institutional learning environments, offering instead a pedagogy of regulated risk in which error is expected and useful. The player learns that every decision is situated, never neutral, and that responsibility is not synonymous with infallibility but with the ability to reformulate one’s actions in response to outcomes.
Ultimately, playing with consequences means learning that every action carries weight, that every choice produces effects, and that responsibility requires discernment. Play is not escapism but exposure. In a safe, symbolic, and structured environment, it makes possible the exercise of one of the most difficult and necessary human competencies: the ability to choose consciously.
References
- Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.1
- Bateson, G. (1972). Steps to an Ecology of Mind. Chandler Publishing Company.
- Damasio, A. R. (1994). Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain. Putnam.
- Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. Kappa Delta Pi.
Authored by: SKILL UP
