27 Books like Reality Is Broken

For the Win

by Kevin Werbach • 2012

Why leaderboards backfire and points stop working: designing motivation that comes from within.

3.75

1k+

🎮 Gamification Design ⚙️ Game Mechanics 🧠 Motivation Psychology

For the Win 97%

Why leaderboards backfire and points stop working: designing motivation that comes from within.

by Kevin Werbach 2012

3.75

1k+ ratings

🎮 Gamification Design ⚙️ Game Mechanics 🧠 Motivation Psychology

Gamification by Design

by Gabe Zichermann • 2011

Why most badges fail: the motivation design that turns app users into players.

3.65

490

🎮 Gamification ⚙️ Game Mechanics 🧠 Player Motivation

Gamification by Design 97%

Why most badges fail: the motivation design that turns app users into players.

by Gabe Zichermann 2011

3.65

490 ratings

🎮 Gamification ⚙️ Game Mechanics 🧠 Player Motivation

Glued to Games

by Scott Rigby • 2011

Games grip you longer than movies because they feed deep needs that daily life starves.

4.00

111

🎮 Video Game Psychology 🕹️ Game Design Theory 🧠 Player Motivation

Glued to Games 96%

Games grip you longer than movies because they feed deep needs that daily life starves.

by Scott Rigby 2011

4.00

111 ratings

🎮 Video Game Psychology 🕹️ Game Design Theory 🧠 Player Motivation

Press Start

by Daniel Griffin • 2019

Forget points and badges. The marketing power of games is in solving problems people actually have.

3.80

🎮 Gamification 🎯 Marketing Strategy 🧠 Behavioral Design

Press Start 96%

Forget points and badges. The marketing power of games is in solving problems people actually have.

by Daniel Griffin 2019

3.80

10 ratings

🎮 Gamification 🎯 Marketing Strategy 🧠 Behavioral Design

The Gamification Revolution

by Gabe Zichermann • 2013

What makes games sticky, and how to steal their playbook for business.

3.71

194

🎮 Gamification 💼 Employee Engagement 🧠 Behavioral Economics

The Gamification Revolution 95%

What makes games sticky, and how to steal their playbook for business.

by Gabe Zichermann 2013

3.71

194 ratings

🎮 Gamification 💼 Employee Engagement 🧠 Behavioral Economics

The Art of Game Design

by Jesse Schell • 2008

Players feel your work, they don't read it. A hundred ways to design what they feel.

4.39

3k+

🎮 Game Design 🧠 Player Psychology 🔄 Iterative Design

The Art of Game Design 95%

Players feel your work, they don't read it. A hundred ways to design what they feel.

by Jesse Schell 2008

4.39

3k+ ratings

🎮 Game Design 🧠 Player Psychology 🔄 Iterative Design

A Theory Of Fun For Game Design

by Ralph Koster • 2004

Games tap into your brain's learning circuits. The rush of fun is the moment something clicks.

3.90

3k+

🎮 Game Design 📚 Game Studies 🧠 Learning Through Games

A Theory Of Fun For Game Design 95%

Games tap into your brain's learning circuits. The rush of fun is the moment something clicks.

by Ralph Koster 2004

3.90

3k+ ratings

🎮 Game Design 📚 Game Studies 🧠 Learning Through Games

Getting Gamers

by Jamie Madigan • 2015

The psychology that turns play into obsession, strangers into teammates, and pixels into identity.

4.01

489

🎮 Gaming Psychology 🧠 Behavioral Psychology 🔍 Cognitive Biases

Getting Gamers 95%

The psychology that turns play into obsession, strangers into teammates, and pixels into identity.

by Jamie Madigan 2015

4.01

489 ratings

🎮 Gaming Psychology 🧠 Behavioral Psychology 🔍 Cognitive Biases

Explore Like a Pirate

by Michael Matera • 2015

Turn your classroom into a game where students chase knowledge, not grades.

4.22

307

🎮 Classroom Gamification 🕹️ Game-Based Learning 📐 Instructional Design

Explore Like a Pirate 95%

Turn your classroom into a game where students chase knowledge, not grades.

by Michael Matera 2015

4.22

307 ratings

🎮 Classroom Gamification 🕹️ Game-Based Learning 📐 Instructional Design

Gamify

by Brian Burke • 2014

Stop adding badges to everything. Real gamification starts with what the player wants to achieve.

3.44

521

📊 Gamification Design 🧠 Intrinsic Motivation 🔄 Behavioral Design

Gamify 95%

Stop adding badges to everything. Real gamification starts with what the player wants to achieve.

by Brian Burke 2014

3.44

521 ratings

📊 Gamification Design 🧠 Intrinsic Motivation 🔄 Behavioral Design

Designing Games

by Tynan Sylvester • 2013

Build games as emotion machines: a systems guide to rules, choices, and difficulty.

4.47

517

🎮 Game Design 🧠 Player Psychology 🔄 Iterative Design

Designing Games 95%

Build games as emotion machines: a systems guide to rules, choices, and difficulty.

by Tynan Sylvester 2013

4.47

517 ratings

🎮 Game Design 🧠 Player Psychology 🔄 Iterative Design

The Gamification of Learning and Instruction

by Karl M. Kapp • 2012

Points and badges alone fail. Design learning that motivates like a game, tailored to player types.

3.83

305

🧱 Instructional Design 🎮 Game-Based Learning 🧠 Intrinsic Motivation

The Gamification of Learning and Instruction Summary

The Gamification of Learning and Instruction 95%

Points and badges alone fail. Design learning that motivates like a game, tailored to player types.

by Karl M. Kapp 2012

3.83

305 ratings

🧱 Instructional Design 🎮 Game-Based Learning 🧠 Intrinsic Motivation

A Game Design Vocabulary

by Anna Anthropy • 2013

The grammar of game design: how to script a back-and-forth that players lose themselves in.

3.94

134

📗 Game Design ⚙️ Game Mechanics 🧩 Game Systems

A Game Design Vocabulary 95%

The grammar of game design: how to script a back-and-forth that players lose themselves in.

by Anna Anthropy 2013

3.94

134 ratings

📗 Game Design ⚙️ Game Mechanics 🧩 Game Systems

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy

by James Paul Gee • 2003

Video games teach because they have to. The 36 learning principles schools can steal from them.

3.90

1k+

🎮 Game-Based Learning 🧠 Learning Science 📍 Situated Cognition

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy Summary

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy 94%

Video games teach because they have to. The 36 learning principles schools can steal from them.

by James Paul Gee 2003

3.90

1k+ ratings

🎮 Game-Based Learning 🧠 Learning Science 📍 Situated Cognition

Super Better

by Jane McGonigal • 2015

Game rules for real life: turn stress into missions, obstacles into foes, daily wins into boosts.

3.94

3k+

🎮 Game Design 💪 Resilience Building 🧠 Cognitive Reframing

Super Better 94%

Game rules for real life: turn stress into missions, obstacles into foes, daily wins into boosts.

by Jane McGonigal 2015

3.94

3k+ ratings

🎮 Game Design 💪 Resilience Building 🧠 Cognitive Reframing

Play Anything

by Ian Bogost • 2016

Real fun needs rules, not freedom. The philosopher's case against chasing happiness.

3.17

572

🎲 Philosophy Of Games 🔗 Creative Constraints 🔄 Anti-Self-Help

Play Anything 94%

Real fun needs rules, not freedom. The philosopher's case against chasing happiness.

by Ian Bogost 2016

3.17

572 ratings

🎲 Philosophy Of Games 🔗 Creative Constraints 🔄 Anti-Self-Help

The Penguin and the Leviathan

by Yochai Benkler • 2011

Economic models assume selfishness. Brain scans, blood banks, and Wikipedia tell a different story.

3.70

351

🧠 Behavioral Economics 🧬 Evolutionary Psychology 💡 Intrinsic Motivation

The Penguin and the Leviathan 93%

Economic models assume selfishness. Brain scans, blood banks, and Wikipedia tell a different story.

by Yochai Benkler 2011

3.70

351 ratings

🧠 Behavioral Economics 🧬 Evolutionary Psychology 💡 Intrinsic Motivation

Think Like a Game Designer

by Justin Gary • 2018

A repeatable design loop that turns raw ideas into tested, publishable games, no genius required.

4.01

184

🎮 Game Design 🎨 Creative Industries 💡 Design Thinking

Think Like a Game Designer 93%

A repeatable design loop that turns raw ideas into tested, publishable games, no genius required.

by Justin Gary 2018

4.01

184 ratings

🎮 Game Design 🎨 Creative Industries 💡 Design Thinking

The Game Changer

by Jason Fox • 2014

Pep talks fail. Visible progress works. A game-design playbook for building it into work.

3.88

185

🏗️ Change Management 💼 Workplace Motivation 🎮 Gameful Design

The Game Changer 93%

Pep talks fail. Visible progress works. A game-design playbook for building it into work.

by Jason Fox 2014

3.88

185 ratings

🏗️ Change Management 💼 Workplace Motivation 🎮 Gameful Design

Play to Learn

by Sharon Boller • 2017

The step-by-step playbook for designing learning games that slash training time and boost retention.

3.95

🎮 Game Design 🛠️ Instructional Design 🎲 Game-Based Learning

Play to Learn 93%

The step-by-step playbook for designing learning games that slash training time and boost retention.

by Sharon Boller 2017

3.95

42 ratings

🎮 Game Design 🛠️ Instructional Design 🎲 Game-Based Learning

How to Get People to Do Stuff

by Susan M. Weinschenk • 2013

Seven motivations that override logic, and how to ethically build them into everything you design.

3.82

712

🎯 Applied Psychology 🎨 Behavioral Design ⚡ Motivation Science

How to Get People to Do Stuff 93%

Seven motivations that override logic, and how to ethically build them into everything you design.

by Susan M. Weinschenk 2013

3.82

712 ratings

🎯 Applied Psychology 🎨 Behavioral Design ⚡ Motivation Science

Creativity

by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi • 1996

Creativity requires three things, and none of them is genius.

4.06

6k+

🧩 Positive Psychology 🏔️ Peak Performance 🔀 Cognitive Flexibility

Creativity 93%

Creativity requires three things, and none of them is genius.

by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi 1996

4.06

6k+ ratings

🧩 Positive Psychology 🏔️ Peak Performance 🔀 Cognitive Flexibility

Stealing Fire

by Steven Kotler • 2017

Altered states are the new performance edge, and the race to engineer them has already started.

3.93

9k+

🌊 Altered States 🏔️ Peak Performance ⚡ Flow States

Stealing Fire 93%

Altered states are the new performance edge, and the race to engineer them has already started.

by Steven Kotler 2017

3.93

9k+ ratings

🌊 Altered States 🏔️ Peak Performance ⚡ Flow States

Everything Bad is Good for You

by Steven Johnson • 2005

IQ scores keep rising, and your video game habit may explain why.

3.49

5k+

📡 Media Studies 🎭 Pop Culture Analysis 🎮 Video Game Cognition

Everything Bad is Good for You 93%

IQ scores keep rising, and your video game habit may explain why.

by Steven Johnson 2005

3.49

5k+ ratings

📡 Media Studies 🎭 Pop Culture Analysis 🎮 Video Game Cognition

Virtual Society

by Herman Narula • 2022

Virtual worlds built civilization. The metaverse will fix what it broke: making us feel we matter.

3.40

288

🎮 Virtual Worlds 💰 Digital Economy 👷 Future Of Work

Virtual Society 93%

Virtual worlds built civilization. The metaverse will fix what it broke: making us feel we matter.

by Herman Narula 2022

3.40

288 ratings

🎮 Virtual Worlds 💰 Digital Economy 👷 Future Of Work

Loyalty 3.0

by Rajat Paharia • 2013

Five intrinsic drives plus data and game mechanics: a playbook for loyalty beyond points.

3.79

248

🎯 Customer Loyalty 👥 Employee Engagement 🎮 Gamification

Loyalty 3.0 93%

Five intrinsic drives plus data and game mechanics: a playbook for loyalty beyond points.

by Rajat Paharia 2013

3.79

248 ratings

🎯 Customer Loyalty 👥 Employee Engagement 🎮 Gamification

The Slow Fix

by Carl Honoré • 2013

The hidden ingredient behind every lasting solution: slowing down enough to learn from mistakes.

3.61

507

🔍 Problem Solving 🐢 Slow Movement 🧩 Systems Thinking

The Slow Fix 93%

The hidden ingredient behind every lasting solution: slowing down enough to learn from mistakes.

by Carl Honoré 2013

3.61

507 ratings

🔍 Problem Solving 🐢 Slow Movement 🧩 Systems Thinking

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