Serious games research streams for social change: Critical review and framing

Abstract

The number of scientific publications about serious games has exponentially increased, often surpassing human limitations in processing such a large volume of information. Consequently, the importance of frameworks for summarising such fast‐expanding literature has also grown. This paper draws a panorama of serious game research streams, focusing on higher education in engineering and management. The research design involves a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines, along with bibliometric and content analyses. The sample comprises 701 documents collected from both Scopus and Web of Science databases. For supporting bibliometric analyses, Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny tools are employed. In addition, a coding schema is developed for in‐depth analysis of 701 documents selected according to the inclusion criteria. In short, the literature on serious games for engineering and management education grows more rapidly than modern science, following a globalised, collaborative and context‐based trajectory. The results reveal five main research streams: game design guidelines, game design cases, game experiment guidelines, game experiment cases and generalists. These streams are summarised in a proposed framework. Cross‐tabulation and statistical analyses conducted in SPSS Statistics identify the key relationships amongst the research streams. Finally, opportunities to investigate serious games for sustainable development education arise, and there is a need for future efforts to formalise the framework classification algorithm. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Scientific production related to Serious Games (SGs) has grown exponentially in a globalised manner. It reflects the interest from various domains, particularly the field of sustainability in management. Literature reviews on SGs have emphasised various topics, including the acceptance of simulations and games as effective methods of teaching and learning. The role of technology‐enhanced games and simulations in the context of digital transformation in education and the emergence of sustainability as a promising field for future SGs research are also highlighted. The literature has introduced three categories for empirical research on SGs: (1) game presentation, (2) game evaluation and (3) game effectiveness. It has also highlighted methodological rigour as a common challenge across studies. What this paper adds Scientific research on SGs in Engineering and Management Higher Education (EMHE) experiences exponential and significantly faster growth compared to modern science in a globalised and collaborative manner. This growth reveals the scarcity of experts in this area and attracts the attention of various fields, particularly in the realm of sustainability. Thematic trajectories indicate a decline in discussions regarding users' perceptions of SGs and their validity as educational tools. They also demonstrate consistency in discussions about SGs design, and the potential of sustainability emerges as a promising area for future SGs in EMHE. A comprehensive framework composed by five primary research streams connects game design cases and guidelines, game experiment cases and guidelines and generalists. This framework can serve as a lens for future context‐based literature reviews, and the relationships amongst its streams reinforce the idea that the field can benefit from increased methodological rigour in experiments. Implications for practice and/or policy This review offers categorised supplementary material in which educators can discover a variety of artefacts for application in their specific educational contexts. Designers can access guidelines for enhancing the design of innovative games. Researchers can access guidelines for more effective evaluation of their artefacts across various contexts. Finally, policymakers can explore numerous experiments to inform decisions related to technology‐enhanced innovations in the classroom.