Background: Classroom games based on storytelling represent an innovative educational approach with considerable potential to enhance cognitive skills such as problem-solving. However, domestic research in Iran has rarely addressed the impact of such games on sixth-grade female students, particularly considering the contextual challenges of the national educational system.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of narrative-based classroom games on improving problem-solving skills among sixth-grade female students.

Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study, a sample of 300 female students from public schools in ShahreKord was selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Research instruments included the Heppner Problem Solving Inventory (1988) and a researcher-developed questionnaire on narrative games. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression and Z-tests in SPSS software.

Results: Findings indicated that narrative games significantly enhanced problem-solving skills (p<0.001). Learning motivation and reduced learning anxiety were identified as key mediating variables. The experimental group (narrative-based games) outperformed the control group (traditional teaching methods) in problem-solving tasks.

Conclusion: Narrative-based classroom games serve as an effective tool for strengthening problem-solving skills and can be integrated into the elementary school curriculum in Iran. These results highlight the need for teacher training in narrative pedagogy and educational policymaking aligned with innovative instructional strategies.