Purpose: Higher education is influenced, to an increasing extent, by changing student demographics. This requires educators to design and deliver learning systems which will enhance students' learning experience with innovative, real world and engaging resources. The authors predict that transformations in the learning systems will increase as higher learning institutions seek to add educational value. The authors maintain that current pedagogies in cross-cultural education are insufficiently adapted to student learning-style needs. This problem is particularly noticeable in one cross-cultural setting. This study aims to explore games, as an alternate pedagogy, to enhance learning systems. Design/methodology/approach: Students' feedback formed the primary qualitative data for this study. The paper develops a conceptual model which provides an organised framework to manage intercultural differences, using games. The Mapping, Bridging, Integrating (MBI) model creates an opportunity for students to appreciate differences and understand the model's implications for their careers in international management. Findings: Participants' responses to the games were overwhelmingly positive. Participants' responses indicated games as a preferred method for developing the intercultural competence, team work, decision making and self awareness skills essential for business and entrepreneurship. Practical implications: There is a growing need to consider and align the relationship between education, the increasing cultural diversity in student populations, and the learning and teaching styles of a changing student population in order to enhance the extent of expected knowledge transfer. Originality/value: In this study, the authors adopted a qualitative approach to trialling the use of games in a cross-cultural context with the view to reducing international cross-cultural barriers and developing skills in intercultural competence, self awareness, collaborative working and decision making. This study shows the need for alternative, more integrative models of education comprising elements of complexity that fit with an increasingly complex world. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)