Clear goals
People understand what should be achieved – and why it matters.
Think Tank · Gaming · Gamification · Esports
We think playfully – in business, politics and society.
ThinkGameful! is an internationally oriented think tank based in Germany. We study what people learn through games, what motivates them and how they make decisions – and how these insights can help shape politics, society, education and the world of work.
Level 01 · Mission
Gaming is more than entertainment.
We look at gaming as a cultural, economic, technological and scientific phenomenon – and ask what it can teach us about the challenges of our time.
Modern games are complex systems of rules, goals, resources, decisions, competition, cooperation and feedback. Around them, communities, cultures and entire economic ecosystems emerge. Esports adds team organisation, tactical preparation, communication and performance under pressure.
As a think tank, we don't just ask which solution fits a specific problem. We examine the underlying connections – and bring research and practice together.
- gameful adj.
- An attitude that takes the principles of good games seriously: intrinsic motivation, clear goals, immediate feedback, progress, self-efficacy and challenges people take on voluntarily.
Questions we explore
- How do lasting motivation and voluntary engagement emerge?
- How can people make better decisions in dynamic situations?
- What role does immediate feedback play in learning?
- How can individual strengths be recognised in shared tasks?
- How can organisations foster collaboration, ownership and performance?
Level 02 · Gameful design
More than points and badges.
Gamification transfers game elements into contexts that are not games themselves. Gameful design goes further: it shapes an entire experience around what makes good games work.
A points system alone doesn't motivate anyone. Leaderboards, badges and competitions fall flat when they ignore what people actually need. Good design starts with one question: why should people do this task – and how can the design help them?
Direct feedback
Progress, mistakes and opportunities to grow become visible quickly and clearly.
Visible progress
People can see which skills they have built and which steps lie ahead.
Meaningful challenges
Tasks stretch people without permanently overwhelming or boring them.
Collaboration
Design supports communication, shared goals and making the most of different strengths.
Room to act
People can make decisions, try different paths and take responsibility.
These principles are no guarantee of motivation or better performance. Their effect depends on the audience, the context and the design – which is exactly why understanding the underlying mechanisms matters.
Level 03 · Fields of work
Where we think playfully.
Our work addresses politics, society and business alike. Gaming touches digital participation, youth and education culture, media literacy, economic development and the role of digital communities.
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F/01
PoliticsOrientation for decision-makers
Political debates about gaming benefit from looking at opportunities and risks in a differentiated way. Sweeping judgements do not do justice to the diversity of games and how they are used.
We prepare findings in an accessible way, bring different perspectives together and help decision-makers put complex issues into context: What potential does gaming offer? Under which conditions? Where are the limits – and where is more research needed?
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F/02
SocietyGaming as social reality
Games create communities, their own forms of communication and cultural norms. They shape digital culture, media use and how people interact with each other.
We explore how playful approaches can strengthen participation, cohesion and social change – without losing sight of the risks.
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F/03
EducationTraining & higher education
Games and game-based learning environments can illustrate complex relationships, give immediate feedback and encourage learners to engage actively with problems.
In vocational training, simulations connect theory with real decisions – without every mistake having real consequences. Universities gain questions ranging from the economics of digital games to the dynamics of virtual communities.
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F/04
EsportsPerformance, teams & organisation
Esports lets us study playful systems under competitive conditions. Teams distribute roles, align strategies, process information under time pressure, deal with defeat and analyse their mistakes.
We don't equate companies with esports teams – but the questions behind them offer valuable impulses for any organisation.
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F/05
Human ResourcesGaming for people & work
HR is one of our core fields. Game-based approaches can open up new perspectives along the entire employee journey – if they are well designed, fit the role and are evaluated transparently.
Recruiting
Game-based tasks can reveal strategic thinking, problem solving and prioritisation beyond CVs and interviews.
Assessment
Simulations make decisions and collaboration observable – based on clear requirements and checked for bias.
Learning & development
Practise leadership, decide under uncertainty and reflect together on what transfers to everyday work.
Employer branding
Playful formats offer real insights into how people work – without making a company look like a video game.
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F/06
BusinessMarketing, projects & organisation
Marketing: Games show how interactive experiences, challenges and communities create lasting engagement – relevant for customer experiences, platforms and brand interactions that offer real value.
Project management: Breaking complex goals into achievable steps, making progress transparent and reacting to change – gamification helps, but never replaces planning and leadership.
Organisational development: Simulations and scenarios make change tangible and let teams test alternative ways of working.
Level 04 · Research & partnerships
Where research meets practice.
Studying gaming is not limited to a single discipline. That's why we work with academic and educational partners.
Co-op mode · ResearchSince 2024
Player 1ThinkGameful!
Player 2Institut für Ludologie
Partnership with the Institute for Ludology at SRH Berlin University to enable larger joint research projects on gaming.
Co-op mode · EducationTraining
Player 1ThinkGameful!
Player 2IHK Akademie München und Oberbayern
Scientific partner for the training programme “E-Sport & Gaming in HR”, transferring insights from games research into HR practice.
An interdisciplinary view
Motivation cannot be explained by game mechanics alone. Social relationships, individual needs, cultural context and the specific situation matter just as much. Our work therefore draws on economics, social sciences, psychology, cultural studies and organisational research.
How we work
- Formulating concrete research questions
- Analysing existing scientific findings
- Developing and examining concepts
- Evaluating experience from practice
- Critically reviewing limits and side effects
- Transferring suitable insights into real applications
Level 05 · Our standards
Opportunities – without hiding the limits.
A think tank creates foundations, develops questions, prepares knowledge and evaluates concepts. Implementation happens in companies, schools, universities and specialised organisations.
ThinkGameful!
Understand & evaluate
Research, expert context, conceptual development and knowledge transfer on gaming, gamification, gameful design and esports.
Practice
Apply
Transferring suitable insights to concrete tasks – in policy, education, recruiting, development, marketing or organisational design.
Rule 01
Evidence
Not every plausible idea works. Claims about motivation or performance must be tested carefully.
Rule 02
Transferability
What works in a game doesn't automatically work in a company or a classroom.
Rule 03
Fairness
Game-based methods must not create unnecessary barriers and must respect different starting points.
Rule 04
Transparency
When games are used to assess people, it must be clear which data is collected and how it is used.
Rule 05
Real benefit
Nothing should be used just because it looks innovative. It must serve a concrete goal.
Level 06 · Outlook
The next level.
Digitalisation, interactive media, AI and new forms of learning and collaboration raise questions that call for technological understanding, scientific analysis and practical experience.
- How is artificial intelligence changing the design of game-based learning?
- What role do virtual worlds play for teamwork and training?
- How can competencies be made more visible in interactive simulations?
- When do playful systems help people stay engaged with learning in the long run?
Level 07 · Founder
Who's behind ThinkGameful!
ThinkGameful! is led by its co-founder Dr. Timo Schöber. His work spans gaming and esports, research, publications and talks – and the transfer of insights from esports to other fields.
Scene experience gives access to real practices and cultures. Research makes it possible to examine observations systematically. Professional experience helps to understand the questions organisations actually face. We bring these perspectives together – without confusing one for the other.
Character sheetHead of think tank
- Name
- Dr. Timo Schöber
- Books
- 40+ published
- Scene
- Long-standing figure in esports
- Fields
- Gaming · Esports · Research · HR · AI
Level 08 · Contact
Let's think playfully together.
How can we better understand the mechanisms of gaming and esports – and use them to make real challenges more grounded, more human and more effective? Let's talk.