In this talk, I will reflect on some preliminary insights from the
The project Playable Concepts, or PlayCo, explores games as playable components of science communication. Playable concepts are defined as tiny, partial, embedded, and immediate games that have a similar role to tables and illustrations within a text. As such, the project is concerned with if, how, and when, games can convey conceptual meaning and be a fruitful part of teaching and science communication.
I will discuss the usability of such games from praxiological and epistemological perspectives by problematizing how turn-key game-making tools make game design more accessible, by considering the role of the textual context, and by discussing the potential and pitfalls of translating concepts into gameplay and vice versa.