Simulation games as a catalyst for social learning: The case of the water-food-energy nexus game

•A role-play game design framework for social learning is proposed which builds on the theory of social learning.•Using the Water-Food-Nexus Game as an example, it describes the processes involved in the proposed framework.•Examples are given on how we use the notion of procedural rhetoric to convey underlying messages.•Provide discussions of data collected during recent gaming sessions.