Let’s start by playing one! The Waiting Game uses game design to spark readers’ curiosity about the plight of asylum seekers.

For me, games can play a unique role in journalism by bringing systems and stories together.

Nicky walks us through three examples of games that teach us about systems.

Systems make statements. Elizabeth explains how we can wield systems with intention.

Time for another game. And for Alvin to teach us about the US college scholarship system.

Celia explains how understanding the way our brain processes and retains information can be a huge help in creating better user experiences.

The cleverest game concept is useless if no one can understand what’s going on. Zach teaches a simple framework for designing clear interfaces.

If you’re ready to make your own newsgame, Ændrew provides a practical, step-by-step walkthrough on how to do so.

Meg asks: What does it mean to win? What does it mean for a newsgame to be unfair when the world itself often...isn’t?

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed this deep dive and are inspired to bring playful interactions into your work

If you want to play more newsgames, I maintain a list of them here. I definitely recommend downloading and playing Bury Me, My Love on your phone.

Many of the people whose thoughts and writing I’ve featured in the deep dive have published books that are worth checking out. I particularly recommend Elizabeth Sampat’s Empathy Engines.