How to Design Applied Games That Accelerate R&D Breakthroughs

Applied games (or serious games) for advanced research & development (R&D) bridge the gap between complex theoretical concepts and practical, experiential understanding. Game design accelerates innovative problem-solving and collaboration across interdisciplinary fields.

Practitioners already use serious games to help kids through learning, but when applied to change management and scientific research, applied games encourage creative approaches to problem-solving, and can lead to breakthroughs that might not emerge through conventional R&D processes.

Researchers who overlook the potential of applied games miss out on a dynamic tool that not only simulates real-world scenarios and challenges in a controlled, risk-free environment but also engages participants in a way that traditional research methodologies cannot.

Designing applied games involves creating experiences that not only engage but also educate and develop leadership skills in an organizational setting. Here are eight critical tips to guide you:

1. Align Game Objectives with Learning Outcomes
   Ensure that the game's core mechanics and objectives directly support the learning outcomes desired by the organization. Each element of the game should contribute to the development of leadership skills, decision-making capabilities, or other targeted competencies.

2. Incorporate Realistic Scenarios
   Design scenarios that closely mimic real-life challenges faced by leaders within the organization or industry. This relevance helps players to see the value in the skills they are developing and how they can be applied in their day-to-day roles.

3. Enable Safe Failure
   Create an environment where players can experiment and fail without real-world repercussions. This encourages risk-taking and innovation in problem-solving, allowing leaders to explore different strategies and learn from their mistakes in a controlled setting.

4. Foster Reflective Learning
   Integrate moments or mechanisms for reflection within the game. Encourage players to think critically about their decisions, the outcomes, and how these learnings can be applied outside the game. This might involve debriefing sessions, journals, or in-game feedback loops.

5. Encourage Collaboration and Communication
   Design multiplayer elements that require players to work together, communicate effectively, and lead teams towards a common goal. This helps in developing and refining leadership skills in a group context, including negotiation, conflict resolution, and teamwork.

6. Incorporate Adaptive Challenges
   Ensure that the game's difficulty and the complexity of tasks increase as the player progresses. Adaptive challenges keep the game engaging and ensure that players are continuously developing their skills at an appropriate pace.

7. Use Metrics and Feedback for Growth
   Implement systems to track players' decisions, successes, and areas for improvement. Providing immediate feedback based on these metrics helps players understand their leadership styles, strengths, and weaknesses, facilitating personal growth.

8. Ensure Scalability and Flexibility
   Design the game so it can be easily updated or modified to reflect changes in the organization's leadership development goals, the introduction of new concepts, or shifts in the industry landscape. This adaptability extends the game's lifespan and keeps it relevant and valuable as a learning tool.

By following these tips, you can create applied games that not only engage organizational leaders but also effectively contribute to their development, preparing them for the challenges of leadership in dynamic and complex environments. On a foundational level, this approach can democratize access to sophisticated research topics, making them accessible and comprehensible to a broader audience, thus fostering a more inclusive approach to innovation and development.

Games can turn work into hard fun.