Where serious games are used

Serious games are used in a variety of fields since they can be applied to address a broad range of problems or challenges. A few fields where serious games are particularly prevalent:

• Education: Serious games are used to teach specific subjects through gamified exercises and simulations. This way, students can learn math or a new language amongst others. This application is one of the most recognized uses of serious games, often referred to as educational games.
• Healthcare: In the healthcare sector, games are utilized in rehabilitation by translating physical exercises into in-game actions. Another use in healthcare is to train medical procedures in a simulated environment. Learn more about this on orbitsource.online
• Training and consultancy: An increasing number of consultancy agencies make use of serious games to explain and train teamwork, as well as to navigate social and logistical dynamics within businesses.

These examples highlight only a few areas where serious games are applied. They are also used in the military for training purposes, in marketing to acquire and retain customers, by governments to raise social awareness and in several research initiatives. We are just starting to discover the potential of games with a purpose and more applications are likely to emerge in the future.

What are the advantages of serious games?

So why are more and more companies using games to reach serious goals? What’s wrong with a good old book or e-learning module? While there’s nothing wrong with the old methods,  games offer a new and effective way to transfer information and knowledge. Here are some key advantages of serious games:

1. Higher engagement and immersion: Games are designed to motivate players to keep playing through rewards, story progression, and various feedback systems. Coupled with a beautifully crafted environment, games can fully immerse players in the subject matter.
2. A safe space to experiment: In the real world your actions have consequences, sometimes this can lead to damaged material or hurt feelings. Games provide a safe, virtual environment where players can experiment freely without the risk of real-world repercussions.
3. Positive emotions improve learning: Serious games are fun! Studies have shown that students who use games to learn, experience more positive emotions. This leads to an improved learning experience compared to traditional learning methods and video tutorials.

These advantages make serious games a valuable tool for education and training.

How do serious games work?

So how does it work? Why are people more engaged when they are playing a game? And how does this improved engagement enhance learning? Below are four core elements commonly found in games. These elements contribute to both the entertainment value and the effectiveness of their serious purpose.

Interactivity: gameplay

At the core of all games is the concept of ‘gameplay’. This can be described as the decisions and actions a player must take to overcome challenges. For example, in the Super Mario series, the player needs to learn how to control Mario to jump over tortoises and gaps to reach the end of the level. The interactive element is what makes games fun.

Unlike books, films or other one-way learning experiences, games allow players to interact with the subject matter. This enables players to experiment and explore different outcomes based on their actions. This mirrors how humans naturally learn. Children learn by interacting and experimenting with the objects around them, sometimes resulting in small injuries from touching a hot stove or falling down a couple of steps. Games provide a safe space for players to experiment with real-life situations without the risks, consequences, or physical damage associated with the real world.

The metaphor: story and setting

Explaining divisions is always more fun when it involves pie or pizza. A metaphor can help visualize complex subjects. Similarly, games use metaphors to provide context for the actions and decisions players must make. The story and setting of a game are powerful tools for creating an immersive experience. Players become more engaged with the characters and their journeys when they care about them. Often, these games also feature vast and beautiful worlds to explore, appealing to our fundamental desire to discover and gain new experiences.

In summary, beyond merely using metaphors to explain complex ideas, the story and setting of a game significantly enhance player engagement, immersion, and retention of knowledge or skills.

Progression and feedback: challenges and rewards

An important aspect of learning is that the challenge presented aligns with the student’s current skill level. If an 8-year-old has to learn advanced mathematics, they likely won’t have the required background knowledge, which can quickly result in frustration and loss of motivation.

Games use many different progression systems to engage and retain players from all skill levels. Most games have a difficulty setting for example. Some games even adapt the difficulty automatically based on the player’s performance.

In addition to aligning challenges with skill levels, games are also very rewarding. When a player overcomes a certain challenge, it triggers the release of endorphins which enhances their mood and self-esteem. This feeling encourages players to continue playing in pursuit of that endorphin rush. Have you ever experienced a rush of endorphins from learning Pythagoras’ theorem?

Social aspect: multiplayer

Learning in groups is generally more effective than learning alone. Multiplayer games allow players to interact with each other, whether online or in person. The ability to play or compete against other players is a significant motivation for many gamers, encouraging them to continue playing. The interaction creates unpredictable situations, which in turn can create interesting challenges or funny situations. Being able to compete or cooperate with other players, improves both learning and engagement.

Successes and examples

Serious games have been successfully applied to several fields. Here are some notable cases that highlight the impact of serious gaming:

• Sea Hero Quest: This innovative game collects data to detect dementia at an early stage. Remarkably, data that would typically take 176 centuries to gather was collected in just a few months through this game.
• Assassin’s Creed: Origins Discovery Tour: Although the title suggests otherwise, this special game mode focuses exclusively on exploring ancient Egypt, functioning as a virtual museum. A unique aspect of this example is that it serves as an addition to an existing entertainment game, making it accessible to a broad audience.
• Underground: This is one of the first publicly available games designed for the WiiU to train surgical procedures using a custom-made game controller. This controller simulates the movements of expensive hardware, providing an affordable and effective training tool. We have learned much of this experience and are now creating Laptitude, a complete platform with custom hardware and software that teaches laparoscopic core skills.

These are just a few examples of serious games. What defines these examples is that they all have a very strong entertaining component as well as a serious purpose. The more entertaining a serious game is, the more effective it becomes as a tool for training, education, or achieving other objectives.

Learn more about serious games

Now that you have a basic understanding of serious games and their applications, you might be interested in learning more about the topic. There has been extensive research on using games for purposes beyond entertainment. A good starting point for delving deeper into this subject is to explore terms closely related to serious games, such as gamification, game-based learning, and applied games.

Closely related to serious games are gamification, game-based learning, and a range of other terms to describe similar practices. If you want to know the differences between these terms, read our article on the differences between gamification, game-based learning and serious games.

How does behavioural change work?

Behavioural change doesn’t have to be difficult. For example, if you offer an employee a 20% bonus for walking for 30 minutes during their lunch break each day for a month, they are likely to do it. However, it’s unlikely that they will continue walking after the bonus period ends, and the motivation provided by the bonus may only be temporary.

Extrinsic motivation is heavily influenced by environmental and external factors, rather than an individual’s internal drive. Extrinsic motivation works through rewards or punishments. As soon as the reward or punishment disappears, so does the motivation.

That being said, this method can be effective in certain situations. For instance, when receiving a one-time discount when signing up for a monthly subscription.

Intrinsic motivation works differently. It is driven by your internal desire to make changes, rather than external rewards or pressures. Achieving intrinsic motivation requires self-awareness and an understanding why behavioural change is necessary.

These two types of motivation are not completely independent of one another. Extrinsic motivation can gradually transform into intrinsic motivation over an extended period.

Let’s go back to the example of the employee who is offered a 20% bonus for walking 30 minutes during their lunch break for one month. After the first month has ended, the employee will stop receiving the bonus. Studies reveal that it takes about 66 days to develop a new habit, meaning it takes this long for a new habit to be naturally integrated into daily life.

Now, imagine the employer decides to offer the reward for 3 months instead of just one. In that case, the employee is more likely to experience the benefits of exercising for 30 minutes every day. Perhaps they feel healthier, more focused, and happier. This helps to grow their intrinsic motivation. The employee becomes aware of the goal and has a personal reason to do it. As a result, there is a higher likelihood that the employee will continue walking even after the bonus period ends.

Behavioural change and games

Serious games provide external motivation to complete tasks. These games include a challenge, an action, and a reward. So why are games effective in promoting behavioural change, creating awareness, and growing intrinsic motivation? The answer: experience and engagement.

Experience: stories make memories

The impact of games on behavioural change has been widely studied. Researchers concluded that video games with storylines positively influence health-related behavioural change.

Storytelling in games helps people understand the importance of changing behaviour. By immersing the player in a virtual world filled with interesting characters and a compelling storyline, games make an impression and create lasting memories that help reinforce the ‘moral of the story.’ This makes the player less likely to revert to old habits and more likely to adopt new, positive behaviours.

Engagement: we love games

Games are fun. The higher the entertainment value, the more engaged we are. Several techniques increase engagement in games:

• Daily login bonus: players get a bonus every day they log in.
• Levels: serious games are often level-based. When players improve, they reach a higher level, which keeps the game challenging.
• Rewards: Successful actions are rewarded with in-game rewards (such as points).
• Leaderboards: a visual representation (ranking) that allows players to compete with each other.
• Feedback: players receive direct feedback on their actions. Even when making the wrong decision, the game ensures that the player will understand without feeling attacked.

At Grendel Games, we often create serious games to promote behavioural change. We typically deploy them for a minimum of three months. As mentioned before, learning a new habit takes an average of 66 days, which is a considerable amount of time. However, the engagement and enjoyable experiences games provide, ensure people continue to play. As a result, the message is delivered more effectively, increasing the likelihood that the player becomes intrinsically motivated to continue the desired behaviour.

In practice: Greenhabit

We make games aimed at behavioural change. A great example is Greenhabit: a game that makes improving your health fun.

In Greenhabit, players receive a daily challenge. This challenge, message or question is focused on one of the 5 pillars of a healthy lifestyle:

1. Healthy nutrition
2. Exercise
3. Relaxation
4. Positive thinking
5. Social environment

In a 12-week adventure, players complete as many daily challenges as possible. Points and badges serve as in-game progress rewards. You can also win physical rewards, such as a healthy food box from the local supermarket.

You’re not alone on this adventure. You play the game with a colleague and a buddy outside your company. By working together, the players keep each other motivated and return daily.

The game has a combination of teamwork, refreshing content and challenges, appropriate rewards and insight into your progress. This makes the game interesting to play, exposing players to the desired behavioural change for a longer period. This way, Greenhabit excitingly ensures a healthier lifestyle.

Let’s play!

A well-developed serious game is the perfect way to realize behavioural change. It can be applied in an infinite number of fields, like healthcare, education or sustainable projects.

Why Garfield?

The Grendel team wanted a relatable, fun character that children would love. Garfield, the world-famous cat known for his love of junk food and lounging, seemed like the perfect fit. When Tim approached Paws, Inc., the company founded by Garfield creator Jim Davis, the idea was met with enthusiasm. With permission secured, the team began developing a game where Garfield takes center stage.

Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle

Tim explains: “Garfield is hugely popular with kids. He’s not perfect—he loves lasagna, pizza, and hates exercise—which made him ideal for our approach. We didn’t want to create a game that told children what to do. Instead, we used humor and light-hearted gameplay to help young people learn about nutrition and healthy habits in an engaging way.”

Support from a Health Innovator

The Friesland Zorgverzekeraar health insurance company joined the project to support its development. Foppe Hemminga, innovation manager at the company, explains: “We’re focusing more on illness prevention, especially among children. If trends continue, over 30% of income will be spent on healthcare by 2040—up from the current 16% for the average Dutch citizen. According to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), half of healthcare expenses are lifestyle-related. Teaching children about healthy habits benefits everyone: it improves their long-term health while helping us control healthcare costs.”

The Story: Garfield vs. Hot Dog

The game, titled Garfield vs. Hot Dog, follows Garfield, his owner Jon, and their loyal dog Odie as they travel the globe battling Hot Dog, a villain intent on conquering the world with his fast-food empire. Players complete missions and fun mini-games to reverse Hot Dog’s unhealthy influence, taking back neighborhoods, cities, and entire countries one step at a time.

Mini-Games with a Purpose

Garfield vs. Hot Dog features five cities and seven mini-games, each focused on a specific learning objective—such as understanding the impact of sugar or discovering the joy of exercising with others. The first city, New York, is available as a free download, allowing players to try the game before exploring more. Designed for children aged 6 to 11, the mini-games gradually increase in complexity to match their development.

A Scientifically Validated Game

The game was developed in collaboration with leading scientists and experts in fields such as nutrition, behavior, obesity, healthy living, and video game design. Partners included researchers from Belgrade, Israel, and Utrecht University. Tim adds: “This close cooperation ensured that our game is not only fun but also scientifically validated to help kids adopt healthier lifestyles.”