Four lenses for designing morally engaging games: Lessons from moral psychology
summary
A 10-year project extracts four lenses (moral sensitivity, judgment, focus, action) from the Four Component Model and applies them to concrete prototypes: visual novels (Paparazzi, The Great Fire), a tabletop (The Road), and a training game in development (Cybercorp). Empirical work (notably a 2017 paper) shows design specifics matter: signposting vs systemic dilemmas, scaffolding choices, and that morality meters sway decisions only when they’ve already earned trust; durable moral action requires repeated costly mechanics, not one-off dialogue.
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chapters (7)
- 0:00Intro
- 4:46Hedonic vs Eudaimonic pleasure A tale of two zombie shooters
- 7:16Four component model James Rest (1983)
- 10:46The Lens of Moral Judgment How does the player choose what to do?
- 20:08The Lens of Moral Action How does the player put their choices into effect?
- 26:16The Lens of Moral Focus Why is morality a priority to the player?
- 39:42The Lens of Moral Sensitivity How does the player recognise moral significance?
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