Gameful interventions to advance sustainability transitions
The research team analysed 86 empirical studies on play, games and gamification in the context of sustainability transitions. This analysis resulted in an overview of state‑of‑the‑art applications of these methods for learning, behaviour change and creative practice, both in support of and as part of transition processes.
The study found that most interventions neither addressed practices in their full complexity nor directly engaged with large‑scale issues, although inspirational examples of both were identified. Interventions were often successfully embedded in real‑world settings, with many reporting deep learning outcomes and direct impacts extending beyond the intervention itself.
Gameful solutions to transform practices
The study presents a framework designed to advance research and implementation of playful and gameful interventions that support the transition towards sustainability. The three proposed research agendas (contextual, design-oriented and empirical) offer a blueprint for the development and commercialisation of gameful solutions aimed at transforming practices and supporting broader transition dynamics.
“Our work shows that play and games can be successfully embedded in authentic settings, support deep forms of learning, and facilitate real-world impact. What excites me the most is contributing to a constructive cultural change and a rethinking of the way that societies confront the planetary issues we face,” says Postdoctoral Research Fellow Daniel Fernández Galeote from the Gamification Group, which is part of the Research Centre of Gameful Realities at Tampere University.
Expanding the methods
Based on the findings and recommendations of the study, the researchers are exploring the creation and implementation of methods that may help different collectives to imagine, implement, monitor and reflect on transitions from the perspective of both everyday practices and broader systems.
“For example, we are conducting interactive workshops that enable participants to playfully experiment with more sustainable practices in their own lives. We are also working to expand these methods to support the exploration and enactment of systemic change among professionals, future leaders and communities whose actions have impacts at a larger scale,” says Fernández Galeote.
The research team hopes that the study’s holistic view of engagement, rooted in playfulness, will help educators, designers and researchers in this growing field in planning and delivering more effective and innovative interventions.
“We also expect that our use of sustainability transition-specific lenses will shed new light on the current state of gamification, not only as a tool for sustainability learning, persuasion and behaviour, but more broadly as a vehicle for advancing transitions themselves. In this area, much work is still needed to holistically transform practices and strengthen large-scale transition dynamics,” says Fernández Galeote.
The research article, titled “Play, games, and gamification to support sustainability transitions: a scoping review and research agenda”, was published in Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions in December 2025. Read the full article.
