Episode 420 – Gamification

What is gamification? Does it have any relationship to board gaming? We examine the concept this week.

0:00:00 Fact for 420

Where did the reference “420” come from to refer to smoking marijuana?

Sponsor Message

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0:05:10 What We’ve Been Playing

Dragonarium *
Iliad (our review)
A Place for All My Books *
Tidal Blades 2: Rise of the Unfolders
S’mores Galore: Roast and Write (review soon)
Spring
Wombat Poo *

* = First time on the podcast

0:30:00 The Family Gamers Community

Welcome to our newest members in the Facebook community!

#Backtalk

You shared your strategies for teaching board game manners on the #backtalk channel of the Discord.

0:35:45 Gamification: The Good and The Not-So-Good

According to Merriam-Webster: “the process of adding games or gamelike elements to something (such as a task) so as to encourage participation.”

So, this is things that are not games with game-like elements added to them for motivation: like learning math, or working on fitness goals, or meeting work quotas.

Types of gamification (from GoCadmium “Gamification in Learning 2026”):

• Achievement-based (leaderboards, badges, status levels)
• Social gamification (team-building exercises, collaboration to achieve a goal, peer recognition)
• Progress-based (things to “unlock” – skill trees, extra content, etc.)
• Rewards-based (incentives, either virtual or real-world: discounts, prizes, etc.)

Gamification examples we thought about:

Hotel/airline gold/platinum status

Merit badges (but not military honors)

Book-It is obviously rewards-based gamification!

Store loyalty programs. Everything from simple “collect 10 stamps, get a free coffee” to the more sophisticated programs with big national chains that give incentives or unlock special offers by getting to a different “level”. These can push you to buy just a little bit more or more often than you would otherwise. (Supermarkets, Kohl’s Cash, CVS Extrabucks, etc.)

Fitness apps often use multiple kinds of achievement-based gamification, to hook different kinds of people. Leaderboards, badges, and “personal best” tracking. They may include rewards or social collaboration as well. (We discuss Apple Fitness, Peloton. Company fitness challenges often are rewards-based.)

Duolingo also uses achievements (streak-tracking!), while having obvious progress-based elements as well.

Lose It! rewards you for “streaks” as well – including simply tracking your calories every day, even if you don’t meet your other goals!

We think good gamification gives you a framework to work on your goals as well as the incentives to improve.

What does this mean for our families & our kids?

We think of two meta-examples. The 5×5 challenge (picking 5 games to play at least 5 times). Also the balancing B-mods and “leveling up” from Board Games For All Ages.

Can we bring elements we like in board gaming to other behaviors we want to encourage?

Gamification can be GOOD when it helps shore up existing motivation. But it’s not good when it is (a) the only motivation or (b) encouraging unintended behavior.

Be wary of using gamification to substitute for real motivation!

We describe using “chore cards” as a type of gamification. Kids removed the cards when done, kind of like an achievement system in reverse (having an empty line was the goal) – and it “unlocked” their screen time for the day.

I feel like learning to read should naturally feel progress-based. As you improve, you get more opportunities to read what you want! Some schools make it too achievement-ish if they focus on “reading levels” rather than the fun of reading.

Don’t be tempted to gamify everything and turn it into too much pressure on your kids! We’ve seen this in sports, academic achievement (GPA/grades), and other competitions. It’s okay not to be the best at everything!

We share our experience with Marvel Puzzle Quest, which was a little too good at motivating us to play.

1:06:00 New Backtalk Question

Have you ever gamified anything at home that would otherwise just normally be a part of life? Maybe it’s to help you be motivated, or maybe it’s for your kids? Chores, fitness, something else entirely?

Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.

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