Discover the Games-Based Learning Digital Library: research, resources, and tools on gamification, serious games, and learning through play.

Formal Game StructuresOn today’s episode we’ll cover formal game structures.Formal game structures are the cornerstone on which game designers build their ex...

Travis Windleharth on foundry10In this episode of Experience Points, Dave Eng chats with Travis Windleharth from foundry10 about games-based learning. Travis...

Thorsten Kodalle on Strategic WargamingIn this episode of Experience Points by University XP, host Dave Eng speaks with Thorsten Kodalle, head of Innovation ...

What is “Gamification?”

Michele Haiken on Gamify LiteracyIn this episode of "Experience Points" by University XP, host Dave Eng interviews Dr. Michele Haiken, an experienced literac...

Discover the Games-Based Learning Digital Library: research, resources, and tools on gamification, serious games, and learning through play.

Achieve Explore Socialize KillOn today’s episode we’ll cover…. different player types: achievers, explorers, socializers, and killers. Games and students hav...

This article will review what game mechanics are as well as how players interact and interpret them. Game designers’ roles with creating and using mechanics will be discussed as well as how mechanics are used for games-based learning and educational gaming. Lastly, this article will close on what designers should avoid when designing mechanics for their games.

Game Mechanics for Learning On today’s episode we’ll cover how to use game mechanics for learning. Game mechanics are the rules and procedures that guide pla...

What is “Gamification?”

What is Strategy in Gameplay?On today’s episode we’ll answer the question “What is Strategy in Gameplay?” In-depth strategy is one of the hallmarks of intens...

Discover the Games-Based Learning Digital Library: research, resources, and tools on gamification, serious games, and learning through play.

If the White House wanted to teach the public about ongoing social issues, it could have built video games for its website that consider the various challenges surrounding those issues.

Explore what metagames are, how players use external knowledge, strategy, and community behavior to shape play beyond formal rules. Learn how metagaming affects competition, yomi, player learning, game design, and real-world applications in applied games, serious games, and gaming communities through evolving metas and reflective play.

Achieve Explore Socialize KillOn today’s episode we’ll cover…. different player types: achievers, explorers, socializers, and killers. Games and students hav...

What is “Gamification?”

Discover the Games-Based Learning Digital Library: research, resources, and tools on gamification, serious games, and learning through play.

In math and Mario Land, there are questions that are algorithmically undecidable, meaning they will demonstrably never have an answer

This article will review game rulebooks in depth. It will cover the purpose of your rulebook; striking a balance in your structure; and the process of writing and revising the rulebook. The structure of the rulebook will be covered from different sections including statistical information, components, theme, overview, setup, core loop, and game end.

On today’s episode we’ll examine Distributed Practice in Games-Based Learning. You are probably familiar with “cramming” and studying as much as possible in the time leading up to a test. The opposite of this is “distributed practice.” Distributed practice is where students study in small increments leading up to a test or quiz.

A flow state is something that all designers should aim to achieve in their game design. But what is flow? What is a flow state? How can you achieve it in your own

What is “Gamification?”

AP Table Talk: MancalaIn this episode of AP Table Talk, Brian and Dave Eng discuss board games that utilize the Mancala mechanic, which involves moving piece...

This article focuses on the zone of proximal development. It will begin by defining the zone and address how “tasks” are addressed within it as activities for learning.

Discover the Games-Based Learning Digital Library: research, resources, and tools on gamification, serious games, and learning through play.

Discover how business board games can transform L&D, improve employee engagement and deliver practical financial acumen training through experiential learning.

AP Table Talk: MancalaIn this episode of AP Table Talk, Brian and Dave Eng discuss board games that utilize the Mancala mechanic, which involves moving piece...

Military simulations replicate real-world combat scenarios to train, test strategies, and improve decision-making. This article explores their history, types, benefits, limitations, and future trends, including AI, VR, and AR integration. Learn how military simulations enhance training, strategy, and readiness for both professional and recreational applications.

This article will define educational games. It’ll explore why we should consider using educational games for teaching and learning as well as explore the evolution of educational games over time. Specific disciplines and how they are addressed by educational games will be discussed as well as different types of educational games. Engagement and efficacy of educational games will be covered...

What is “Gamification?”

This article will review different areas of player feedback from play testing. It includes the steps for collecting feedback as well as how to specifically ask for actionable feedback from your playtesters. It includes the top three questions that I ask from all of my playtesters as well as common interpretations for the kinds of feedback that you’ll receive.

Discover the Games-Based Learning Digital Library: research, resources, and tools on gamification, serious games, and learning through play.

In this article we’ll review what “sandbagging” is in games as well as provide examples from the most prevalent games where this happens.  This article will also review competition in games as well as how players use and exploit the competitive advantage. Lastly, this article will end with an overview on designing for balance in games in order to make the best use of those competitive elements.

This article will dive deeper into abstraction in games. Specifically what abstractions are; why they are used in games; and how they affect the player experience. This article will also review specific examples of abstraction in games and how they affect our play and engagement.

Outcomes Focused Games-Based LearningIn this episode, we’ll explore the practical applications of GBL, key design principles, and strategies for motivating l...

What is “Gamification?”

Discover the Games-Based Learning Digital Library: research, resources, and tools on gamification, serious games, and learning through play.

Helping a player make informed and meaningful choices is part of what makes good games great. Those meaningful choices provide the player weight and substance to their player experience. But often in the pursuit of creating interactive and engaging experiences, we often fall into the trap of creating meaningless choices.

Hanabai is a cooperative card game designed by Antoine Bauza.  Players are dealt a series of cards face down. These cards are never revealed to their holders. Instead they can only provide information to teammates around the table. Each card comes in one of six colors: green, blue, red, yellow, white, and rainbow. In addition each card has a rank: 1-5.

The Ideal Board Game Player Part 1On today’s episode, we’ll answer the question “What makes the Ideal Board Game Player?” What makes the “ideal” board games ...