Definitions and essential attributes of games and simulations

Louise Sauvé; Lise Renaud and David Kaufman (2010) found little agreement among theoreticians and researchers about the meanings for the concepts of game and simulation. They tried to remedy this methodological shortcoming by carrying out systematic literature reviewing in order to establish definitions and articulate the essential attributes of games and simulations. Literature reviewed suggest that learning through games result in acquisition of new knowledge; “the development of intellectual skills (e.g., abstraction, anticipation, strategic thinking, problem resolution, lateral thinking, spatial representation, hand-eye coordination), and [the] development of behaviour and attitudes” (p. 5).

An essential attribute is a characteristic or specific property without which the concept in question can no longer be recognised as such. The six critical attributes of educational games are:

• player(s) — a game cannot work without at least one player making decisions while assuming a role
• fictitious (contrived) situation of conflict, competition or cooperation
• rules as set of conditions describing the relations between players and the environment — rules describe procedures; provide control and specify closure
• predetermined goal(s)
• artificial character — “If the constraints of reality [are] applied, the activity would become a simulation game rather than a game” (p. 5)
• educational character — from an implicit learning-centred purpose to need learn explicitly identified

Sauvé, Renaud and Kaufman (2010) group simulations into two broad categories, namely (a) simulations in the sciences and engineering used to experiment and test hypotheses; and (b) training simulations that offer environments simplifying reality and allow learning without the risks of specific “live” situations. The five attributes of educational simulations are:

• a model of reality defined as a system — the reality described represents one or several aspects of a complex real system; a model is a simplified mental image
• dynamic —the essential elements of reality are copied allowing the participant to control this reality; to study it at own pace and convenience
• simplification introduces a degree of abstraction needed to understand the functions and tasks of a system
• having validity, is faithful and accurate — “Fidelity” is a two-dimensional degree of similarity of the operational situation which is simulated, measured in terms of (a) physical characteristics—for example visual, spatial, kinesthetic; and (b) functional characteristics—for example the informational, stimulus and response options (the simpler the model, the bigger the risk of falsifying what it intend simulating)
• having educational value — varied realistic examples imitate the real-world

The seven attributes of educational simulation-games or of “serious games” (as alternative term) are:

• a model of a real or fictitious system
• simplified
• dynamic
• players of varying numbers
• in competition or cooperation
• rules
• an educational character

Sauvé, Renaud and Kaufman (2010: 17) summarise the essential attributes as follow, pointing out that a game is not a simulation; a simulation is distinguished from a game by a model; and a simulation-game is a ‘serious game’:

GAME	SIMULATION	SIMULATION-GAME
Artificial character	Reality defined as a system	Reality defined as a system
	Model Simplified Dynamic Faithful, accurate and valid	Model Simplified Dynamic
Player(s) Conflict (competition) Rules Predetermined goal (to win)		Player(s) Conflict (competition) Rules Predetermined goal (to win)

Sauvé, L; Renaud, L & Kaufman, D. 2010. Games, Simulations, and Simulation Games for Learning, pp 1-26. In D Kaufman & L Sauvé (Eds) 2010. Educational game play and simulation environments case studies and lessons learned. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.