Digital vs. Physical Serious Gaming: A Guide for Decision Makers

Are traditional physical serious games fading into obsolescence as digital counterparts rise? In the dynamic landscape of serious gaming, how do you determine the right platform for your objectives? Let me offer insights on the power of both mediums and how to navigate the decision-making process.

In discussions ranging from client meetings to educational settings, the perception often arises that digital games represent the pinnacle of gaming evolution, relegating physical games to the sidelines. Yet, with 70% of my business centered on physical game creation, I challenge this notion. Physical games boast inherent qualities that make them preferred choices in many scenarios. However, dismissing them as outdated misses the mark and poses a dilemma for those seeking to achieve specific goals through gaming.

Let's shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of both mediums and outline an approach to aid decision-making. Whether you're a decision-maker or a prospective client engaging a game design agency, this guide aims to equip you with the tools to align your choice with your desired outcomes effectively.

Physical games thrive on human interaction, making them ideal for fostering leadership skills, personal development, or navigating complex stakeholder dynamics.

?Physical games come in various forms, including board games, immersive simulations, and escape rooms. They thrive on human interaction, making them ideal for fostering leadership skills, personal development, or navigating complex stakeholder dynamics. The connections forged in face-to-face interactions enable participants to empathize, communicate, and experience the consequences of their actions firsthand.

?Development-wise, physical games offer flexibility and ease of iteration compared to digital counterparts. They sidestep technical complexities and security concerns, allowing for smoother implementation and adaptation.

?However, scalability and accessibility present challenges. Limited group sizes and location dependencies can impede widespread adoption, particularly in hybrid work environments post-COVID-19.

Digital games excel in reaching diverse audiences across different locations efficiently, making them ideal for widespread communication or long-term learning initiatives.

?On the digital front, a range of platforms and experiences—from mobile apps to virtual reality—provide scalability and immersive engagement. Digital games excel in reaching diverse audiences across different locations efficiently, making them ideal for widespread communication or long-term learning initiatives. These are often topics when they want to communicate in a playful manner (like a strategy activations, introduction of new core values, explaining a new way of working or raising awareness for certain topics) or provide a learning program over time (gamified trainings, habit-building or follow-up interventions). ?

Yet, technological complexities and regulatory hurdles can inflate costs and complicate integration with existing systems. Custom-built projects may be financially burdensome, necessitating a balance between flexibility and affordability. We often choose to build or games on ‘pre-fab’ frameworks to circumvent a few of the challenges on security, accessibility, stability and privacy.

A good agency prioritizes effectiveness over platform bias.

So, how do you decide? Let me guide you with a few considerations.

Define your objective: Is it important to foster human connection and change in communication or behaviour? You might want to consider physical. Is it more about content, a message or information? Than you are more flexible.

Know your audience: What is their preferred learning style? How tech savy are they? Where are they located?

Assess Timelines: Do you want to communicate your new strategy over 5 countries, in 8 languages within 4 weeks. Then it is hard to vouch for a physical game and you probably need to benefit from a digital game.

Consider Learning Approaches: Do you want to create an isolated intervention? Or do you want to create playful ‘micro-learnings’ on a weekly basis.

Do you have to choose? Remember, it's not a binary choice. Combining digital and physical interventions within a comprehensive program can yield sustainable behavior change. This program could start with a informative mini-game to raise awareness or to introduce some basis concepts. Then follow this up by a high-impact physical game experience. Finally you can supplement this with a platform with playful challenges to bring the lessons into practice.

In closing, selecting the right platform hinges on aligning with your objectives. A good agency prioritizes effectiveness over platform bias. So, when in doubt, reassess your approach rather than succumbing to pressure.

?Wishing you success in your serious gaming endeavors!

?----------

?? My name is Maarten Molenaar, I'm involved in the Fresh Game Studio from Frisse Blikken . All pictures in this post feature projects that we have executed for our clients

? I share examples and research about the positive impact of (serious) gaming.

?? Are you involved in a transformation in your organisation and would you like to be inspired in how play can help your people to change? Send me a DM!

?