Introduction to the VIOLETA Framework
VIOLETA (Versatile Interactive Ontology-based Learning Environment for Teaching & Assessment) is a structured approach to designing educational games where playing more means learning more.
This guide will help you quickly understand:
- Why VIOLETA exists
- The psychology behind it
- Its main ideas and components
- How it’s different from other frameworks
For a deep dive, check the full thesis.
Why Was VIOLETA Created?
Many of us spend hours playing games, learning to master them. Imagine if the same energy could be directed to real-life skills—like negotiation, strategic thinking, or time management.
VIOLETA was born out of this question:
Can we design games that feel just as engaging but teach skills we can actually use?
Kristijan Ðokic developed VIOLETA to fill a gap: while many educational games exist, they often don’t clearly connect what you do in the game to what you learn in life. Existing models either:
- stay too vague (just saying “add learning material”), or
- become too rigid (forcing designers into a fixed set of rules).
VIOLETA offers a structured yet flexible way to design games that:
- Are fun and motivating
- Teach bundled, practical skills
- Adjust difficulty as you improve
The Theory Behind VIOLETA
To understand how VIOLETA works, let’s look at three core ideas:
Self-Determination Theory (SDT)
According to SDT (Ryan & Deci, 2000), people are most motivated when three needs are met:
- Competence – feeling effective and improving
- Autonomy – having choices and control
- Relatedness – feeling connected to others
Games are naturally good at fulfilling these. For example:
- A strategy game gives clear feedback on competence.
- An open-world game supports autonomy.
- Multiplayer modes satisfy relatedness.
This is why games are so engaging. VIOLETA builds on this: if learning is embedded into gameplay, players stay motivated.
Cognitive Load Theory
Learning involves working memory (short-term) and long-term memory.
- Working memory can only handle a few things at once (Sweller et al., 1998).
- If you overload it, learning breaks down.
Good games control cognitive load:
- They introduce new concepts gradually.
- They help players chunk information into schemas (mental models).
VIOLETA makes this explicit: as players progress, the game slowly increases complexity, matching their growing mastery.
Play as Evolutionary Practice
From The Play of Animals (Groos, 1898), we know:
Animals practice skills through play to prepare for real challenges.
Humans are the same. We’re wired to enjoy play because it helps us learn.
VIOLETA leverages this by making complex topics feel like “safe practice.”
Two-System Thinking
Many parts of VIOLETA are inspired by Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow, which describes two modes of thinking:
- System 1 – fast, automatic, intuitive
- System 2 – slow, deliberate, analytical
VIOLETA encourages designers to combine both systems:
- Use System 1 to generate creative ideas quickly (e.g., imagining a theme or emotional experience).
- Use System 2 to structure, evaluate, and refine those ideas systematically.
By deliberately switching between intuitive and analytical thinking, designers can create games that are both emotionally engaging and logically grounded.
The Core Principles of VIOLETA
VIOLETA is built on five principles:
-
Skill-Mapped Gameplay
Every action should directly support real-world skills.
You don’t just read about a skill—you practice it. -
Adaptable Difficulty
The game scales up as you get better.
You stay challenged but never overwhelmed. -
Intrinsic Motivation
Games must be enjoyable on their own—not because you “have to” play.
This keeps players coming back. -
Emotionally Aligned Learning
Emotional experiences (e.g., feeling progress, pressure, or mastery) make learning stick.
Mechanics should reinforce these emotions. -
Respect for Creativity
VIOLETA offers structure but doesn’t dictate aesthetics or stories.
Designers have freedom to shape the experience.
The Three Pillars of VIOLETA
Think of VIOLETA as a triangle with three pillars:
1. Atomic Unit
The atomic unit is the bundle of skills or knowledge you want players to master.
Examples:
- Time management
- Empathy
- Systems thinking
Example of cohesion:
Time Management includes:
- Time tracking (measuring where time goes)
- Prioritization (deciding what matters most)
- Scheduling (allocating time blocks)
- Saying no (protecting focus)
- Building habits (consistent routines)
This ensures all skills in the unit reinforce each other rather than feeling unrelated.
Unlike traditional “learning objectives,” an atomic unit groups related skills into one cohesive target.
2. Theme
The theme defines the setting, story, and emotional flavor.
Examples:
- A young entrepreneur juggling life and work
- A spaceship crew managing limited resources
The theme does more than look pretty:
- It makes skills feel real and engaging.
- It frames the learning in an intuitive way.
- It connects to mechanics and acts as a glue between what the player learns (Atomic Unit) and how they interact (Mechanics).
Example of how it links everything:
Theme: A student-entrepreneur balancing studies, a startup, and fitness.
- Atomic Unit: Time management
- Mechanics: Scheduling limited hours, trading off priorities, reacting to unexpected events
- Why it works: The theme turns abstract skills into lived experiences and makes mechanics meaningful.
3. Mechanics
Mechanics are how players interact:
- What they do
- What decisions they make
- How they get feedback
Mechanics are the bridge between skills and play.
In VIOLETA, mechanics are not generic—they are directly correlated 1-to-1 with the skills you want to train.
Example:
If the Atomic Unit is time management, mechanics might include:
- Dragging tasks onto a daily schedule
- Choosing which activities to skip
- Feeling the impact of procrastination
This direct correlation makes it easier for players to transfer in-game mastery to real-life competence.
Integrating the Pillars
What makes VIOLETA unique is how these pillars connect:
-
Atomic Unit + Mechanics = Skill-Mapped Gameplay
Mechanics require practicing the skills. -
Theme + Mechanics = Emotional & Cognitive Support
The story makes the mechanics feel relevant and engaging. -
Atomic Unit + Theme = Conceptual Framing
The setting helps players understand why the skills matter. -
Triadic Integration
When all three pillars align, the experience is coherent and powerful.
Supporting Designers Without Killing Creativity
Many frameworks either:
- Over-constrain the designer, or
- Leave them guessing.
VIOLETA balances this by:
- Giving clear steps and tools (like skill-emotion mapping tables).
- Encouraging intuitive creativity (System 1) and structured reasoning (System 2).
You can think of it like music production:
- The framework is your set of instruments.
- How you play them is up to you.
What Comes Next?
This introduction covers:
- Why VIOLETA exists
- The psychology behind it
- Its core components and philosophy
If you want to see how to apply it in practice, Chapter 3 of the thesis shows a step-by-step walkthrough, including:
- Defining your atomic unit
- Selecting the theme
- Designing mechanics
- Prototyping and refining
For a quick introduction to all 13 steps without all the background theory, check out /walkthrough.
👉 For more details, examples, and worksheets, check the full thesis.