I work with simulation for medical training. When used properly, games and simulations are incredibly powerful at conveying relationships between choices. Since trainees 'invent' the solutions in a scenario, what they learn 'sticks' at a much deeper level. They walk away with powerful memories of their experiences.
However this only works when done with the supervision of a trained instructor (like a game master in DnD). Otherwise trainees will just stay in their comfort zones or they will just do focus on the bits they find fun or are already good at.
I can imagine something similar happening in economics education.
I used to be so amused playing https://playclassic.games/games/simulation-dos-games-online/... as a child, despite it being ridiculously challenging. You can't imagine how many patients I killed in that game learning how to perform an appendectomy using the trial-and-error methodology. ;~)
However this only works when done with the supervision of a trained instructor (like a game master in DnD). Otherwise trainees will just stay in their comfort zones or they will just do focus on the bits they find fun or are already good at.
I can imagine something similar happening in economics education.