Fighting the Gender Gap in ICT: Guidelines for Game Design

Girls and women are still under-represented in ICT, both in education and the tech industry. In this paper, we investigate how to design games for teenager girls to address the identified gender gap. Based on existing knowledge about this societal challenge, we identify four learning goals that games can address: promote self-confidence; fight gender stereotypes; boost subject knowledge; and provide role models. In addition, based on a systematic literature review, we identify game elements that are reported in previous research as having a positive impact on girls’ game experience. The learning goals and game elements are summarized in a set of 16 design guidelines. The design guidelines are intended for game designers and developers. In addition, they might be used by educators to reflect on the games to introduce in their classes.