Are Serious Games actually games?

Over the past few years a new term has become very popular and is now commonplace at the heart of educational alternatives: Serious Games! These educational games are becoming more and more prevalent in the world of training and education.

The following topics will be covered in this decryption of Serious Games as a form of training and communication:

• What is the definition of a Serious Game?
• Caillois’ definition of a game
• Can a game be a game if its main goal is to be educational rather than being unproductive?
• What draws users to Serious Games?
• Serious Games categories
• How to use Serious Games?
• How to create a Serious Game

Can a game serve a purpose other than providing enjoyment? Can it be designed with a priority other than for pure recreational pleasure? We are going to try to answer these questions for you.

What is the definition of a Serious Game?

First and foremost: What is a?Serious Game?

Julian Alvarez defines Serious Games as “a computer application in which the objective is to combine serious aspects such as teaching, learning, communication or information, in a non-exhaustive, way with the playful energy of video games.”

So it is a computer game that’s main objective is not pure enjoyment as it aims to stimulate learning.?Of course, Alvarez is not the only one to have proposed a definition for the term. Others, for example, define a Serious Game as a fun activity which does not need to be digitised.

Caillois’ definition of a game

However, Roger Caillois has developed a definition which opposes the definition that Alvarez has established. Having worked at length on the question of play, the sociologist defines the activity as:

• Free: Playing must be voluntary and not forced.
• Separate: A game occupies its own space and time; it must have an end and clear limits, no matter how extensive they may be.
• Uncertain: The outcome of a game cannot be pre-determined or known in advance.
• Unproductive: A game does not produce economical or proprietary gain; gambling is not a game but a transfer of wealth.
• Rule-bound: A game must be played subject to its own rules.
• Fictitious: A game is make-believe and not based in reality.

According to Caillois’ definition,?Serious Games cannot be considered games as they are not unproductive?(their main objective is to stimulate learning, with enjoyment being a secondary purpose).

Often, the trainer offering the Serious Game delivers the game to their learners as a task and in this sense, we can also say that Caillois’ element of ‘freedom’ cannot be applied to Serious Games. So, why do we use the term ‘game’?

Can a game be a game if its main goal is to be educational rather than being unproductive?

We can therefore wonder about the validity of the term ‘game’ when talking about an activity not designed with the purpose of entertainment. It is possible that the term is not the most prudent in the traditional sense of the word.

In reality,?it is not so much a case of playing, but rather a case of using the playful mechanisms of a game to serve an educational purpose.?Jess Schell, for example, talks about the gamification of learning. The question of Serious Games qualifying as ‘real games’ only arises if we take definitions by Caillois and other authors who consider games to be unproductive as a point of reference.

However, for many authors, bringing a playful dimension to educational content is sufficient for the activity to be considered a game.

What interests users in educational games and interactive digital content?

1. A motivation-booster for learning (Djaouti, 2016)– The gamification of learning results in learners being more inclined to complete their training.
2. Providing a sphere of experimentation in which the learner is invited to test their ability to reflect (Sanchez, 2011)?– Serious Games offer a space to help participants build a pertinent hypothesis independently.
3. A deeper consideration of the range of learning differences between learners of the same group (Kafai, 1994)?– Learners can advance at their own speed without any pressure from their peers.
4. Improvement of group cohesion thanks to educational interactions between learners (Vygotsky, 1985)

In the context of business, we have also seen that the benefits of Serious Games can be important for employers. Fun, interactive modules modernise training within companies, improving talent retention in the company and the allure to potential candidates.

Serious Games categories

A serious game can have different aims and can be used for the following purposes:

• Educational – The game therefore allows you to convey an education-based message. In this case, we can also call it ‘edutainment’. It is a great concept for use in a class or remote training.
• Informative or communicative – The fun content allows you to inform participants on a particular subject.
• Training – The game facilitates teaching learners to complete a specific task.

Education and learning are always at the heart of Serious Games.

How to use Serious Games?

Although the term educational ‘games’ may be a contentious choice of wording in the eyes of some writers, it does not diminish the fact that integrating gaming mechanisms into teaching techniques for training and educational courses provides a positive and beneficial strategy for the end user. The only condition for successful integration is ensuring that the Serious Game is relevant to the content.

How to create a Serious Game?

Although using Serious Games in training can offer significant advantages, the fact remains that they must be implemented well in order to be effective.

Above all else, all playful approaches must be pertinent and consistent with the course content or the communication campaign to be functional. The game environment must also be of quality for players to immerse themselves in the world of interactive training.

You cannot integrate a Serious Game at any point in a course, simply to be able to offer a Serious Game. The best way to successfully integrate relevant Serious Games which support your course content is to develop them yourself. Don’t know how to do that? No problem!

Create a made-to-measure Serious Game with Drimify

The Drimify team are gamification experts who can guide you through creating a strategy, as well as supporting you throughout the development and implementation of your project.

The?Dynamic Path??allows you to create a scenario alternating between educational content and interactive gaming experiences via fun applications to aid learning as part of professional training. Another advantage of using our platform is that it is very easy to use and is accessible to everyone, with no specialised technical knowledge necessary.??You have full control of the project and the design work is done collaboratively.