Designing an Ethical Framework for Using Gamification In Designing Educational Games Based on Analysis of Several Selected Management Games

Gamification has emerged as a innovative pedagogical tool, increasingly recognized for its potential to advance educational objectives. However, like all tools, it may entail ethical considerations or unintended dysfunctional outcomes. This study aims to develop an ethical framework for applying gamification in the design of managerial educational games.Through the analysis of selected management games and expert insights, we propose a three-layered framework. This model evaluates games across three design dimensions (form, rules, and content) and categorizes them into three ethical states: ethics-promoting, ethically neutral, or unethical-promoting. Five managerial games—Monopoly, Risk, Catan, Jaliz, and Twilight Struggle—were analyzed using this framework to delineate their ethical standing.Findings indicate that these games comply with legal and religious principles, rendering them suitable for educational settings. However, certain aspects related to social values and player interactions require targeted supervision to prevent behaviors misaligned with cultural norms. Collectively, these results underscore the necessity of integrating ethical considerations into gamification processes.The proposed framework serves as a valuable tool for future educational game design, guiding developers to embed ethical principles in a game’s form, rules, and content. By doing so, it fosters greater alignment between gamified learning tools and societal ethical-cultural values.