The application of game design elements to non-game contexts.
Don’t experiment on your own revenue with broken game mechanics. Get our guide “Core Drives in the Wild” to learn how to apply real behavioral science to your product: professorgame.com/WildCD Episode Summary Rob Alvarez attacks the “chocolate-covered broccoli” approach to gamification, arguing that points, […]
Have a product challenge around retention? Quick intro chat → professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary Leif Sørensen, founder of Actee, argues that most learning games fail because clients treat them as “magic powder” that can absorb a dozen frameworks at once, and because designers say yes […]
If you’re implementing AI and want to realize that promised ROI, let’s see if Octalysis fits → professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary Rob Alvarez argues that AI implementation in 2026 is a behavioral problem and not a technical one, and that most AI rollouts fail because […]
I’ve interviewed hundreds of experts and now lead Engagement Strategy (EU) at TOG. If you want help applying this, start here: professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary Clark Aldrich returns to introduce Socratic Cards, a physical deck designed to replace expert-led teaching with peer-driven inquiry. Each card […]
Have a product challenge around retention? Quick intro chat → professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary Applying the Octalysis Framework to personal career development, arguing that real-life growth feels invisible because win states are spaced too far apart, and that breaking goals into quests with defined win […]
Recently funded and aiming for sustainable retention? Intro chat (no sales pitch): professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary Raúl Mora describes how his Medellín-based research lab survived the pandemic and produced an academic book on second language users as gamers by importing MMORPG team structures into research […]
I’ve interviewed hundreds of experts and now lead Engagement Strategy (EU) at The Octalysis Group. If you want help applying this, start here: professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary Rob Alvarez introduces the Octalysis Framework as a 101 walkthrough, contrasting function-focused design (which assumes people will do […]
If you’re considering gamification for engagement, retention, or loyalty, I’m happy to compare options with you: professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary David Dand, founder of Coreus, argues that gamification has its biggest impact in traditional, unsexy sectors like accountancy and insurance precisely because nobody expects it there. […]
You’ll get the same 14-day free trial either way—but if you use my link, you’ll also be supporting Professor Game: 👉 professorgame.com/openyourskool Episode Summary Tom Vorselen, founder of The Study Coach, argues that academic and professional learners fail not from lack of effort but […]
Episode Summary Marking the 25th anniversary of his father’s death, Rob reflects on what Venezuelan actor Mariano Alvarez taught him about believability, performance, and audience connection: and traces those lessons directly into his gamification practice. He recounts how his father’s portrayal of saint José […]