Challenges and issues in the development of a Software Engineering simulation game

In Software Engineering courses, students are introduced to important theories and concepts. However, these courses lack a practical opportunity for students to experience them more effectively. Even with the team-based project approach it is not possible to train students in all the real situations of a software development organization, due to the very nature of software applications and the large variety of organizational cultures. Simulation games are an appropriate complementary approach to the traditional educational techniques. Students´ preparation can be improved by allowing them to practice, through a simulator, activities that are infeasible to practice during a Software Engineering course, due to restrictions of time and resources. Unfortunately, the creation of a simulation game is not a straightforward activity; it involves many different skills and addresses different viewpoints. In this work, we discuss the issues and challenges associated with the creation process of a Software Engineering simulation game. We adopted an incremental and iterative approach, where each step involves different knowledge, allowing us to point out a set of important aspects that should be taken into account during the development. These aspects can guide new developers and instructors in the design and selection of educational simulation games.