Social games are an important pedagogical tool to promote the social and emotional development of children and adolescents. In the course Introduction to Educational Psychology, students of the Bachelor's degree in Applied Psychology developed social games adapted to different developmental periods and issues in the academic years 2024/25 and 2023/24. The research analyses the criteria used by the students to select the developmental periods and issues, the differences in the methods used to design the games and the consistency of the games with the theoretical background of educational psychology.

The study analysed 146 student works, using a mixed methodology. A categorical analysis allowed for a systematic classification of developmental periods and issues, a statistical frequency analysis revealed which developmental periods and issues are most frequently selected, and a qualitative analysis of students' reflections revealed their decision-making criteria. The thematic analysis of the objectives and procedures of the games provided insight into how the games are structured according to the developmental stage of children and adolescents and which methods are most frequently used in them. Comparison of the games with theoretical models of child development and social learning showed the extent to which the games follow scientifically based approaches.

The research results indicate that some developmental phases and issues are addressed more frequently than others, with social game methods varying according to the selected developmental stage and issue. The analysis also showed differences between theoretically based and intuitively designed games and the degree to which games are adapted to children's cognitive, emotional and social characteristics. The research contributes to a better understanding of the decision-making processes in the design of social games and allows for the development of guidelines for their more effective integration in educational work. The findings are useful for teachers, educators and psychologists who want to integrate social games into educational processes and use them as a tool to address the social and emotional challenges of children and adolescents.

Keywords: Social games, Educational psychology.