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@Jeroen said:
So, in the case of a game like D&D acting like a series of imaginary encounters with enemies. Is it actually useful to imagine yourself in that situation, having to kill for the sake of the game? Do you learn anything from it? Is it good for you in any way?

I would say I don't even think of it in those terms. I don't think of it in terms of killing for a game. First its not actual killing, you may be correct that imaginary violence has some impact on one's actual predilection towards violence, but... It hasn't changed my feelings or behaviors at all regarding insects, and most research on the impact of video game violence on real world behavior seems to show no correlation.

For me the main reason I play is for the real world fun of it with other people, I really enjoy the challenge of trying to express a character I imagine to others. So that is a skill I seek to learn.

The games I've been in present ethical dilemmas. Trying to sort through them seems like a good. Its much easier to take the most virtuous stance when you don't actually have any power or responsibility to make an impact. A recent example from my game, our group is acting as a scouting party searching out a dangerous area and preparing the way for a much larger and more vulnerable group, we encounter different potential threats, some more aggressive than others. Dilemmas we've had to think about, when attacked by a pack of ambush predators do we allow some to escape when their attempt to kill us backfires, potentially exposing our allies to the danger? Do we stay hidden from a dragon heading overhead in their general direction or do we attract its attention putting ourselves at risk? What do we do about a pack of large animals that could be very dangerous but are usually non aggressive unless threatened?

I guess the question is, is it good to think about these scenarios or is it bad to put yourself in a situation where you have to think about such things? I remember a quote by Nagarjuna saying something to the effect that he feared becoming a ruler, because then he would be forced into situations where he would have to face tradeoffs and make decisions with some negative karmic consequences. Like I've said before though, for me, I've made the decision to some degree that I am engaged with the world and the world is messy, the most ethical decision many times comes down to one of several bad choices.

So I'm not killing for a game, I'm imaginarily killing for imaginary meaningful reasons, which can be ethical in nature. And I am learning things, which are good for me in some ways.

I appreciate there are ways for some characters to play without killing, but that is a relative rarity. It’s worth thinking carefully about.

It is hard to play a %100 pacifist character in D&D and should be agreed upon by the other players in your game. My understanding is there are other TTRPGs that are better suited to a pacifist playstyle. My knowledge is pretty limited, but Call of Cthulu is a fairly popular one that doesn't have combat.

I've heard of games help coping with anxiety or other negative emotions that can arise for some people in a game. The idea is you get a chance experience a negative emotion that can be overcome. You can go at your pace and turn the game off when you need to.

I train my dog C (named short for privacy) and it reminds me of the training philosophy of C's trainer I meet with 30 minutes per week on an app. If C is afraid of something we reward him each step along the way and at no point we use force. Carrot instead of stick method. So if I'm training him to let me touch his teeth with toothpaste he is free to back out of that touch, but then he might not get a reward.

Back to video games and negative emotions I experience in games sometimes a heaviness not knowing what is around the corner. Games are one arena where I have learned (at my own pace) that I can push through negativity and slowly progress through even an entire game. And then I can extrapolate that experience to another experience like it can push me to read each day though it has a certain stress, or to drive somewhere and do something like grocery or meet someone for coffee. Over the last 20 years I've definitely had changes to what I am able to do or am not able to do.

Thus a game can be used as a tool to learn confidence and trust that many real life stresses can be overcome by persistence and gentle learning. And also the idea is that you (someone) use the game to draw you out into a bigger world rather than the reverse of escaping from the world into a game. The latter I think in moderation is ok just like a sweet every once in a while can be indulged.

Disappearing into illusory worlds, which keep getting you further removed from reality

Its possible, I've had players in games who do seem very detached from reality. On the other side I'd say a game that incorporates the role play aspect of the game well allows people to explore human psychology and ethical situations in a safe, sandboxy way. Many people say it can be therapeutic and that its helped them with their own issues.

Play rousing the desires of the player, kindling the passions, greed

Yeah, I think that's probably true. But again, its an open game and can also be used to practice and kindle virtue.

Dancing kindles passions and leads to S E X! Pool starts with a capital P, that rhymes with T which stands for trouble! Just a cheeky way of saying that not all passions are so destructive, its not gambling on dog fighting or snorting coke.

Teaching goal-oriented thinking, being busy with the mind and closed, not meditative and open

That's tough for me to answer. I'm a very process oriented thinker, there are goals in the game to be achieved and reaching the next level is fun, but I'm not sure it really has much of an impact moving me towards a goal-oriented mind set. And then my mind has always been busy, even the times when I've retreated more from the world. My meditative practice isn't so much about calming things down as it is about letting things go.

As far as openness goes its been the exact opposite for me, I find the game really promotes and encourages the ability to be spontaneous and open. I usually have to prepare quite a bit and think of things my character might say or do in various situations. Having to react in the moment to unpredictable circumstance requires spontaneity.

In the end, it is a game and not a meditation retreat. So yeah in comparison it isn't near as conducive to spiritual practice and has spiritually negative aspects to it. But if you're living and engaging with the world it can be a wholesome, positive activity, depending on how its played. I'll also add, its only played for a few hours per session with other people vs however engrossed you can get playing a video game by yourself, which is a big difference.

@Jeroen said:
Recently I made a summary on paper of the things telling me games weren’t a beneficial direction.

I’ve retrieved and translated my original summary, which were these five bullet points:

• Violence, habituation, conditioning, getting rewarded for violence
• Addiction and a challenge-reward cycle (dopamine) without a realistic counterpoint
• Disappearing into illusory worlds, which keep getting you further removed from reality
• Play rousing the desires of the player, kindling the passions, greed
• Teaching goal-oriented thinking, being busy with the mind and closed, not meditative and open

To a certain extent these were more present in the computer games I used to play (particularly World of Warcraft and Diablo 2, also Ultima Underworld), but to a certain extent I think they are also present in Dungeons and Dragons.

I think we have addressed the first two points earlier in this topic, but I think it would be useful to consider the other three as well in a bit more detail from the point of view of the dharma.