Video games are no longer merely a pastime, but are increasingly being used deliberately for education, training and awareness. Serious Games (literally “serious games”) combine fun with a serious purpose. In this blog post, we explore what Serious Games actually are, why they matter, what fields of application exist, and what can be achieved with them. Finally, we take a closer look at “Wir retten das Internet” (“We Save the Internet”) as a concrete example and show how RAVE.SPACE puts Serious Games into practice.
What Are Serious Games?
The term Serious Games refers to games (mostly digital) that are designed not primarily for pure entertainment, but for an additional purpose such as imparting knowledge, training, or raising awareness of a topic. As early as the 1970s, U.S. social scientist Clark C. Abt coined the term and described how games could be used for serious goals beyond arcades and leisure. Put simply, a Serious Game contains in its rules, storyline, or design a built-in task, whether teaching a skill, encouraging certain behaviors, or conveying specific messages. Importantly, these games still entertain, but with “added value” – the play experience serves to learn or achieve something along the way.
Serious Games are therefore distinct from pure entertainment games and from gamification. While gamification introduces individual game elements such as points, rankings, or rewards into a non-game context, Serious Games are complete games designed from the ground up with a specific learning or impact goal. Both approaches, however, draw on the motivational power of play. Already in 1938, cultural historian Johan Huizinga described humans as “Homo Ludens”, a “playing being,” and saw play as a serious, fundamental part of society and culture. Early educators and developers recognized that this natural joy of play can be harnessed to initiate real learning processes. Serious Games are thus games that are fun and at the same time foster learning or positive real-world impact. They are also often referred to as “transformational games” because they aim to create change in the player.
Why Are Serious Games Important?
Serious Games are rapidly gaining importance because they offer decisive advantages over traditional teaching methods or information media. Through their interactive and playful nature, they often motivate users much more strongly than dry theory. Players immerse themselves emotionally and cognitively in the subject matter, which leads to longer retention of what they have learned. Studies show that learning games can significantly improve both knowledge retention and motivation. This trend is also evident in schools, where a large majority of teachers already use digital games to enrich their lessons. The mix of fun and challenge fosters active learning, where players discover content independently rather than passively absorbing it.
Another major advantage of Serious Games is the safe environment they provide. In a simulation, mistakes can be made without real-world consequences, which is ideal for dangerous training situations such as in medicine or in flight simulators. At the same time, Serious Games allow for progress tracking: player behavior can be analyzed, and it becomes immediately clear whether learning goals are being achieved. Moreover, Serious Games can be tailored to the individual learner’s level. With artificial intelligence, for example, a game can dynamically adjust the level of difficulty, avoiding both under and over challenge. Finally, the playful approach appeals to target groups that are difficult to reach through traditional channels, particularly the young “gaming generation,” for whom digital interaction is second nature. In short, Serious Games meet people where they are, in their natural curiosity and joy of play, and convey content more effectively and sustainably.
Fields of Application and Examples
Serious Games are successfully used today in many fields:
Education and Schools
In classrooms, learning games encourage students to practice more voluntarily and understand complex topics more effectively. Whether vocabulary trainers or historical strategy games, didactically well-designed games demonstrably increase engagement and learning success.
Corporate Training
Companies use Serious Games for employee training, for example to develop soft skills or technical knowledge. Interactive simulations can train sales staff in negotiation scenarios or teach new employees compliance rules in a playful way.
Healthcare and Therapy
Serious Games have also entered the medical field. Medical students practice operations on virtual patients, patients perform rehabilitation exercises in game form, and young cancer patients learn to better understand their illness and stay more motivated in their therapy through games like Re-Mission.
Society and Politics
Games are increasingly used to make social issues visible. Simulation games on climate change or public budgets make complex interrelationships tangible. NGO projects such as Games for Change demonstrate how digital games can change attitudes and promote civic engagement.
Case Study: “Wir retten das Internet”
At the VideoDays Festival 2024, Germany’s largest YouTuber and creator convention, RAVE.SPACE developed the interactive campaign “Wir retten das Internet” to educate young people about fake news in a playful way.
At the booth, live game shows were hosted by well-known online video creators. The special feature was that hundreds of fans could participate simultaneously via their smartphones or laptops in the browser, control avatars, and compete against each other in a virtual 3D world.
The game principle: moderators asked quiz questions about internet myths and false claims. Players had to decide whether the statement was true or false by moving their avatars to the corresponding platform. Those who chose incorrectly disappeared through a trapdoor, while those who answered correctly advanced. Round after round, the field narrowed until the finalists competed in an obstacle course to determine the winner.
The goal was to sensitize young people to the issue of disinformation. Through the game, they experienced the consequences of wrong decisions firsthand, received explanations afterward, and thus absorbed knowledge in a lasting way. Fun and learning went hand in hand, and the atmosphere resembled an eSports event.
The finale offered an additional emotional highlight: the winner received a meet-and-greet with their idol, directly via live video call on stage. This greatly increased motivation and further strengthened the bond between community and creator.
The response was overwhelming. The booth was permanently packed, creators praised the direct interactivity, and sponsors such as the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia were enthusiastic. With “Wir retten das Internet,” RAVE.SPACE demonstrated how serious content can be staged in an engaging way, a prime example of Serious Games in practice.
Conclusion
Serious Games are a prime example of how learning and fun can be successfully combined. They reach target groups that are difficult to engage through traditional methods and convey knowledge in a lasting way.
RAVE.SPACE has shown with projects like “Wir retten das Internet” how socially relevant topics can be transformed into exciting games. As a developer of innovative 3D experiences, we are able to design tailor-made Serious Games for a wide variety of applications, from concept to live event.
If your institution, organization, or company is interested in developing a Serious Game, please get in touch with us via our contact form.
Sources
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Deutscher Bundestag (2024): Drucksache 20/10288. https://dserver.bundestag.de/btd/20/102/2010288.pdf
Deutscher Bundestag (2016): Drucksache 18/9606. https://dserver.bundestag.de/btd/18/096/1809606.pdf
Umweltbundesamt (2025): Serious Gaming und Nachhaltigkeit. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/digitalisierung/digitale-nachhaltigkeit/serious-gaming-nachhaltigkeit
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