Building team cohesion remains essential to developing a strong team and a positive working atmosphere, and to keeping every employee productive. A whole range of games has sprung up to meet this need, which is built into working life. The serious game is one of them. Its purpose is to put relationships back at the heart of the workplace and to motivate every employee, whether teams work remotely or on site. And it can all happen through playful, collective activities such as the serious game.
Serious game: what exactly is it?
Games are taking up more and more space in our lives. Video games, TV game shows, role-play, puzzle games… you name it. This culture of play has even made its way into the professional world, under the name of “gamification”. And top of the list of these playful activities sits the serious game, also known as the business game .
Once used in business schools to make teaching easier, it is now valued for team cohesion in companies: a way to work better together and encourage mutual support by helping employees connect. With stress-free working now high on the agenda, companies are turning to virtual team building, with the serious game as the headline activity.
Simply put, the serious game lets you learn while having fun. The concept was inspired by American military games that appeared towards the end of the 1950s. The very first versions arrived in 2002. The scenarios are built on a unique blend: play combined with learning techniques.
What sets the serious game apart is its purpose. It is certainly entertaining, but it is also genuinely educational. Take the game Follow The Brain , for example, an awareness-raising game about disability. In the professional world, information, prevention and professional development sit at the heart of the game.
A game that stands out for improving communication at work
In a serious game, every participant faces real-life situations. Managing a team in a company is notoriously complex, so managing a team and a working atmosphere remotely is hardly a walk in the park. When employees are scattered, building connections and setting up good collaboration calls for more creativity. That is why this game adds real value to the working experience, remotely and in the office alike.
Using a serious game, you can raise awareness among employees far more effectively through group dynamics and a shared project. Unlike conventional internal communication campaigns, the game takes a playful approach. And that makes internal communication far more impactful. These days, the skills that matter most are creativity, collaboration and communication.
The activities simulated in the game help toactivate collective intelligence. Collaborative learning is also one of the most effective solutions when a team hits difficulties. A good conversation opens the way to better cooperation, while making it easier to generate ideas and innovations.
The benefits of serious games for professional training
Enjoying yourself as you play, and learning more effectively as a result: that is what the serious game offers. Using play for educational purposes to bring a team together is as old as human civilisation itself. Today, new technologies are giving it a fresh lease of life. And serious games bring a playful touch to professional training.
Play offers a realistic yet playful immersion in the workplace and its activities. That is a real advantage for new recruits going through onboarding. Training also becomes more flexible. It can take place indoors, outdoors or remotely. Time saved for employees and better productivity for managers: the benefits speak for themselves.
Better still, new talent feels far more comfortable with digital, interactive training methods. Serious games come in a wide variety of formats, and they adapt perfectly to a company’s activities and culture.
Serious games in companies: how do you hit your goals?
As in a genuine role-play session, players have a mission to complete. The difference lies in the actions, which usually take place in pairs or in groups. The idea is to have players acquire new skills during the game. And the players, in this case, are none other than the employees we want to unite around a shared objective.
In serious games, what matters is creating the illusion of not working. The trick is to reveal the underlying idea to players only at the end of the game. It is then presented as a summary of the concepts and lessons learned along the way. Bringing teams together has to happen in the right place, at the right time! That is one more reason why striking the right balance matters most.
A serious game session should not run on too long, or participants may grow bored and lose the motivation needed to build a genuine team spirit. Excessive length also means too heavy an investment for the company.
Serious games designed to unite a team generally rely on digital tools. They are modern, playful ways to drive employee motivation and performance. Serious games can slot into training plans, management, recruitment and leadership development alike.
How do you design a serious game for your company?
Many large companies have grasped the true power of play and its impact on team cohesion. It motivates employees and unites teams by encouraging collaborative intelligence. It also influences the recruitment of top talent: training each employee better improves wellbeing at work. A happy employee is a more productive employee, and the whole team’s performance benefits.
To create a serious game for your company, it is best to call on genuine professionals to build that kind of teamwork. Corporate event game design agencies such as Arcane Experience help you build a bespoke event with a dynamic team behind you. To unite your team, the agency starts with a real conversation, in order to design the most suitable methodology. You can easily request a quote within 24 hours.
