Media Literacy in Digital Games

The article focuses on aspects of media literacy in digital games and seeks to answer the question whether digital games can develop players' media competences and, if so, in which areas. The article points out the positive aspects of the player's immersion in digital games as a way to develop competencies without the player realizing it. Through a qualitative content analysis with a focus on media competences, it offers an extensive list of games and the competences found in them. The research included 32 digital games from 1997 to 2022. The decisive criterion was the presence of any media in the game (print, radio, television, internet, advertising, music, etc.) with which the player can interact – i.e. use them (read, listen, watch) or create other media products through them. At the same time it distinguishes between the use of media as a supplementary or entertainment element in games and media work as a direct determinant of the further development of the story or gameplay. The article concludes that digital games can indeed teach media competence without the player realising it, but that this has its limits.