Gamers Engaged

10/05/2026

What if we stopped dividing games into two categories: “educational” and “not educational”?

A game does not need to be designed for a classroom to teach something valuable.

Many games ask players to practice skills we say we want young people to develop: critical thinking, collaboration, communication, problem-solving, adaptability, strategic decision-making, and systems thinking.

The better question may be:

What does a player have to do in order to succeed at this game?

That shift matters.

It moves us away from looking only for games with explicit learning objectives and toward recognizing the learning already happening through play.

A cooperative game can teach communication.
A strategy game can teach resource management and tradeoffs.
A social deduction game can sharpen observation, persuasion, and perspective-taking.

None of those lessons need to appear on the box for them to be real.

If we want to take games seriously as tools for learning, we may need to broaden our definition of what an “educational game” looks like.

What skills have you seen people develop through games that weren’t designed for education?

https://www.gamersengaged.org/blog/games-as-education-learning-without-realizing-were-learning

09/28/2026

Understanding how a system works and knowing how to operate inside that system are two very different kinds of knowledge.

That is one of the things games do particularly well.

A player is not simply told about collaboration, communication, probability, leadership, or resource allocation.

They have to do those things.
They make a decision.
They see what happens.
They adjust.
They try again.

And because the experience is happening inside the boundaries of play, there is room to experiment, fail, recover, and learn.

That is fundamentally different from reading about teamwork or listening to someone explain decision-making.

Games can turn abstract concepts into experiences.

They allow players to feel the consequences of a choice, understand the perspectives of other people in a system, and test different approaches in real time.

That doesn’t mean every game belongs in a classroom.

But it does mean we should pay closer attention to what becomes possible when learning moves from hearing about something to experiencing it.

Where have you seen games create that kind of learning?

https://www.gamersengaged.org/blog/games-as-education-learning-without-realizing-were-learning

By Lyla Ross, CEO, Gamers Engaged September means back to school, with new subjects and another year of learning. But what if learning doesn't always look like a classroom?  What if the classroom included different and new modalities of learning? We often think of learning as something t

09/23/2026

Ever heard the term "community of practice"

It's simply a group of people who share an interest, profession, or mission and learn from one another over time.

But communities of practice are more than networking groups, they're often the foundation for collective impact. When people come together around a shared goal, exchange ideas, build trust, and coordinate their efforts, they can create change that's bigger than what any one person or organization could achieve alone.

💡 Join professional groups in your field
💡 Participate in volunteer and nonprofit networks
💡 Attend meetups, workshops, and peer-learning events
💡 Share your knowledge and learn from others
💡 Connect your work to a larger community goal

Whether it's a volunteer cohort, a nonprofit network, a professional association, or a group of community organizers, communities of practice help us move beyond working in isolation. They create space for shared learning, stronger relationships, and coordinated action on the issues that matter most.

The best part? You don't have to be an expert to join. Curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to contribute are enough.

09/21/2026

What if we stopped dividing games into two categories: “educational” and “not educational”?

A game does not need to be designed for a classroom to teach something valuable.

Many games ask players to practice skills we say we want young people to develop: critical thinking, collaboration, communication, problem-solving, adaptability, strategic decision-making, and systems thinking.

The better question may be:

What does a player have to do in order to succeed at this game?

That shift matters.

It moves us away from looking only for games with explicit learning objectives and toward recognizing the learning already happening through play.

A cooperative game can teach communication.
A strategy game can teach resource management and tradeoffs.
A social deduction game can sharpen observation, persuasion, and perspective-taking.

None of those lessons need to appear on the box for them to be real.

If we want to take games seriously as tools for learning, we may need to broaden our definition of what an “educational game” looks like.

What skills have you seen people develop through games that weren’t designed for education?

By Lyla Ross, CEO, Gamers Engaged September means back to school, with new subjects and another year of learning. But what if learning doesn't always look like a classroom?  What if the classroom included different and new modalities of learning? We often think of learning as something t

09/16/2026

Your gaming crew can be more than just teammates 🎮💚

Mutual aid is all about people supporting each other through shared care, resources and community action; and gaming communities already do this all the time.

Whether it’s helping someone cover groceries, organizing support after a hard week or pooling resources for a local cause, small acts of care can make a real difference.

Start with your crew:
🕹️ Create a support group chat
🤝 Check in on each other regularly
💚 Share resources when someone needs help
🎮 Team up for community care projects together

The best co-op teams don’t just play together, they show up for each other in real life, too.

09/09/2026

What happens when gamers team up for a good cause? 🎮✨

At ArenaNet ’s Annual Summit, volunteers teamed up with Gamers Engaged and Zeno Math to assemble 1,500 math game kits for kids—and naturally, turned the assembly lines into a little friendly competition.

Big thanks to ArenaNet, Zeno Math, and everyone who helped make an impact through play!

08/31/2026

A layoff is rarely one loss. Which effects of layoffs receive too little attention in the games industry conversations?

There is the immediate loss of income and security. But there may also be the loss of routine, creative purpose, daily relationships, professional identity, and a future someone had been working toward for years.

These losses can overlap and compound one another. Yet industry conversations often move quickly toward résumés, job boards, networking, and the next opportunity—before people have had space to understand what has changed.

Career support matters. So does recognizing the grief, uncertainty, and disruption that may come with losing work that was deeply connected to someone’s identity and community.

Supporting laid-off workers means making room for all of it—not only the job search.

https://www.gamersengaged.org/blog/when-the-dream-job-disappears

08/24/2026

🎤 Meet Joe, aka PhantomMeeple!!

For the past three years, Joe has brought the Gauntlet to viewers around the world as our livestream host.

After discovering the tabletop gaming community on Twitch during the pandemic, Joe found more than a new hobby; he found a way to give back. He keeps coming back because he believes in Gamers Engaged's mission of bringing gamers together to make a difference.

Watch to learn more about Joe, his gaming background, and how he got involved with Gamers Engaged!

08/22/2026

What a day! Gamers Engaged was thrilled to be the nonprofit beneficiary of the Seattle Mariners’ first-ever RPG Day in early August, bringing together baseball fans and tabletop gamers for a celebration of storytelling, imagination, and the community that grows through play.

It was incredible to see T-Mobile Park filled with fans embracing RPG Day, connecting over a shared love of games, and showing just how powerful the gaming community can be when it comes together for a good cause. A special RPG Day giveaway from Paizo made the day even more memorable for fans who joined us through the Themed Ticket Special.

Most importantly, every ticket purchased through the special offer helped support Gamers Engaged’s work connecting gamers, game companies, and community advocates with meaningful ways to give back.

Thank you Seattle Mariners , Paizo Inc. , and everyone who came out and helped make the inaugural RPG Day such a fantastic celebration!

08/15/2026

Last month we partnered with Card Kingdom and Canopy Neurodiversity Foundation to provide interns with hands-on experience, professional mentorship, and opportunities to build workplace skills in the tabletop gaming industry.

✨ Week 1 Highlights ✨

• Interns met their teammates and fellow interns, building relationships and establishing connections across the group.

• Card Kingdom's Product Release Operations team introduced interns to the Magic: The Gathering product release process, where they reviewed and sorted Commander decks and learned how products move through the warehouse.

• Interns explored the importance of setting goals and tracking metrics, seeing firsthand how data measures progress and impact.

• Through incredible focus and teamwork, interns processed and sorted more than 48,000 Magic: The Gathering cards in just four days!

✨ Week 2 Highlights ✨

• Walking Tour of the Card Kingdom facility- learning the journey of a MTG trading card throughout the business, AKA the “Lifecycle of a Card”.

• Professional Development: Interns interviewed various managers across the business- Grading Manager, Senior Analytics Manager, Inventory Manager, Automation Technician, and co-owners, founders, and brothers, John and Damon Morris.

• A Skills Assessment to determine best roles within the Card Kingdom ecosystem.

• Product Release Operations- worked to help “crack” packs of MTG for the latest Hobbit-themed release.

We're proud to invest in neurodiverse talent through paid internships that build skills, confidence, and pathways into the games industry.

Thank you to our partners at Card Kingdom and Canopy for making this opportunity possible. We can't wait to share more from this incredible group of interns! 💙