Serious Games for Serious problems: from Ludicus to Therapeuticus

Within the primate family, the members of our species are the ones that present the longest period of immaturity. Originally thought as an adaptive evolutionary strategy, since natural selection would only opt for the characteristics that are more “cost-efficient”, the longer period of dependency from progenitors is now perceived as a spin-off of another traitintelligence. As a result of the relative narrow birth canal, humans’ offspring need longer time, when compared to other primates, to puff up the cranial volume compatible to the volume and complexity of the brain from where our intelligence levels arise. This means that the cost of brightness leans on the necessity of further time to allow the brain to develop. More specifically, social intelligence seems to be the driving agent. According to Alexander (1987), as humans accomplished dominance over the other species, competition was shifted to their fellow members, which boosted the need to cope with the complex systems of relationships within the group. The long period of brain development accounts for an increased ability towards the behavioral flexibility needed to deal with such multidimensional network which, according to Bjorklund (2007) is responsible for our species success. This flexibility, and the resulting social, competence are particularly acquired during the time young humans are playing. Since they are born, babies s senses are stimulated, learn how to use their muscles, learn how to control their body, and, develop the strategies to interact and cope with other individuals by playing games (Papalia et al., 2005). In fact (Rakoczy, 2007) states that games because of the make-believe, in one hand, and of the associate inherent rules, in the other, are the doorway to the entrance on the structured institutional adulthood reality. Children’s interaction with the surrounding elements enables them to understand that the others are potential cooperators which allows them to accept their role as persons and, specially, the opportunity of sharing the same cultural background with others from which they acquire new ways of behavior and new ways of thinking (Rakoczy, 2007). Games enable children to engage more easily in this process. Playing games is therefore a medium for learning the complexities of human systems. Huizinga (1971) states on his book Homo ludens, that playing is the basis of all human