Affordances+explicated

Affordance:

Creativity: Some games have quite a bit of flexibility within broad constraints (Scribblenauts, Crayon Physics, Little Big Planet), while others have considerable constraints. There is the potential in any game to be creative within the constraints of the game, but many single player shooters provide a primarily linear path to completion. When a player can create their own goals (Star Wars Galexies) the potential to use the game instructionally for creativity increases. With the game-based guidance of an instructor (Ke, 2008) transfer of creativity might be mediated to transfer beyond the game.

Problem Solving: different from Creativity, problems can be solved as presented, within the constraints of the game parameters.

Visual-Spatial ablities- Portal (and tetris?) draws on skills in the context of problem solving.

Moral discussion/ self reflection - Shadow of the Colossus, Fallout, Bioshock, Arcanum, or Black and White challenge the player to consider how game play and life roles might be parallel.

Just hard enough design (zone of proximal development?) - It's "fun" to be working just ahead of what you have mastered.Challenge is just beyond current skill level.

Learning from failure -