“Oops, I Learned Something”

This paper describes, with extensive examples, the process by which video game mechanics can be designed to further an educational message. To do so, we study the case of a video game that is being developed in tandem by a traditional video game studio and nonprofit organizations. Two factors condition the game design: the educational goals and the caveat that the target audience responds negatively to any heavy-handed attempts at education through games. We present a list of the different game systems that were designed to carry forward the messaging while retaining their fun factor—mainly Combat, Missions, Conditions, and Multiplayer. A mechanically solid game is built in which the messaging is embedded in metaphors and supported by the game’s story and mechanics, pushing forward the notion of Incidental Learning.