The Over-Gamification of Learning: When the Subject Becomes an NPC

by James Myklebust-Hampshire

I get why we gamify learning. It makes things engaging. It gets kids leaning forward instead of groaning at another worksheet.

But too often, we go too far. We take the actual learning—math, reading, science—and push it into the background, turning it into a boring NPC that kids have to “interact” with to get to the real fun.

Instead of making the subject the game, we make it a side quest.

The Problem with Over-Gamification

Many edtech platforms and classroom games rely on extrinsic rewards—gold stars, coins, leaderboards—to keep kids motivated. And while these work in the short term, they create problems when:

The rewards stop. Motivation plummets.
The rewards stay the same. They lose their power, and we’re forced to “up the stakes” just to keep engagement high.

Essentially, we’re telling kids: Math (or science, reading, etc.) is so dull that you need a prize just to get through it.

That’s how I ended up using games in my classroom that sent the wrong message.

When Math Becomes a Side Quest

I once used a wizard-themed game that my students loved. They’d battle trolls, cast spells, and level up. But to actually do anything in the game, they had to answer a math question first.

That setup told them: “Math is the boring task you need to complete before you can play.”

I also used competitive quiz games that created high engagement—but also high anxiety. The fastest student won, while others felt like they didn’t stand a chance. For some, this sparked motivation. For others, it reinforced the idea that they “weren’t good at math.”

The problem wasn’t the game itself—it was how the goal, roles, and rules were designed.

Game Design: How to Make Learning the Main Event

Every great game has:

A Goal – What are players trying to achieve?
A Role – Who are they in the game?
Rules & Challenge – What makes the journey to the goal interesting?

The rules are crucial—they determine whether a game is too easy (boring) or too hard (frustrating). A well-designed game hits the sweet spot: just challenging enough to be rewarding. That means no need for extra prizes—achieving the goal is the reward.

Here’s an example of how I use this in math:

To the Moon and Back: A No-Tech Math Game

This is a variation of the classic dice game Pig, but with more strategy, choice, and built-in learning.

Game Elements:

Goal: Be the first astronaut to reach the moon and return to Earth.
Role: You’re an astronaut on a space mission.
Rules:
- Decide whether to use standard dice or larger-numbered dice.
- Set your mission target—100? 250? 1000?
- Each turn, roll two dice and decide: add or multiply your numbers.
- Decide whether to roll again, building your score for that round, or “Bank” your score ending your turn.
- If you bank, add your score to your previous points so you know how far you have travelled.
- If you role a 1 on either die, your score for that round is wiped!
- Once you reach the moon (target number), you must work your way back down to zero. Subtraction is now part of the challenge.

How the Rules Keep It Engaging:

Players must strategize—should they add or multiply to get to the target faster? When they realise that multiplying the two digits usually produces a larger quantity, they’ll want to multiply!
The subtraction phase forces them to think in reverse.
A simple rule tweak can make it even more interesting:
- Use decimal dice (0.01, 0.02…) and set the moon at 1.00.
- Require players to land exactly on the moon before they can return. Suddenly, they’re asking: How much more do I need? What are my options?
- If you roll two 1s, you have to start the whole thing again from scratch! (you might want to limit this to only one time per player).

No points. No prizes. Just math that’s engaging because the game itself is fun.

And, by the way, this is just the version I made up. Feel free to tweak the goal, role, and rules as you see fit. Play around to find your sweet spot!

How I Apply These Principles in Sembl Play

When I design games for Sembl Play, these principles guide every decision.

Take Muchos Tacos, where students run taco trucks and work together to set a record. There are no leaderboards or gold coins—just a shared challenge where the math itself is the game.

The rules make the experience engaging—students are motivated because the challenge is fun, not because they’re chasing a prize.

And that’s the key to sustainable engagement.

Beyond Math: Making the Subject the Game

This approach applies to any subject. The key? The subject itself should be the game—not just a hoop to jump through.

Reading: Text-Based Games (Now with AI!)

Remember classic text-based adventure games? You had to read to explore and make choices. Now, AI can generate interactive stories where reading is essential—not just something you do to unlock a prize.

Of course, AI needs adult oversight and safety layers, but it offers huge potential for creating engaging, student-driven reading experiences.

Not ready for AI? One of my all time favourite text-based role playing game is Avalon. It’s still available, although you’ll want to have a play first to see if it’s appropriate for your child.

Science: Simulations That Reward Discovery

PhET Simulations let students experiment with physics and chemistry concepts. The “reward” is seeing what happens when they tweak variables—just like real scientists.

No-Tech Gamification: Simple, Effective Games

Some of the best games don’t require screens. A simple rule tweak can make a game engaging without leaderboards or prizes.

Math: To the Moon and Back (see above!)
History: Role-Playing & Debates – Instead of memorizing dates, have students become historical figures, arguing their perspectives in a real-time debate.

Conclusion: Gamify Wisely—Then Watch Kids Thrive

A well-designed game doesn’t need bribes. The goal, roles, and rules make it engaging on their own.
If you’re designing learning experiences—whether as a teacher, parent, or edtech developer—think about this:

Is the subject the star?
Are the rules making the challenge just right?
Would the game still be fun even without rewards?
When we design learning like a game—instead of just adding game elements—we don’t need gold coins or stickers to make it engaging. The challenge is the reward.

And when we get that right, kids don’t just play the game—they love the learning.

About the Author

James Myklebust-Hampshire is an International teacher with twenty years of experience. He is also the Founder of Sembl, a place for hundreds of carefully curated and created tasks and games that engage students in real mathematics.

You can connect with James here.

A note from Critikid: For a gamified Data Analysis course in which information literacy is the reward, check out A Statistical Odyssey, a science-fiction adventure for ages 12+.