How gamification is breaking barriers to justice

Games aren’t just for fun—they’re helping Victorians understand their legal rights. That was the focus of “Level Up Your Legal Education,” a recent webinar exploring how gamification can improve community legal education.

Hosted by VLF Events Manager, Vikki Doig, the session featured two innovative practitioners: Milly Lefau from South-East Monash Legal Service, who leads Sporting Change, and Moses Florendo from Whittlesea Community Connections, creator of the board game Fine Your Way Out.

The webinar highlighted how gamification improves understanding, strengthens engagement, and builds legal capability. All critical factors in addressing everyday legal issues.

Why Gamification Works

Studies on the neuroscience of play show it benefits adults as well as children, reducing stress and improving social connection. Compared to traditional presentations, interactive approaches can elicit better responses from hard-to-reach groups.

Teaching law through sports

Milly Lefau’s Sporting Change program uses sports as a metaphor for the law. By linking game rules to legal principles, young people learn about topics like police powers and employment law in a familiar, active setting.

“Young people struggle to learn law in a classroom setting. Using sports makes it simple and engaging.” – Milly Lefau

Milly explained how the program doesn’t just teach, it changes perceptions, describing how when you mention law to young people, it’s just attached to crime whereas this approach shows it’s about everyday issues like work and fines.

For lawyers and educators, this approach demonstrates how to break down complex ideas into relatable experiences. With impact measured through pre- and post-program surveys, these programs are offering important insights to consider when designing engagement with young people or hard-to-reach groups.

Board game tackles fines and financial stress

Moses Florendo’s Fine Your Way Out tackles one of Victoria’s most common legal problems—fines—through a board game that simulates real-world scenarios. Players learn that delaying action increases penalties and reduces options, while exploring practical solutions under the law. Moses explained that the longer you wait on a fine, the fewer rights you have and the bigger the debt becomes.

“A $100 fine might seem small, but for some people that’s a week’s groceries. It’s unfair to make people choose between paying a fine and putting food on the table.”  – Moses Florendo

The results speak for themselves. Through partnerships with La Trobe University and community groups, Moses’ team has helped clients resolve $500,000 in fines since 2023. For legal professionals, this is a model for turning dry compliance information into interactive learning.

“The law should be a tool for the good. But if we do not know it, we can’t use it.”  – Moses Florendo

Breaking down barriers to justice

Both programs share a common goal: demystifying the law and making it accessible. Gamification creates safe, informal spaces for legal conversations, builds confidence, and encourages proactive problem-solving.

“Not knowing the law is never an excuse, gamification helps people learn before they need help.” – Milly Lefau

The webinar offered actionable ideas for those who want to engage vulnerable communities, reduce barriers, and improve legal capability. Whether you work in outreach, education, or policy, these strategies can help you connect meaningfully with your audience.

Watch the full webinar to learn practical strategies for using play to break down barriers to justice.