A Framework for Conducting Research and Designing Games to Promote Problem Solving

While problem solving is lauded as a benefit of video games, little empirical evidence exists to support this assertion. Current definitions and taxonomies are often contradictory and do not capture the complexity and diversity of modern games. Many video game researchers are also unfamiliar with the 75+ years of problem solving research in Europe and the United States. We propose a classification of gameplay that accounts for the cognitive skills during gameplay, relying in part on Mark Wolf's concept of grids of interactivity. We then describe eleven problem types and the dimensions along which they vary. Finally, we use the shared dimensions of gameplay and problem types to align gameplay types and problems. We believe that this framework for thinking about games and problem solving can guide future design and research and design on problem solving and games.