Team

We believe people learn better when they're actively involved

That's why we design learning experiences where people don't just receive information, but make their own choices, experience the consequences of their actions and get targeted feedback. By applying knowledge in a recognisable context, it is better understood, remembered and used when it matters.

Get in touch Our services
Knowledge doesn't happen automatically

We see the power of play in complex challenges every day

Preludens is made up of Daan Groen and Jan-Willem Manenschijn, complemented by specialists when a project calls for it. We combine expertise in storytelling, game design and learning & development to prepare teams for situations where knowledge and action come together.

We work in small, dedicated teams and keep the lines short. Clients work directly with the designers and developers who run the project. That lets us move quickly, ask critical questions and test ideas early.

Preludens makes complex knowledge playable, narrative and applicable. With MicroGames, storytelling and play principles we create learning experiences that spark curiosity, stimulate active involvement and motivate people to keep learning.

From involvement to applicable knowledge

  • Involvement activates people.
  • Play and storytelling create that involvement.
  • People discover, choose, practise and process feedback.
  • Complex knowledge becomes clearer, better remembered and applicable in practice.
Meet the team

Design and technology, in one focused team

Where Daan unravels learning problems and surfaces game mechanics, Jan-Willem translates ideas into clear, working experiences. Together we bring serious games, storytelling, instructional design and technology together.

Daan Groen

Daan Groen

Founder and designer

Daan rarely settles for the first answer. He digs deeper for creative responses to process challenges, with game mechanics and win-win thinking as his compass. With more than fifteen years of experience in MicroGaming, he guides organisations that want to use play and story more thoughtfully for learning and change.

His strength lies in surfacing the game that's often already hidden in reality — not by adding game elements on top, but by exploring the tension, choices and behavioural patterns already present.

Jan-Willem Manenschijn

Jan-Willem Manenschijn

Innovator and developer

Jan-Willem is an enthusiastic creative with a passion for education, technology and puzzles. He turns vague ideas into concrete prototypes and gets people moving, from escape rooms to serious games.

His strength lies in connecting concept and execution. Where a learning idea is still abstract, he brings structure. Where an experience risks becoming technically complex, he looks for simplicity.

Preludens makes game-based learning accessible to every organisation
Why we started Preludens

Game-based learning should be accessible to everyone

Our mission is to make game-based learning accessible to every organisation — large and small. After years of experience with serious games, we saw how much stronger learning becomes when people can actively choose, practise and experience what their actions mean.

That's why we develop learning experiences that are affordable, scalable and tangible: manageable development costs, modular solutions and products clients can deploy without unnecessary technical barriers within their existing learning environment.

What we stand for

Quality energizes us.

  • Robust A learning experience must inspire confidence. We design solutions that feel logical, work reliably and are clear. The technology should never get in the way of the experience.
  • Purposeful We make design choices not because they're fun, but because they contribute to learning. Every story, choice and MicroGame traces back to clear learning goals.
  • Accessible Complex knowledge doesn't have to feel complicated. We translate content into recognisable situations, clear choices and concrete feedback, so people can discover and grow.
  • Curious We don't just accept the first solution. We explore the practice, ask questions and look for the route that connects knowledge, behaviour and experience.
How we design learning experiences

Seven principles behind our design

Every design is sharp in content, solid in technology and aimed at learning that becomes applicable in practice. Our design methodology explains exactly how we do that — from clear objectives to clear feedback and an always-visible next step.

See our design methodology

  1. Clear and achievable objectives

  2. Balance of knowledge, skill and luck

  3. Mechanics drawn from reality

  4. Focus on positive, human emotions

  5. Robust, logical controls

  6. Clear feedback, without distraction

  7. The next step always clear

Take the first step

Start with a GameStorm

In a single half-day we explore the problem, the audience and the desired change together. You get a concrete first direction, without committing to a full project.

Book a GameStorm Get in touch