The Power of Play

Building College-Ready Skills Through the Power of Play

Play is powerful. It teaches problem-solving, patience, and the confidence to try again after a mistake. I learned many of these lessons through games long before I realized they were lessons at all. From adding points in Uno to plotting strategy in Battleship, games shaped how I think, plan, and learn.

Playing cards with my grandpa taught me math before I ever thought of it as learning. I had to add points quickly in my head, and with each round I got faster. Later, Battleship introduced me to strategy, predicting my cousin’s moves and keeping mine secret. And like many Gen Xers, I died of dysentery on the Oregon Trail while learning about the hardships of moving west.

Games teach because they mirror how we learn best. They invite choice, reward persistence, and create connection.

Games teach. But what’s the lesson?

Autonomy - Games invite players to choose actions and then receive feedback.

Competence - The more you play, the more you learn. You get faster, better, and more confident. You level up. Competence grows.

Relationships - Whether multi- or single-player, games engage players with others. Sometimes through friendly competition. Sometimes through collaboration. Always with a focus on creating a sense of belonging and connection.

In creating Success Prints Crash Course, the college success games, we leaned into these three pillars from Edward Deci and Richard Ryan’s self-determination theory. Players choose how to spend their limited time blocks each week. If they choose not to place any blocks on an assignment card when it is due, they simply earn no GPA points.

It’s their choice. Their consequence.

But that’s the beauty of games. The consequences are not real. They are as simple as “game over, play again.” Through repeated play, players gain competence and skill. They learn the rules of the game and the strategy to win.

Playing with others, even if those others are characters in a digital game, builds connection.

The self-determination theory pillars also undergird college readiness.

Students are autonomous and responsible for their actions or inactions. Getting up and going to class or hitting snooze one more time is action, or inaction depending on how you see the snooze button.

College students gain competence in a skill the more often they practice it. The argument presented in their first college essay is rarely a masterpiece of persuasion. The senior thesis, submitted after a semester of integrating and responding to peer and faculty feedback, may be.

Which leads us to community. Students learn with and from their classmates and professors. In discussing a problem facing a community, students debate ideas and refine the suggested solution together.

College readiness requires the same foundation that makes games engaging: autonomy, competence, and connection.

Success Prints Crash Course helps students explore that foundation before they step onto a college campus.

There are many ways parents and educators can help students prepare for life after high school. Games make learning engaging and memorable. They remind us that every skill, from problem-solving to persistence, can be learned through play.

Past players have shared:

“My students were very impressed with the game and were still talking about it at the end of the day.” - High School Teacher

 “[The game gets you to] think about what you need to balance going to university” - University Student

"One of the things I definitely enjoyed most initially was the customization of the characters (in the video game). I feel like that immediately makes you feel connected to the player, and it makes you truly feel like you are them." - High School Student

Find out how Success Prints Crash Course games build college-readiness skills. Explore the game and follow us for more insights on learning through play.

Order a copy of the Success Prints Crash Course board game or a license for the Success Prints Crash Course, college simulator, digital game today.