What is it? Gamification consists in applying techniques usually used in games in non-game contexts to increase engagement. It can be applied in a variety of contexts, including project management.

Objectives: Gamification has the potential to bring people recognition and a sense of belonging, and therefore to address some of their (human) needs. By doing so, gamification increases people’s engagement.

Resources needed: Gamification can be applied online or offline. You can use existing apps or games, depending on your objectives.

Time: Depending on the gamification tool you apply you need additional time of about 30 minutes.

Suggested number of participants: Gamification can be adapted to the number of participants you would like to involve.

Example of practical application: At the start of a project, board games – such as Dixit – can be used to encourage participants to get to know each other better. It can allow them to learn how each other’s minds work, which will be very beneficial in the project’s implementation.

Steps to apply the method:

Gamification can take many different forms – more or less easy to implement. To start applying gamification in your project management, try the following:

• Assign clear roles and show the skills required
• Turn goals into quests
• Provide unexpected rewards and feedback
• Work with visual progress

Stage when to use this method:

• Project implementation

Suggested tools:

• Dixit game as an icebreaker
• Method Kit cards
• Collaborative platforms with templates – figma and miro

Visual sample: To learn more about the application of gamification in EU-project management, follow this link and watch a presentation from Oliver Šimko, with a summary of what is gamification and some practical examples.