The idea of a universal game, it’s very appealing. A game that teaches math, or science, or language, and it works the same way everywhere. But is it possible? A game about currency in the United States is very different from a game about currency in Europe. A game about seasons in Australia is the opposite of a game about seasons in Canada. The materials can be the same, but the concepts, they change. So, the game must be different too. It’s a big problem. Some people say, “Just make a game about shapes and colors!” But even shapes and colors, they have different meanings in different cultures. A color can be lucky in one country and unlucky in another. A shape can be a symbol of good fortune or bad. It’s not so simple. A universal game is a dream. A nice dream, but a dream nonetheless. The game must be adapted. And when you adapt it, is it still the same game? It’s a very confusing question.
The Conundrum of Cultural Sensitivity in Educational Games
If you create a game, you must be careful. The game must not offend anyone. It must not favor one culture over another. It’s a tightrope walk. You must be very sensitive. You must understand the world. But how can one person understand the whole world? It’s impossible. So, the game designers, they must work with local teachers. But the local teachers, they also have their own biases. So, the process is very slow and very difficult. It’s a big mess. The goal is to make a game that is a mirror. A mirror of the child’s world. But the child’s world is very different from another child’s world. This is the big problem with international education. The games, they are a reflection of this problem. A very confusing reflection.
Creating Games for the “Cosmic Education”
Montessori talks about “cosmic education,” a way of teaching the child about the whole universe. The universe, it is the same everywhere. So, can a game about the universe be universal? Yes, maybe. A game about the planets, the stars, the elements. These things, they do not change. But the way we talk about them, the way we represent them, that changes. The stories we tell, the myths we create. They are all different. So, even a cosmic game, it must be localized. The game must have a story, and the story must be told in a language that the child understands, not just the words but the culture. This is the true challenge. To make a game that is both universal and local. A very big contradiction.
