What gamification can and cannot do.
Deterding and colleagues define gamification as the use of game design elements in non-game contexts. Gamification used well makes routine practice more engaging. A literature review of empirical studies by Hamari, Koivisto and Sarsa found positive effects that depend greatly on the context and the users. That is why we test each mechanic before we scale it.
Off-the-shelf gamification or a custom game?
Gamification platforms add points and leaderboards to tools you already use. A custom serious game designs the whole experience around one skill or decision. The right choice depends on how deep the change needs to go.
| Criterion | Gamification platform | Custom serious game |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanics | Points, badges, leaderboards | Built around your skill or decision |
| Content | Your existing material | Scenarios written for the game |
| Feedback | Scores | Feedback on each choice, in context |
| Cost | Subscription | Development and maintenance |
What we build.
Serious games
Narrative games for practising decisions, with feedback in context.
Gamified training
Levels, challenges and progress inside a training app.
Cooperative games
Games where players must work together to progress.
VR experiences
Gamified practice inside a headset.
Unity builds
Mobile, PC or VR versions from one project.
Our gamification work.
We designed a narrative serious game (Spanish only) for practising decisions, with simulated situations and contextual feedback. It ends with a reflection phase and is not presented as a diagnostic tool. For a client, we built Virtual HHeroeSS (Spanish only), a VR game where adult and child must cooperate to progress. Our founder’s track record also includes Family HHeroeSS (Spanish only), a cooperative family game about social skills.
Frequently asked questions.
No. A critical review of gamification in education found studies with a mix of positive and negative results. We design for one clear goal and measure it.
A 2020 meta-analysis found significant small effects on cognitive, motivational and behavioural learning outcomes. We treat gamification as support for training, not a replacement.
Gamification starts from €2,000, VAT not included. Mechanics, levels and art shape the final price.
Yes. Read our page on gamification for companies in Spanish.
Related projects.
Real work by OverFuture and its founder on this topic. The project pages are in Spanish.
