Abstract
Sustainability transformations are characterized by complex system dynamics, including abstraction, non-linearity and uncertainty, which are often challenging to comprehend due to psychological barriers and misconceptions. Serious games offer a promising tool to both explore and communicate such dynamics, as they simplify complex mechanisms and enable more tangible understanding through simulations of real-world problems. This study examines how existing serious games related to sustainability transformations translate politico-economic structures and ecological patterns into game design. Furthermore, we explore how leverage points can be integrated into serious games, drawing on Donella Meadows' systems thinking approach. The review follows the PRISMA framework and encompasses 170 selected papers from Scopus and EBSCO databases. Findings of qualitative analysis reveal how existing serious games related to sustainability transformations mirror ecological, economic and political structures and show possible ways to address leverage points via game design. Subsequently, we discuss how serious games can be used as educational and research tool to both explore and teach the root causes of unsustainability as well as possible interventions. Further research is needed to evaluate how serious games can contribute to enhance understanding of system dynamics and analyze human–system interactions. We outline approaches for future research efforts and discuss questions of validity when using serious games for research purposes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abad J, Booth L, Baills A, Fleming K, Leone M, Schueller L, Petrovic B (2020) Assessing policy preferences amongst climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction stakeholders using serious gaming. Int J Disaster Risk Reduct 51:101782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101782
Abson DJ, Fischer J, Leventon J, Newig J, Schomerus T, Vilsmaier U, von Wehrden H, Abernethy P, Ives CD, Jager NW, Lang DJ (2017) Leverage points for sustainability transformation. Ambio 46(1):30–39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-016-0800-y
Acar OA, Tarakci M, Van Knippenberg D (2019) Creativity and innovation under constraints: a cross-disciplinary integrative review. J Manag 45(1):96–121. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206318805832
Aguiar VAC, Rosly MM, Nakano M (2018) A single player serious game for sustainable supply chain management. Stud Simul Gaming 28(1):60–72
Agusdinata DB, Lukosch H (2019) Supporting interventions to reduce household greenhouse gas emissions: a transdisciplinary role-playing game development. Simul Gaming 50(3):359–376. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878119848135
Akhtar MK, de la Chevrotière C, Tanzeeba S, Tang T, Grover P (2020) A serious gaming tool: Bow River Sim for communicating integrated water resources management. J Hydroinf 22(3):491–509. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2020.089
Ameerbakhsh O, Maharaj S, Hussain A, McAdam B (2019) A comparison of two methods of using a serious game for teaching marine ecology in a university setting. Int J Hum Comput Stud 127:181–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2018.07.004
Andreotti F, Speelman EN, Van den Meersche K, Allinne C (2020) Combining participatory games and backcasting to support collective scenario evaluation: an action research approach for sustainable agroforestry landscape management. Sustain Sci 15(5):1383–1399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-020-00829-3
Antheaume N, Bebbington J (2021) Externalities and decision-making. In: Routledge handbook of environmental accounting. Routledge
Antle AN, Tanenbaum TJ, Bevans A, Seaborn K, Wang S (2011) Balancing act: enabling public engagement with sustainability issues through a multi-touch tabletop collaborative game. In: Campos P, Graham N, Jorge J, Nunes N, Palanque P, Winckler M (eds) Human-computer interaction—INTERACT 2011. Springer, pp 194–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23771-3_16
Armstrong M, Kramer L, de Senerpont Domis LN, van Wijk D, Gsell AS, Mooij WM, Teurlincx S (2021) Flipping Lakes: Explaining concepts of catchment-scale water management through a serious game. Limnol Oceanogr Methods 19(7):443–456. https://doi.org/10.1002/lom3.10436
Arnold RD, Wade JP (2015) A definition of systems thinking: a systems approach. Proc Comput Sci 44:669–678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2015.03.050
Baaden M, Delalande O, Ferey N, Pasquali S, Waldispühl J, Taly A (2018) Ten simple rules to create a serious game, illustrated with examples from structural biology. PLoS Comput Biol 14(3):e1005955. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005955
Bandura A (1982) Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency. Am Psychol 37(2):122–147. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.37.2.122
Bandura A (2000) Exercise of human agency through collective efficacy. Curr Dir Psychol Sci 9(3):75–78. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.00064
Barcena-Vazquez J, Caro K (2020) Designing a video game to support climate change awareness in a museum exhibition context. In: Proceedings of the IX Latin American conference on human computer interaction, pp 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1145/3358961.3358972
Bathke DJ, Haigh T, Bernadt T, Wall N, Hill H, Carson A (2019) Using serious games to facilitate collaborative water management planning under climate extremes. J Contemp Water Res Educ 167(1):50–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1936-704X.2019.03311.x
Binter J, Boschetti S, Hladký T, Prossinger H, Wells TJ, Jílková J, Říha D (2022) A ‘serious games’ approach to decisions of environmental impact of energy transformation. In: Fang X (ed) HCI in games. Springer International Publishing, pp 487–495. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05637-6_31
Blackett P, FitzHerbert S, Luttrell J, Hopmans T, Lawrence H, Colliar J (2022) Marae-opoly: supporting localised Māori climate adaptation decisions with serious games in Aotearoa New Zealand. Sustain Sci 17(2):415–431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-021-00998-9
Böhm D, Dorland B, Herzog R, Kap RB, Langendam TSL, Popa A, Bueno M, Bidarra R (2021) How can you save the world? Empowering sustainable diet change with a serious game. In: 2021 IEEE conference on games (CoG), pp 1–7.https://doi.org/10.1109/CoG52621.2021.9618895
Bolijn H, Li M, Reurink A, van Rijn C, Bidarra R (2022) Benni’s forest—a serious game on the challenges of reforestation. In: 2022 IEEE conference on games (CoG), pp 245–252.https://doi.org/10.1109/CoG51982.2022.9893675
Bourazeri A, Pitt J, Arnab S (2017) Social Mpower: an educational game for energy efficiency. In: Vaz de Carvalho C, Escudeiro P, Coelho A (eds) Serious games, interaction and simulation. Springer International Publishing, pp 133–140. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51055-2_17
Briot J-P, Irving MA, Filho JEV, de Melo GM, Alvarez I, Sordoni A, de Lucena CJP (2017) Participatory management of protected areas for biodiversity conservation and social inclusion: experience of the SimParc multi-agent-based serious game. In: Multi-agent-based simulations applied to biological and environmental systems. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-1756-6.ch013
Cagiltay NE, Ozcelik E, Ozcelik NS (2015) The effect of competition on learning in games. Comput Educ 87:35–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.04.001
Cannon HM, Friesen DP, Lawrence SJ, Feinstein AH (2009) The simplicity paradox: another look at complexity in design of simulations and experiential exercises. In: Developments in business simulation and experiential learning: proceedings of the annual ABSEL conference, p 36. https://absel-ojs-ttu.tdl.org/absel/article/view/367
Castronova E, Knowles IT (2015) A model of climate policy using board game mechanics (SSRN Scholarly Paper 3068203). https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=3068203
Chappin EJL, Bijvoet X, Oei A (2017) Teaching sustainability to a broad audience through an entertainment game—the effect of Catan: oil springs. J Clean Prod 156:556–568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.04.069
Chen F-H, Ho S-J (2022) Designing a board game about the united nations’ sustainable development goals. Sustainability 14(18):18. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811197
Cockeram T, Robins J, Tsekleves E, Cruickshank L (2021) Playing for change: designing a board game for the circular economy. Cumulus 2:1752–68. https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/169628/
Craven J, Angarita H, Corzo Perez GA, Vasquez D (2017) Development and testing of a river basin management simulation game for integrated management of the Magdalena-Cauca river basin. Environ Model Softw 90:78–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2017.01.002
Dahdouh-Guebas F, Mafaziya Nijamdeen TWGF, Hugé J, Dahdouh-Guebas Y, Di Nitto D, Hamza AJ, Kodikara Arachchilage S, Koedam N, Mancilla García M, Mohamed MOS, Mostert L, Munga CN, Poti M, Satyanarayana B, Stiers I, Van Puyvelde K, Vanhove MPM, Vande Velde K, Ratsimbazafy HA (2022) The Mangal Play: a serious game to experience multi-stakeholder decision-making in complex mangrove social-ecological systems. Front Mar Sci 9:909793. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.909793
Delemere E, Liston P (2022) Engaging serious games for energy efficiency. In: Meiselwitz G, Moallem A, Zaphiris P, Ioannou A, Sottilare RA, Schwarz J, Fang X (eds) HCI international 2022—late breaking papers. Interaction in new media, learning and games. Springer Nature Switzerland, pp 567–580. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22131-6_42
den Haan R-J, Van der Voort MC (2018) On evaluating social learning outcomes of serious games to collaboratively address sustainability problems: a literature review. Sustainability 10(12):12. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124529
den Haan RJ, van der Voort MC, Baart F, Berends KD, van den Berg MC, Straatsma MW, Geenen AJP, Hulscher SJMH (2020) The Virtual River Game: gaming using models to collaboratively explore river management complexity. Environ Model Softw 134:104855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2020.104855
Despeisse M (2018) Teaching sustainability leadership in manufacturing: a reflection on the educational benefits of the board game factory heroes. Proc CIRP 69:621–626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2017.11.130
Destyanto AR, Fajar NF, Ardi R (2019) Serious simulation game design to support extensive understanding of closed-loop supply chain concept in e-waste management context. In: Proceedings of the 5th international conference on industrial and business engineering, pp 101–105. https://doi.org/10.1145/3364335.3364347
Doerner D (1980) On the difficulties people have in dealing with complexity. Simul Games 11(1):87–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/104687818001100108
Dornhelm E, Seyr H, Muskulus M (2019) Vindby—a serious offshore wind farm design game. Energies 12(8):8. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12081499
Douglas BD, Brauer M (2021) Gamification to prevent climate change: a review of games and apps for sustainability. Curr Opin Psychol 42:89–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.04.008
Eisenberg J, Thompson WF (2011) The effects of competition on improvisers’ motivation, stress, and creative performance. Creat Res J 23(2):129–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2011.571185
Epstein ML, Lazarus AD, Calvano TB, Matthews KA, Hendel RA, Epstein BB, Brosvic GM (2002) Immediate feedback assessment technique promotes learning and corrects inaccurate first responses. Psychol Rec 52(2):187–201. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395423
Ewert B (2020) Moving beyond the obsession with nudging individual behaviour: towards a broader understanding of Behavioural Public Policy. Public Policy Adm 35(3):337–360. https://doi.org/10.1177/0952076719889090
Faysse N (2005) Coping with the tragedy of the commons: game structure and design of rules. J Econ Surv 19(2):239–261. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0950-0804.2005.00246.x
Feola G (2015) Societal transformation in response to global environmental change: a review of emerging concepts. Ambio 44(5):376–390
Fernández Galeote D, Hamari J (2021) Game-based climate change engagement: analyzing the potential of entertainment and serious games. In: Proceedings of the ACM on human-computer interaction, 5(CHI PLAY), pp 226:1–226:21. https://doi.org/10.1145/3474653
Fernández Galeote D, Zeko C, Volkovs K, Diamant M, Thibault M, Legaki N-Z, Rajanen D, Rajanen M, Hamari J (2022) The good, the bad, and the divergent in game-based learning: player experiences of a serious game for climate change engagement. In: Proceedings of the 25th international academic Mindtrek conference, pp 256–267. https://doi.org/10.1145/3569219.3569414
Ferrero G, Bichai F, Rusca M (2018) Experiential learning through role-playing: enhancing stakeholder collaboration in water safety plans. Water 10(2):2. https://doi.org/10.3390/w10020227
Fjællingsdal KS, Klöckner CA (2019) Gaming green: the educational potential of eco—a digital simulated ecosystem. Front Psychol. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02846
Gao W, Guo Y, Jiang F (2021) Playing for a resilient future: a serious game designed to explore and understand the complexity of the interaction among climate change, disaster risk, and urban development. Int J Environ Res Public Health 18(17):17. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18178949
Geels F, Turnheim B, Asquith M, Kern F, Kivimaa P, Matti C, Veenhoff S, Frantzeskaki N, Wittmayer J (2019). Sustainability transitions: policy and practice. European Environment Agency. https://hal.science/hal-04346590
Ghodsvali M, Dane G, de Vries B (2022) An online serious game for decision-making on food-water-energy nexus policy. Sustain Cities Soc 87:104220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2022.104220
Gifford R (2011) The dragons of inaction: psychological barriers that limit climate change mitigation and adaptation. Am Psychol 66(4):290–302. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023566
Gissi E, Garramone V (2018) Learning on ecosystem services co-production in decision-making from role-playing simulation: comparative analysis from Southeast Europe. Ecosyst Serv 34:228–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2018.03.025
Gouveia D, Lopes D, De Carvalho CV (2011) Serious gaming for experiential learning. In: 2011 frontiers in education conference (FIE), pp T2G-1–T2G-6. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE.2011.6142778
Groh F (2012) Gamification: state of the art definition and utilization. In: Research trends in media informatics, pp 39–46
Gugerell K, Platzer M, Jauschneg M, Ampatzidou C, Berger M (2018) Game over or jumping to the next level? How playing the serious game ‘mobility safari’ instigates social learning for a smart mobility transition in Vienna. In: Bisello A, Vettorato D, Laconte P, Costa S (eds) Smart and sustainable planning for cities and regions. Springer International Publishing, pp 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75774-2_15
Haessler P (2020) Strategic decisions between short-term profit and sustainability. Adm Sci 10(3):63. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci10030063
Hallinger P, Wang R, Chatpinyakoop C, Nguyen V-T, Nguyen U-P (2020) A bibliometric review of research on simulations and serious games used in educating for sustainability, 1997–2019. J Clean Prod 256:120358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120358
Hardin G (2016) The tragedy of the commons. In: Classic papers in natural resource economics revisited. Routledge
Herrfahrdt-Pähle E, Schlüter M, Olsson P, Folke C, Gelcich S, Pahl-Wostl C (2020) Sustainability transformations: socio-political shocks as opportunities for governance transitions. Glob Environ Chang 63:102097. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2020.102097
Holmgren M, Kabanshi A, Langeborg L, Barthel S, Colding J, Eriksson O, Sörqvist P (2019) Deceptive sustainability: cognitive bias in people’s judgment of the benefits of CO2 emission cuts. J Environ Psychol 64:48–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.05.005
Hölscher K, Wittmayer JM, Loorbach D (2018) Transition versus transformation: what’s the difference? Environ Innov Soc Trans 27:1–3
Hügel S, Davies AR (2022) Playing for keeps: designing serious games for climate adaptation planning education with young people. Urban Plan 7(2):306–320. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v7i2.5113
Hynes W, Lees M, Müller JM (2020) Systemic thinking for policy making: the potential of systems analysis for addressing global policy challenges in the 21st Century. In: OECD & International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (eds) OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/879c4f7a-en
IPBES (2019) Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (Version 1). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.3831673
IPCC (2023) Climate change 2023: synthesis report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, H. Lee and J. Romero (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, pp 35–115. https://doi.org/10.59327/IPCC/AR6-9789291691647
Jaffe AB, Newell RG, Stavins RN (2005) A tale of two market failures: technology and environmental policy. Ecol Econ 54(2–3):164–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2004.12.027
Jang S, Park J, Hong H (2022) In visible climate change: exploring immersive data visualisation to promote climate change awareness in a VR game. In: Extended abstracts of the 2022 annual symposium on computer-human interaction in play, pp 146–152. https://doi.org/10.1145/3505270.3558335
Jefferys WH, Berger JO (1992) Ockham’s razor and Bayesian analysis. Am Sci 80(1):64–72
Jouan J, De Graeuwe M, Carof M, Baccar R, Bareille N, Bastian S, Brogna D, Burgio G, Couvreur S, Cupiał M, Dumont B, Jacquot A-L, Magagnoli S, Makulska J, Maréchal K, Pérès G, Ridier A, Salou T, Tombarkiewicz B, Godinot O (2020) Learning interdisciplinarity and systems approaches in agroecology: experience with the serious game SEGAE. Sustainability 12(11):11. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114351
Kocher M, Martin-Niedecken AL, Li Y, Kinzelbach W, Wang H, Bauer R, Lunin L (2019) “Save the Water”—a China water management game project [Application/pdf]. https://doi.org/10.3929/ETHZ-B-000389781
Lammers J, Crusius J (2024) Teaching simple heuristics can reduce the exponential growth bias in judging historic CO 2 emission growth. In: Analyses of social issues and public policy. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12392
Landkammer F, Sassenberg K (2016) Competing while cooperating with the same others: the consequences of conflicting demands in co-opetition. J Exp Psychol Gen 145(12):1670–1686. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000232
Lanezki M, Siemer C, Wehkamp S (2020) “Changing the game—neighbourhood”: an energy transition board game, developed in a co-design process: a case study. Sustainability 12(24):24. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410509
Laverty KJ (1996) Economic “short-termism”: the debate, the unresolved issues, and the implications for management practice and research. Acad Manag Rev 21(3):825–860. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1996.9702100316
Lourdel N, Harpet C, Laforest V, Gondran N, Brodhag C (2006) Sustainable development training by simulation of an industrial crisis. J Design Res 5(2):188–200. https://doi.org/10.1504/JDR.2006.011362
Magnuszewski P, Królikowska K, Koch A, Pająk M, Allen C, Chraibi V, Giri A, Haak D, Hart N, Hellman M, Pan D, Rossman N, Sendzimir J, Sliwinski M, Stefańska J, Taillieu T, Weide DM, Zlatar I (2018) Exploring the role of relational practices in water governance using a game-based approach. Water 10(3):3. https://doi.org/10.3390/w10030346
Marome W, Natakun B, Archer D (2021) Examining the use of serious games for enhancing community resilience to climate risks in Thailand. Sustainability 13(8):8. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084420
Meadows D (1999) Leverage points—places to intervene in a system. The Sustainability Institute, Hartland
Meadows D (2008) Thinking in systems: a primer. Chelsea Green Publishing, New York
Meya JN, Eisenack K (2018) Effectiveness of gaming for communicating and teaching climate change. Clim Change 149(3):319–333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-018-2254-7
Michels FL, Müller L, Häfner V, Häfner P (2022) Serious game concept to promote citizen engagement for the energy transition using virtual reality and web platforms. In: Auer ME, Tsiatsos T (eds) New realities, mobile systems and applications. Springer International Publishing, pp 601–612. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96296-8_54
Moher D (2009) Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Ann Intern Med 151(4):264. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00135
Moser SC (2010) Communicating climate change: history, challenges, process and future directions. Wires Clim Change 1(1):31–53. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.11
Neset T-S, Andersson L, Uhrqvist O, Navarra C (2020a) Serious gaming for climate adaptation—assessing the potential and challenges of a digital serious game for urban climate adaptation. Sustainability 12(5):5. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051789
Neset T-S, Juhola S, Wiréhn L, Käyhkö J, Navarra C, Asplund T, Glaas E, Wibeck V, Linnér B-O (2020b) Supporting dialogue and analysis on trade-offs in climate adaptation research with the maladaptation game. Simul Gaming 51(3):378–399. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878120904393
Nordby A, Øygardslia K, Sverdrup U, Sverdrup H (2016) The art of gamification; teaching sustainability and system thinking by pervasive game development. Electron J E-Learn 14(3):3
Nygren NV, Kankainen V, Brunet L (2022) Offsetting game—framing environmental issues in the design of a serious game. Simul Gaming 53(6):615–644. https://doi.org/10.1177/10468781221126786
O’Brien K, Sygna L (2013) Responding to climate change: the three spheres of transformation. Proc Transform Changing Clim 16:23
O’Garra T, Reckien D, Pfirman S, Bachrach Simon E, Bachman GH, Brunacini J, Lee JJ (2021) Impact of gameplay vs. reading on mental models of social-ecological systems: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach. Ecol Soc 26(2):art25. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12425-260225
Onencan A, Van de Walle B, Enserink B, Chelang’a J, Kulei F (2016) WeShareIt game: strategic foresight for climate-change induced disaster risk reduction. Proc Eng 159:307–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.08.185
Ong C, Araral E (2022) Using a serious digital game to communicate drought risk in singapore: an experimental study. Environ Behav 54(2):450–486. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139165211031197
Orduña Alegría ME, Schütze N, Zipper SC (2020) A serious board game to analyze socio-ecological dynamics towards collaboration in agriculture. Sustainability 12(13):13. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135301
Ouariachi T (2021) Facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogue and collaboration in the energy transition of municipalities through serious gaming. Energies 14(12):12. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14123374
Peña Miguel N, Corral Lage J, Mata Galindez A (2020) Assessment of the development of professional skills in university students: sustainability and serious games. Sustainability 12(3):3. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12031014
Peters V, Vissers G, Heijne G (1998) The validity of games. Simul Gaming 29(1):20–30
Pisithpunth C, Petridis P, Lameras P, Dunwell I (2014) THE GROWTH: an environmental game focusing on overpopulation issues. In: Shumaker R, Lackey S (eds) Virtual, augmented and mixed reality. Applications of virtual and augmented reality. Springer International Publishing, pp 210–221. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07464-1_20
Ravaja N, Kivikangas M (2009) Designing game research: addressing questions of validity. In: Serious games. Routledge, pp 426–432
Ravyse WS, Seugnet Blignaut A, Leendertz V, Woolner A (2017) Success factors for serious games to enhance learning: a systematic review. Virtual Reality 21(1):31–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-016-0298-4
Reckien D, Eisenack K (2013) Climate change gaming on board and screen: a review. Simul Gaming 44(2–3):253–271. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878113480867
Reise C, Müller B, Seliger G (2014) Resource efficiency learning game—electric scooter game. Proc CIRP 15:355–360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2014.06.090
Ritterfeld U, Cody M, Vorderer P (2009) Serious Games: mechanisms and effects. Routledge, New York
Roba J, Kuppens T, Janssens L, Smeets A, Manshoven S, Struyven K (2021) Serious games in secondary education to introduce circular economy: experiences with the game EcoCEO. Front Sustain. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2021.690232
Rooney-Varga JN, Sterman JD, Fracassi E, Franck T, Kapmeier F, Kurker V, Johnston E, Jones AP, Rath K (2018) Combining role-play with interactive simulation to motivate informed climate action: evidence from the World Climate simulation. PLoS ONE 13(8):e0202877. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202877
Rooney-Varga JN, Hensel M, McCarthy C, McNeal K, Norfles N, Rath K, Schnell AH, Sterman JD (2021a) Building consensus for ambitious climate action through the world climate simulation. Earth’s Future 9(12):e2021EF002283. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002283
Rooney-Varga JN, Kapmeier F, Sterman JD, Jones AP, Putko M, Rath K (2021b) The climate action simulation. Sage, Thousand Oaks
Sajjadi P, Bagher MM, Myrick JG, Guerriero JG, White TS, Klippel A, Swim JK (2022) Promoting systems thinking and pro-environmental policy support through serious games. Front Environ Sci. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.957204
Salim H, Stewart RA, Sahin O, Sagstad B, Dudley M (2021) R3SOLVE: a serious game to support end-of-life rooftop solar panel waste management. Sustainability 13(22):22. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212418
Schinko T, Bednar-Friedl B (2022) Fostering social learning through role-play simulations to operationalize comprehensive climate risk management: insights from applying the RESPECT role-play in Austria. Clim Risk Manag 35:100418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2022.100418
Schnurr MA, Taylor A (2021) Simulating the sustainable development goals: scaffolding, social media and self-reported learning outcomes amongst entry-level students. J Polit Sci Educ 17(sup1):255–274. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2021.1920419
Schrier K (2015) Ethical thinking and sustainability in role-play participants: a preliminary study. Simul Gaming 46(6):673–696. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878114556145
Schuur JS, Switalski M, Salliou N, Grêt-Regamey A (2024) Identifying levers of urban neighbourhood transformation using serious games. Npj Urban Sustain 4(1):5
Scurati GW, Nylander JW, Hallstedt SI, Ferrise F, Bertoni M (2020) Raising value and sustainability awareness for critical materials: a serious game for the aerospace sector. In: Proceedings of the design society: DESIGN conference, vol 1, pp 737–746.https://doi.org/10.1017/dsd.2020.86
Seppelt R, Martin R, Finger A, Henzen C, Linder M, Pietzsch K, Werntze A, Zander U, Schulze J (2014) Experiences with a serious online game for exploring complex relationships of sustainable land management and human well-being: LandYOUs. In: International congress on environmental modelling and software. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/iemssconference/2014/Stream-F/24
Shiller RJ (2017) Narrative economics. Am Econ Rev 107(4):967–1004. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.107.4.967
Song Z, Sun Y, Ruijters V, Lc R (2021) Climate influence: implicit game-based interactive storytelling for climate action purpose. In: Mitchell A, Vosmeer M (eds) Interactive storytelling. Springer International Publishing, pp 425–429. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92300-6_42
Stahl B, Cerinšek G, Colombo F, Taisch M (2012) Development of competence for sustainable manufacturing by using serious games. Trans FAMENA 36(4):63–72
Stanitsas M, Kirytopoulos K, Vareilles E (2019) Facilitating sustainability transition through serious games: a systematic literature review. J Clean Prod 208:924–936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.157
Sterman JD (2002) System dynamics: systems thinking and modeling for a complex world. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/102741
Sterman J, Franck T, Fiddaman T, Jones A, McCauley S, Rice P, Sawin E, Siegel L, Rooney-Varga JN (2015) WORLD CLIMATE: a role-play simulation of climate negotiations. Simul Gaming 46(3–4):348–382. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878113514935
Streicher A, Smeddinck JD (2016) Personalized and adaptive serious games. In: Dörner R, Göbel S, Kickmeier-Rust M, Masuch M, Zweig K (eds) Entertainment computing and serious games: international GI-Dagstuhl Seminar 15283, Dagstuhl Castle, July 5–10, 2015, revised selected papers. Springer International Publishing, pp 332–377. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46152-6_14
Sweeney LB, Meadows DL (2010) The systems thinking playbook: exercises to stretch and build learning and systems thinking capabilities (1 Chelsea Green print). Chelsea Green Publ., Chelsea
Tan CKW, Nurul-Asna H (2023) Serious games for environmental education. Integr Conserv 2(1):19–42. https://doi.org/10.1002/inc3.18
Tetlock PE, Lupia A, McCubbins MD, Popkin SL (2000) Coping with trade-offs: psychological constraints and political implications. In: Elements of reason: cognition, choice, and the bounds of rationality, vol 261, pp 239–263
Truscheit A, Otte C (2004) Sustainable Games people play: teaching sustainability skills with the aid of the role-play ‘NordWestPower.’ Greener Manag Int 48:51–56
United Nations (2015) Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. https://sdgs.un.org/publications/transforming-our-world-2030-agenda-sustainable-development-17981
van Beek L, Milkoreit M, Prokopy L, Reed JB, Vervoort J, Wardekker A, Weiner R (2022) The effects of serious gaming on risk perceptions of climate tipping points. Clim Change 170(3):31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-022-03318-x
van der Kleij FM, Feskens RCW, Eggen TJHM (2015) Effects of feedback in a computer-based learning environment on students’ learning outcomes: a meta-analysis. Rev Educ Res 85(4):475–511. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654314564881
Vasconcelos E, Lucena C, Melo G, Irving M, Briot J-P, Sebba V, Sordoni A (2009) A serious game for exploring and training in participatory management of national parks for biodiversity conservation: design and experience. In: 2009 VIII Brazilian symposium on games and digital entertainment, pp 93–100.https://doi.org/10.1109/SBGAMES.2009.19
VERBI Software (2022) MAXQDA (Version 2022) [Computer software]. https://www.maxqda.com
Voulvoulis N, Giakoumis T, Hunt C, Kioupi V, Petrou N, Souliotis I, Vaghela C, binti Wan Rosely WIH (2022) Systems thinking as a paradigm shift for sustainability transformation. Glob Environ Chang 75:102544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102544
Warner BP, Kuzdas CP (2017) The role of political economy in framing and producing transformative adaptation. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 29:69–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2017.12.012
Wessels JI (2016) “Playing the game”, identity and perception-of-the-other in water cooperation in the Jordan River Basin. Hydrol Sci J 61(7):1323–1337. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2015.1031759
Westley F, Olsson P, Folke C, Homer-Dixon T, Vredenburg H, Loorbach D, Thompson J, Nilsson M, Lambin E, Sendzimir J, Banerjee B, Galaz V, van der Leeuw S (2011) Tipping toward sustainability: emerging pathways of transformation. Ambio 40(7):762–780. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-011-0186-9
Whalen KA, Berlin C, Ekberg J, Barletta I, Hammersberg P (2018) ‘All they do is win’: lessons learned from use of a serious game for Circular Economy education. Resour Conserv Recycl 135:335–345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.06.021
Whittaker L, Russell-Bennett R, Mulcahy R (2021) Reward-based or meaningful gaming? A field study on game mechanics and serious games for sustainability. Psychol Mark 38(6):981–1000. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21476
World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) Report of the world commission on environment and development: our common future (New York). Oxford University Press. http://www.ask-force.org/web/Sustainability/Brundtland-Our-Common-Future-1987-2008.pdf
Yiannakoulias N, Gordon JN, Darlington JC (2020) The decision game: a serious game approach to understanding environmental risk management decisions. J Risk Res 23(1):81–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2018.1517379
Funding
No funding was received for conducting this study.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Handled by Andra Ioana Horcea-Milcu, University of Kassel, Germany.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Foppe, S., von Wehrden, H. A leverage point perspective on serious games for sustainability transformation: a systematic literature review. Sustain Sci 20, 269–286 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-024-01580-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-024-01580-9