eGames: Is imagination the forgotten ingredient?

Commercial eGames strive to create seamless transitions between realistic virtual worlds. This condenses the experience and can create more intense engagement. However, there is no evidence that this is essential in eGames used for educational applications. Educators seek nearly opposite attributes. They need materials that can be disaggregated into units small enough to fit within timetables and that can be edited and customised to fit curricula without resort to programming. This paper proposes the alternative of a meta-game – a loose string of game and puzzle tasks in the tradition of heroes’ journeys, tournaments, scavenger hunts, and road rallies. Imagination and symbolism provide the links between otherwise unrelated clues, puzzles, and tasks. Spreadsheets serve as the ideal hub for meta-games. Current spreadsheets include form controls such as scroll bars and buttons, share the same multimedia applications as other office software, and can even create animation. The spreadsheet has the versatility to fill the niche of the cardboard box as a plaything. Research is reviewed that supports a role for eGames with less overt reward and more left to the imagination.