John Walker
Young professional from Montana, USA. I currently work on projects for… Meer over John Walker
Why Ethics Games?
Ethics isn’t just a box to check—it’s a practice, a continuous process of reflection, adaptation, and discussion. Games like those featured in our event provide a playful yet meaningful way to navigate complex ethical questions with technologies like AI, XR and privacy. These member-made games help players practice decision-making and reflect on the impact of their choices in real-world scenarios.
The Games and Hosts
We were thrilled to welcome a lineup of games and their avid creators:
- Ethics Inc. hosted by Lilian de Jong from Stichting Toekomstbeeld der Techniek (STT). A thought-provoking game designed to challenge players' perspectives on ethical decision-making in tech development.
- Spion op je pad hosted by Patrick van de Wetering from Windesheim. This game dives into surveillance and privacy dilemmas, nurturing discussions on this important public value.
- EduLARP hosted by Verena Schulze Greiving from Saxion. A live-action role-playing game (LARP) tailored to educational environments, pushing players to confront ethical tensions in real-time scenarios.
- Best of Both Worlds hosted by Esther van der Stappen from Avans. A creative exploration of balancing conflicting values in technology design.
- Polder Perspectives XR hosted by John Walker from SURF and Npuls. A game that uses XR scenario and pitch creation to explore diverse stakeholder perspectives in design decision-making processes.
Participant Reflections:
The insights and games they took back to their institutions
The heart of Ethics Game Day was the people—participants shared their thoughts and experiences, highlighting the value of engaging with ethics through play. We asked them three simple questions:
- "What was the most surprising or unexpected part of the day for you?"
- "What is one key insight or lesson you’re taking away from the event?"
- "What would you tell someone who hasn’t participated in an ethics-focused game before?"
Here are a few quotes from the day
Lillian de Jong (STT):
Most Surprising/Unexpected
"Once again, I was struck by how deeply ethics intertwines with every stage of building or governing technology. In the game Ethics Inc., we advised a fictional start-up on building a robot judge. The discussions revealed many nuances: we imagined the robot judge could bring efficiency to simpler cases but also raised ethical concerns about fairness, transparency, and unintended consequences. Debating design choices—like who oversees the system or how outcomes are traced—highlighted how context-specific ethics really is."
Key Insight
"An ethical framework isn’t about perfection—it’s about balancing values like transparency, fairness, and human oversight. During Ethics Inc., we realized the importance of explainable decisions and involving diverse stakeholders to anticipate both benefits and risks. The game showed how ethics-focused discussions can foster consensus. For instance, a step in the game where participants shared perspectives helped us agree on prioritizing ethical guidelines for the robot judge."
Advice to New Players
"Playing an ethics-focused game is a fun and collaborative way to tackle dilemmas. These games prompt questions like, 'Who is impacted by this tech?' or 'What changes after this decision?' In the case of the robot judge, we explored both pitfalls and benefits like faster case resolution. It’s a hands-on way to see that ethics isn’t just abstract—it’s practical and helps us understand how tech impacts people, groups, and society."
Erik Kluijtmans (Avans):
Most Surprising/Unexpected
"I never thought that there was such an offer in terms of ethics games!"
Key Insight
"Designing an ethics game is a challenging task and requires testing and iterations!"
Advice to New Players
"Just do it—it’s fun!"
Thomas Ginn (WUR):
Most Surprising/Unexpected
"I was pleasantly surprised by how advanced and well-thought-out the games were. They felt mature and led to organic, meaningful discussions. I also appreciated the wide range of topics they covered."
Key Insight
"Serious games solidified my belief that they’re a powerful tool for critical thinking about new technology. They let us explore future ethical dilemmas before they become reality, making this exercise essential for every stakeholder in innovation. Technology isn’t neutral, and these games make that clear."
Advice to New Players
"Don’t hesitate to play. Within minutes, you’ll be hooked—even if you’re not a hardcore gamer. These games will push you to think beyond your daily routines, encouraging you to step back and see the bigger picture."
Other Thoughts
"The real question is: how do we get the right people to play these games? Politicians, civil servants, scientists, engineers, developers—so many groups could benefit from them. This kind of critical, ethical thinking should be woven into every layer of technological development and implementation."
What’s Next?
Ethics Game Day wasn’t just an event—it was a starting point for deeper conversations about how we can integrate public values into technology and education. We’re already planning our next steps and looking forward to hearing your ideas.
Thank you to everyone who participated, hosted, and supported this day of reflection, learning, and collaboration. Let’s keep the momentum going as we explore new ways to make technology more responsible, together.
Thank you to Mike Muizebelt for his professional photography work this day.
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