Top 10 books on Gamification

Did you know that over 70% of global 2000 companies use Gamification to improve workplace productivity? It’s not just the big, established companies using it either. Studies suggest that over 50% of startups do, too. 

Various companies of every size are finding new ways to use Gamification to help with long-term loyalty, employee engagement, and other business metrics. 

Gamification is a revolutionary idea that has the power to change the workplace dynamic and how we view the world around us for the better. More and more working professionals realize that Gamification motivates people in and outside the workplace. This motivation helps individuals meet their goals, pursue big projects, and push themselves to be the best version of themselves. 

If you want to learn more about the value of gamification and game mechanics, you’ll want to get your hands on gamification books. These books can work as a guide to help you learn more about this application and give you the tools to implement gamification tactics in your everyday life. 

To help you get started, here are ten of the best gamification books you’ll want on your radar. 

Actionable Gamification, by Yu-kai Chou

Actionable Gamification goes beyond point systems, badges, and leaderboards. This book works as a guide to help you understand the new era of Gamification and how to use game mechanics to motivate and engage in your personal and professional life. The author invites the reader to take a deep dive into how game mechanics and behavioral psychology are connected. Readers will learn the fundamentals of game design, game dynamics, behavioral economics, and motivational psychology. With this deeper understanding, you’ll learn how all these disciplines work together for your personal benefit.

After reading this book, readers will know how to build a gamification-fueled framework to create engaging and rewarding experiences for the individual. You’ll be challenged to look at games from a different angle and find new ways to implement them into your daily life to help you create rewarding experiences. With the help of Gamification, you can meaningfully engage with your surroundings in new and innovative ways you may not have thought of before. 

Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals, by Katie Salen

Rules of Play takes a closer look at game design theory and how you can use these concepts to understand the basic fundamentals of Gamification. From sports and computers to board games and video games: Readers get to explore the appeal of every type of game and how games work as systems of emergence and information.

This book also invites readers to look at 18 different game design schemas. They learn the basics of storytelling, social play, and the fundamentals of the conceptual framework of game systems. After reading, you should understand the “why” and “how” of games. You’ll also earn a new perspective on Gamification and how it works for society’s benefit. 

Gamification by Design, by Gabe Zichermann and Christopher Cunningham

This book looks at design strategy, tactics, and other game businesses you’ll want to keep in mind when building consumer-facing websites and mobile apps. These core game concepts help develop a fun social environment that keeps customers coming back for more. This book encourages readers to think strategically about the success of Foursquare, Zynga, Nike+, and Groupon. Cunningham uses these businesses as examples of how to utilize game mechanics to keep consumers engaged with their platforms. 

Professionals at all skill levels can benefit from this book. Readers will learn more about the motivation framework and how they can use it to their advantage to build customer loyalty.

Gamification at Work, by Janaki Mythily Kumar and Mario Herger

If you want to learn more about the impact of Gamification in the workplace, this is the book for you. Readers will discover more about Gamification’s fundamentals and its role in building a thriving workplace culture in this book. This book works as a resource for design and foundational components of Gamification. 

Readers will learn how to achieve Player Centered Design in five steps. These steps include:

1. Knowing the player
2. Identifying the mission
3. Understanding human motivation
4. Applying mechanics
5. Managing, monitoring, and measuring

Once you finish the book, you’ll know what Gamification is and if you believe it belongs in the workplace.

Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World by Jane McGonigal

Video games are a tool that fuels escapist entertainment. With that in mind: Have you ever considered how individuals can use this escapist motive as leverage to tackle social problems, global issues, and changes in the world? 

In this book, Jane McGonigal discusses how reality has changed for gamers and non-gamers. She invites readers to look at how gaming can be used to benefit our future and tackle ongoing problems the world faces every day. Reality is Broken primarily focuses on how games and game design have the power to change the world we live in for the better.

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Psychologist and writer Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi investigates the phenomenon of optimal experience. The idea is that when individuals enjoy an experience, a switch flips with their state of consciousness. This is what we call flow. People experience flow when they are challenged creatively or experience deep levels of enjoyment. 

In this book, readers will strengthen their understanding of flow by knowing the triggers that impact flow. These include having a sense of control of your actions, clear goals, immediate feedback, and having the opportunity to confront challenges head-on as a completable task.

With this understanding, readers can help individuals unlock their true potential and improve their quality of life.

Gamify: How Gamification Motivates People to Do Extraordinary Things by Brian Burke

The world around us is changing, and one truth continues to prevail: Employees aren’t engaged in the workplace. There is an ongoing engagement crisis in almost every industry, workplace, and company. It doesn’t matter if it’s the client, employee, or individual: People aren’t engaged like they used to be.

Gamification provides tremendous potential for individuals looking to enhance their engagement efforts while improving productivity. This book brings to light new and innovative ways to engage with your audience through Gamification. In this book, readers will get the opportunity to learn how to align business objectives with player objectives through real-world examples. 

The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-based Methods and Strategies for Training and Education by Karl M. Kapp

This book is for individuals who are interested in learning more about the process of Gamification and how it works. Readers will gain access to intense learning tools to help them implement game-based thinking in their personal and professional life. 

After reading this book, readers will know how to use gamification strategies and lessons to help them look at the role of Gamification from a different lens. Instead of focusing on loyalty programs or reward systems, readers are asked to think strategically about engagement techniques they can use that are fun and innovative. 

For the Win, Revised and Updated Edition: The Power of Gamification and Game Thinking in Business, Education, Government, and Social Impact by Dan Hunter

Gamification isn’t a trend; it’s a tool. In this book, readers will explore implementing game thinking in the workplace and the social impact of implementing strategies that are influenced by game mechanics. 

This book highlights the different businesses and how they fail or succeed while using gamification tactics. Readers will learn the six steps to Gamification and how to implement them in the workplace to reliably increases business metrics. The six steps include.

1. Define business objectives
2. Delineate target behaviors
3. Describe your players
4. Devise activity cycles 
5. Don’t forget the fun
6. Deploy the appropriate tools

Loyalty 3.0, by Rajat Paharia

Loyalty programs are a gamification tactic that workplace professionals can use to increase productivity. It’s slowly becoming somewhat of a commonality in and outside the workplace. However, every year, loyalty gets harder to maintain. This book explores how you can use loyalty to grow your business and connect with customers, partners, and employees. Readers will gain insider knowledge on these techniques to maintain a competitive edge and keep loyalty and engagement in mind. 

Paharia uses case studies to show how companies develop and implement loyalty programs for their advantage and will even touch on ones that have failed in the process. 

Take Your Knowledge to the Next Level 

Numbers don’t lie. The North American gamification industry is currently valued at $2.72 billion. As more and more. Businesses discover the benefits and learn how to use Gamification to motivate people, and we only expect this number to increase. 

Gamification is more than just a fun theory. It’s a thriving business approach with countless research and existing literature to prove that there is success in positive reinforcement. With the help of any of these books, you can strengthen your understanding of Gamification and find new ways to use it to increase engagement with employees and customers. 

If you’re ready to explore Gamification and implement these practices in the workplace, these are the best gamification books to start your research with. With these books, you can further your education on Gamification and discover new opportunities to improve the workplace experience and increase employee engagement. At Spinify, we’re here to help you incorporate gamification tactics in the workplace in a fun and innovative way. Book your free, personalized demo today!