<![CDATA[Traditional games offer culturally grounded and predominantly unplugged experiences that can be organized for elementary science learning. This study examined how traditional games function as unplugged practices, how gameplay characteristics relate to pedagogical mechanisms, and how these mechanisms connect with science concepts, processes of science learning, scientific practices, educational outcomes, and implementation evidence. The review followed PRISMA 2020 and included empirical journal articles published between January 2016 and August 2026 retrieved from Scopus, DOAJ, and Google Scholar. The selection process yielded 26 empirical studies. The synthesis identified three forms of unplugged enactment, eight gameplay characteristics, seven pedagogical mechanisms, and two complementary processes of science learning: learning through phenomena and inquiry through tasks. The included studies also reported recurring scientific practices and cognitive, scientific, affective, and collaborative outcomes, alongside implementation evidence. The findings indicate that traditional games function as structured unplugged pedagogy through the purposeful alignment of culturally situated gameplay structures with processes of science learning. This review contributes a framework centered on pedagogical mechanisms for designing culturally responsive and accessible elementary science learning that is predominantly unplugged.]]>
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