'Serious Games' is new category of video games, most simply defined as games with a primary purpose other than pure entertainment. 'Serious Games' are often simulations of real-world events or practices designed for the purpose of solving a problem; 'Serious Games' are entertaining, but with a central purpose to train or educate users.

 

'Serious Games' can be thought of as the evolution of yesterday's 'Edutainment', where players engaged in overtly didactic materials, ie: solving math problems or reading passages, to progress through the game. 'Serious Games', in contrast, use actual gameplay and traditional game elements (narrative, mini-games, puzzles, achievements, level progression, etc.) to teach a skillset seamlessly through game interactions rather than via scholastically structured lesson plans.

 

While numerous 'Edutainment' applications are available on the iPad for use in teaching pragmatics and social skills, these apps are primarily digital executions of static card games and tactile teaching drills used in classrooms. Social Clues, conversely, is a ‘Serious Game,’ a dynamic, interactive adventure that teaches through narrative, appealing characters, traditional minigames and rewards that motivate the player to continue learning for hours after they leave the classroom.