# Ashes or Breath: Exploring Moral Dilemmas of Life and Cultural Legacy through Mixed Reality Gaming

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.13074 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.13074/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 18 Aug 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [ConflictBench: Evaluating Human-AI Conflict via Interactive and Visually Grounded Environments](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.08024/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Traditional approaches to teaching moral dilemmas often rely on abstract, disembodied scenarios that limit emotional engagement and reflective depth. To address this gap, we developed textitAshes or Breath, a Mixed Reality game delivered via head-mounted displays(MR-HMDs). This places players in an ethical crisis: they must save a living cat or a priceless cultural artifact during a museum fire. Designed through an iterative, values-centered process, the experience leverages embodied interaction and spatial immersion to heighten emotional stakes and provoke ethical reflection. Players face irreversible, emotionally charged choices followed by narrative consequences in a reflective room, exploring diverse perspectives and societal implications. Preliminary evaluations suggest that embedding moral dilemmas into everyday environments via MR-HMDs intensifies empathy, deepens introspection, and encourages users to reconsider their moral assumptions. This work contributes to ethics-based experiential learning in HCI, positioning augmented reality not merely as a medium of interaction but as a stage for ethical encounter.