Developing values games to be accessible in virtual environment

Project duration: 08.02.2022–31.01.2023

Project manager: Margit Sutrop (professor of practical philosophy) and Triin Paaver (administrative manager of the Centre for Ethics)

Funding: 40 762 EUR

The aim of the project is to develop the technical format of the values game for accomodating it for virtual environment. The game focuses on helping the players to reflect on the causes of moral disagreements and on the foundations of their own ethical positions. The development of all four dilemma-based values games has resulted in boardgame versions of the game. Unfortunately, the game is available only to a few in this format; due to the wide spread of COVID-19, it has not been possible to hold more in-person trainings and introduce the Centre for Ethics’ latest values game “Estonians’ 100 Choices” to a wider public. According to our knowledge there is no such similar values game in existence that focuses on the foundations of ethical reflections.  

The high cost of a printed game, including a large amount of environmentally unsustainable material, has also proved to be a constraint on development, due to which the past potential commercial partners have refused to cooperate. The production of games is not the main activity of the Centre for Ethics. We would like work on providing additional scientific ground for the dilemma method and simultaneously with moving the game more virtual apply for funding from the European Commission.  However, in order to obtain more extensive international funding, it is a prerequisite that existing games could be easily introduced to partners, for example through playing them together.