Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
education is beneficial for all ages and learning can occur
through both formal and informal methods. Mixing both
formal and informal learning in the education process is
expressly present in academics, allowing educators to supplement
fixed formal plans with informal mechanisms, such
as videos and digital games. In fact, digital games have
grown in popularity as a tool for educators to assist students
with more complex or abstract concepts, such as physics and
biology. Games are uniquely structured to provide students a
method for engaging in inquiry-based learning and allow
students to experience STEM mechanics that are otherwise
difficult to observe. In this manuscript, we examine the
presence and accuracy of the representation of evolution
through natural selection (ENS), the cornerstone of biological
sciences, in digital games. This examination will provide
for a more precise understanding of the current state of digital
games as educational tools. Specifically, we argue that
acknowledging that games have the capacity to educate fails
to recognize whether digital games are currently fulfilling
this role, using ENS as a benchmark due to its centrality in
STEM fields.