What Are “Serious Games”?

Approximate reading time: 2m 12s

This training method is gaining more and more momentum in schools, prestigious universities, and large corporations.

In this article, we will tell you the most important things about „serious games“, including their main characteristics and advantages.

What is a „serious game“?

“Serious games“ are games whose main goal is NOT entertainment, but rather the acquisition of new knowledge and skills. Their use in the West has increased significantly, especially in sectors such as education, defense, health, and science. They can be used both for training firefighters and military personnel, as well as for training in soft skills, mathematics, or language.

EXAMPLE: You can make employees find where they lose the most time, for example, with this game Who Are the Time Thieves?

The 5 elements of „serious games“

It is not easy to create a „serious game“: talent, time, and a lot of resources are needed. Despite the great variety of formats and goals, most „serious games“ include 5 basic elements that ensure they work properly and effectively.

1. Storyline.

Most serious educational games have a storyline or main story. The main character may be a nurse who saves a patient's life, or a medieval merchant trying to sell his goods at the market. The deeper the story and characters are developed, the easier it will be to motivate learners.

2. Gamification.

The second basic element of any serious game is the dynamics, which include rankings, rewards, badges, or collecting points. Gamification motivates learners: everyone likes to earn coins or move to the next level. Rankings are also important: healthy competition with classmates or colleagues encourages people to perform better.

3. Instant and personalized feedback.

Unlike live training sessions (which are usually held with another dozen people and a single instructor), serious games offer instant and personalized feedback. The learner interacts directly with the game and receives a reward or punishment immediately after the action they have taken. In more complex educational games, the feedback shows where the learner made a mistake, giving them the opportunity to perform better next time. If used correctly, feedback can be a powerful learning tool.

4. Simulation.

In most cases, serious games imitate a real situation. By using fictional characters and recreating possible scenarios, learners are immersed in a world that is very close to reality, but they can practice new knowledge or skills in a safe environment.

5. Purpose.

The main element of serious games is their educational purpose. All the elements we have listed so far can also be found in commercial games, but that does not make them serious games.

Example: See how training can be implemented in which skills can be acquired through play or simulation for  Sales of services for loan sales.

Benefits of serious games

When the above 5 elements are successfully combined, a strong and effective learning tool is created. Its main advantages are:

• Increasing engagement and motivation.
• Encouraging intelligence and the desire to reflect on important topics.
• Providing a realistic but safe space for practice.
• Improving acquisition and retention.
• Encouraging learners to show self-discipline and control.
• Providing monitoring of the learning process.
• Encouraging creativity and soft skills.
• Giving learners the opportunity to improve their computer skills.

EXAMPLE: They can practice managing their time with Time Management Matrix

We can prepare and implement a learning game for more effective employee training in your company. This can strongly affect their motivation to acquire the necessary knowledge, because it simply won’t be boring!  Contact us at tel. +359 878 685 304 or write to us using the form below!