The Magic Circle- Game Design Principles and Online Role-play Simulations

Abstract: The paper is an exploration of the ‘magic ’ inherent in role-play simulations in educational contexts. It compares and analyses a range of on-line role-play simulations used in higher education in a variety of disciplines highlighting the structural design and objectives of such role-play games, and in particular, it scrutinizes the game design principles that have been employed. As part of the new generation of educational technologies the use of such role-play is steadily increasing but very few guidelines exist as to how to translate educational goals and desired outcomes into game objectives and processes. Our paper provides a few such guidelines born out of the research and experience of creating such games