Don't Play That Game

This chapter argues that simulations can, in certain contexts, play a significant role in cultivating character traits. If developing virtue requires practice, we must ask whether simulations can provide experiences comparable to those in the physical world. The chapter contends that simulations – especially extended reality (XR) simulations – possess properties such as context realism and perspectival fidelity that enable them to generate virtually real experiences. Because users experience these as if they were genuinely occurring, they can meaningfully contribute to moral development. After examining how XR simulations can shape both virtuous and vicious character traits, the chapter turns to the normative question of whether simulations should be designed explicitly to foster virtue. It offers practical guidelines for ethically responsible XR design and considers the moral and structural limits of what such technologies can, and should, achieve. If virtue ethics is correct, then some games should neither be played nor created.