Stories as ways of making sense of the world seem particularly relevant to learning and learning games, because if we extend that that idea far enough (and I think we can), we reach the idea that almost no learning can happen without a story of some kind. Even Einstein balked when faced with a set of data (about quantum behaviours) that he could not make a narrative out of.

It’s interesting what you say about stories being downplayed as aesthetics; I think that’s often true. I agree it can be wrong-headed, as learners will often make a narrative as a way to try to make sense of things if you don’t, so you lose the chance to influence that narrative if you leave it entirely to them.

I find it interesting to think about abstract games such as chess or go in this context. They can be much fun to play and do teach us some things like strategy, use of space, but (a) they don’t perhaps teach us as much real-world transferable stuff as some less abstract games where we remember the narrative, and (b) when they do teach us, it’s often because we did put a narrative on things (about the ebb and flow of the game for instance, and its strategy).