<![CDATA[The low level of numeracy proficiency among Indonesian elementary school students calls for contextual, culturally grounded instructional innovation. This study aims to explore the cognitive trajectory and the transition of numeracy representation among elementary school students through the culture-based Ethno-Gamification media SATEKALI. A qualitative approach with an exploratory case study design was employed. The participants consisted of 14 third-grade students of SD Negeri 3 Baosan Kidul, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through participatory observation, task-based interviews, and documentation of students' work during SATEKALI gameplay sessions. Data analysis referred to the learning trajectory framework and Bruner's stages of representation enactive, iconic, symbolic, and was analyzed thematically through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that all fourteen students underwent a gradual, though not always linear, cognitive trajectory, marked by a shift in counting strategies from manipulating concrete culturally based objects toward iconic representation, and eventually toward formal numerical symbolization. The cultural elements embedded in SATEKALI functioned as a cognitive scaffold that helped students construct meaningful and contextual understanding of number concepts, while also enhancing classroom engagement and learning motivation. The study concludes that the ethno-gamification approach effectively facilitates a natural and sustainable transition of numeracy representation among third-grade elementary students. These findings offer theoretical and practical implications for the development of culturally based numeracy learning media, particularly at the lower grade level of elementary education.]]>
