Allow me to explain why we are going down this Gamification to Gameful Design rabbit hole.
Here’s a story of where this Gamification inquiry came from. I was a manager of a Boys and Girls Club in central Vancouver Island. Here’s the story.
Why Kids Choose Digital Games Over Going Outside
My Journey Into Gamification, Nature Play, and Understanding Engagement By Jamie Black MA, BI, NCC, NT
I had a dear friend comment on my post “I don’t do gamification.” Well neither do I, so listen to my video above or read the text below to get a glimpse on what sent me down this rabbit hole.
Oh and before you Rob and Duplicate the term Gameful Design – it’s not mine, it came into my path during my research, and was trade marked by [McGonigal, J. (2011). We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Badges: How to Re-invent Reality Without
Gamification. In Serious Games Summit, Game Developers Conference.]
A moment that stopped me cold and made me swallow my pride about 15 years ago was…
At the time, I was managing a Boys and Girls Club. I gathered a group of kids together and asked with full enthusiasm:
“Who wants to go play outside?”
In my mind, I imagined cheers. A stampede toward the door. Adventure.
Instead, every single kid shouted back:
“I just want to play on my DS!”
Internally, I was devastated. Externally, I kept my game face on.
“Oh cool,” I said. “Show me what’s so engaging about your DS.”
The kids looked genuinely shocked. Really? We get to play?
So I sat down beside one of them and asked: “What do you love so much about this?”
And I kid you not, he looked up at me and said:
“I get to explore in nature.”
That moment changed everything.
I had spent years assuming that games and nature were opposites. That screens were pulling kids away from the real world. But sitting beside that kid, I realized something far more interesting was happening.
Games weren’t replacing nature. They were meeting needs that real-world experiences had stopped fulfilling. Exploration. Discovery. Challenge. Autonomy. Belonging. Progression. Mystery. Purpose. And there’s more.
That single conversation sent me down the rabbit hole of understanding the psyche of children these days. Game design. Behavioral psychology. Risk and reward. Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation theories. Engagement loops. Learning environments. The psychology of meaningful challenge. Eventually it shaped the direction of my Master of Arts in Environmental Education and Communication, where I studied gamification and engagement systems with one core question driving everything:
I couldn’t help but ask… Why would a child choose a screen over going outside?
And more importantly: How do we design real-world experiences that are just as alive?
That question still drives my work today through Wild Craft Play, adventure-based learning, and leadership development with children, youth, and outdoor leaders globally.
Because I don’t believe the answer is simply “take away the screens.”
I think the deeper invitation is this: how do we make real life feel… safer?
That’s the thread running through everything I’m building right now, including a new masterclass on gamification and engagement. Before I create it, I genuinely want to know what YOU already think and feel about this topic. What works? What feels manipulative? What creates meaningful engagement versus unhealthy addiction? What actually helps people grow?
Gamification can be used for harm or for healing. We need better conversations around both.
So stay tuned. There is much more coming.
Curious about my research? Start here
And if you are seeking strategies on how to make your outdoor experiences more safe, we have a few resources available for you.
Outdoor Harm Prevention Training