Around 2 decades ago when the word gamification was first uttered, the idea of gamification became popular in a number of industries. Suddenly, every companies want to implement some sort of gamification in their promotional activities and schools want to do that as well to keep students engaged.
Gamification involves incorporating game elements into non-game contexts to capitalize on the innate human desire for achievement and recognition by including things like rewards, progress tracking, and competition. Gamification is the process of turning monotonous or repetitive work into fun, engaging, and interactive experiences. It can be applied to various field such as education, workplace learning, sales and marketing, and many more.
Gamification is not to be confused with game-based learning, which involves designing a learning game that covers the game elements in a deeper sense. I previously wrote an article on game-based learning, The Power of Play, if you would like to have a read. However, gamification do have the similar benefits in terms of improving engagement, motivation, and the user experience as a whole.
The Benefits of Gamification
There are so many areas that we can gamify to make it interactive and fun. Here are 5 key benefits to applying gamification in different areas:
1. Boost Engagement and Motivation
Gamification can turn boring and mundane tasks into fun and challenging activities for the users. Whether it’s getting the attention of customers or motivating students to learn, this can be done by including game elements such as leaderboards, rewards, points, and badges. This helps to boost both the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of the users.
Take Nike Run Club, for example. It incorporates game elements to track running stats and progress to motivate users towards achieving their running goals.
Another example is Shopee, an online marketplace app is including mini games within the app as a fun way for users to collect digital coins that can be exchange for real currency in the wallet used for shopping.
2. Enhanced Learning and Increase Knowledge Retention
Gamification plays a huge role in learning and development especially now that the average attention span of learners are getting shorter. Gone are the days that you can expect the students or learners to sit through hours of lectures.
Whether it’s face-to-face training, virtual remote training or e-learning, it’s highly recommended that educators and learning designers incorporate game elements such as puzzles, quizzes, achievements and challenges. It can help enhance the overall learning experience and knowledge retention.
I’m sure you’ve hard of Duolingo. Learning a new language has never been so effective and fun! Duolingo is an app that uses game elements such as levels, achievements, and streaks to make learning new languages more enjoyable and engaging for learners. You can view your points on the leaderboard in comparison to those of your friends.
3. Desirable Behaviour Change and Habit Formation
How about gamifying your life to drive a positive change in your daily habits? You can leverage the power of rewards, reminders, achievements and most importantly social influence.
One app that does this well is Habitica, which takes you into the world of fantasy where users can create an avatar. This is a productivity app that transform your tasks and goals into a role-playing game where you can earn points and unlock rewards by completing your real-life tasks.
4. Improve Productivity and Performance
In business and work setting, gamification can be utilized to improve sales performance and boost productivity among employees. A gamified performance system that consists of elements such as goals, challenges, rewards and leaderboards can also help track the progress and performance of the employees.
One great example of an app gamified to improve productivity is Forest, which help you reduce distractions. You plant virtual trees and then set a timer. If you stay focus on your work instead of picking up your phone, the trees grow. As you progress, you can unlock new tree species and ultimately grow them all into becoming a virtual forest.
5. Foster Creativity and Innovation
A fun and safe environment is the best platform for you to experiment whether your goal is test out certain ideas or to learn something new. Hence, gamification allows you to use game elements to brainstorm, solve problems and collaborate with others in an experimental stage without involving real life risks.
Gamification has numerous benefits across various industries. From education to employee training, sales to sustainability, you can revolutionize how we work, learn and achieve goals by embracing gamification to create impactful experience.
Book Recommendations on Gamification
Here are some amazing reads on gamification that I would recommend if you want to learn more about gamification:
- Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards by Yu-kai Chou
A deep dive into the Octalysis Framework, this book explores the psychology behind gamification and provides actionable strategies for applying it effectively in learning, work, and personal life. - Gamify: How Gamification Motivates People to Do Extraordinary Things by Brian Burke
This book provides insight into how gamification drives behavior change and engagement in business and everyday life. - Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World by Jane McGonigal
A broader look at gaming, this book shows how game mechanics can address real-world challenges and enhance human experiences. - For the Win: How Game Thinking Can Revolutionize Your Business by Kevin Werbach and Dan Hunter
A great introduction to gamification in the business world, offering practical advice for leveraging game design principles. - Gamification for Product Excellence by Mike Hyzy, Bret Wardle, and Gabe Zichermann
This book explores how gamification can drive product success by enhancing user engagement and improving customer experiences. It’s a must-read for product managers, designers, and anyone looking to create compelling user-centered products.
As a gamer, I strongly believe that gamification is a powerful tool that goes beyond just entertainment. It transforms how we approach learning, work, and even daily life by tapping into our intrinsic motivations. Whether you’re a teacher, a leader, or simply curious about how to level up your life, gamification offers a pathway to meaningful engagement and lasting impact.
