Game Thinking — game design as a method for designing solutions

Play triggers a change in behaviour — and that is crucial for any successful transition. Game Thinking (or Serious Game Thinking) is ideal for organisations that want to align their transformations with the human scale while seeking maximum impact, motivation and activation.

Think of adding direct feedback mechanisms within a process, introducing measuring points or scores to make progress visible, or introducing challenges that clarify expectations. The focus is on human behaviour and action (the soft side), and less on systems (the hard side).

What is Game Thinking?

Game Thinking is a design method in which I design interventions and structures that stem from (serious) game mechanisms. I design from the existing situation and look for elements in reality that I can turn into a design. I call this Find the Game.

It suits organisations looking for:

Insight and behaviour change
Problem-solving and dialogue
Training and education
Exploration and decision-making
Onboarding and recruitment
Experience and empathy

More grip on impact

It is crucial that an organisation can estimate up front what the impact of a serious game might be afterwards. That impact has a value that must match the investment: deeper impact on a broader target group justifies a higher investment.

A serious game project requires good preparation. Before production starts, you must already be able to answer several questions. To make impact measurable afterwards, you must formulate the (learning) objectives properly up front — and those stem from a problem and audience analysis. During a Game Thinking project I do this work and design the tools to get more grip on the outcome of your transformation.

Game Thinking also suits organisations that don’t (yet) want to deploy serious games but do see the added value. Through Game Thinking you approach a case through the eyes of a game: mechanisms that work well in a game are applied within your situation.

My 7 design principles

Use clear and achievable objectives.
Balance skill with luck so challenges can be met.
Use mechanisms that stem from reality.
Focus on releasing positive, human emotions.
Elements to control must be robust and fun.
Give clear feedback, without distraction.
The target group must always know the next step.

A blueprint before production starts

Game Thinking takes place before decisions are made. The goal is to create a strong foundation before a complex production process begins. In effect, it offers the chance to explore all the possibilities of gaming before you decide on a follow-up.

A project typically consists of five separate days — doable within a week, or flexibly scheduled for deeper research. The result is a blueprint that helps you keep grip on the production process, shorten lead times and develop a product that fits the need far better — and therefore achieves more impact.

The first step towards Game Thinking is a conversation. Get in touch and I’ll gladly explore the possibilities with you.