During the last 5 years, the similarity between role-playing games and rituals has been mentioned in numerous articles and online discussions. This article examines that connection by using data gathered over several decades in library and information science, studies of religion, and the cognitive sciences. The authors place particular emphasis on the similarity between social information phenomena present in both ritual and pretence, and the way those affect cognition—the seemingly “magical” interface that makes shared experiences possible. The authors show the implications of that pattern to the design of games and discuss its uses and limitations in games and experiences created for educational purposes.
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