Background:

Medical education has fostered teaching-learning strategies that integrate new pedagogical and evaluative activities in accordance with the advancement in knowledge. Educational games (EG) emerge as an option for improving educational objectives and results, with potential utility within the training process of surgeons. There is growing research on the subject.

Objective:

To qualitatively evaluate the state of the available evidence on the efficacy of EG as a pedagogical strategy in general surgery postgraduate students.

Method:

Scoping review of the literature, according to the methodology of the Joanna Briggs Institute. The educational impact of the EG was evaluated according to the Kirkpatrick classification.

Results:

Evidence about the usefulness of EGs in medical education in surgery is limited. There is a heterogeneity of methodologies, processes and educational results resulting from implementing EG as an evaluation or instructional instrument. However, a positive impact is possible according to research. There is no evaluation of the scope and role of EBs in the training of surgeons.

Conclusions:

The EG constitute a novel strategy to consider in general surgery education. Its implementation is conditional on the construction of solid, reproducible evidence based on clear teaching-learning objectives. However, research on the subject is incipient.

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