Gamification can play a key role in how your organization trains employees when you learn how to think like a game designer. This eBook introduces you to the Game the System™ Model of #Gamification Instructional Design - a Proven Method for implementing gamification in your training, talent development, and productivity initiatives. Level 1: Define Business Objectives… The Fundamentals of Fun! Level 2: It’s Story Time – Create an Epic Adventure Level 3: Design Variety into Your Learning Activities Level 4: Add the Game Design and Mechanics Level 5: Tally up the Aesthetics so They Wanna Play! Schedule a Workshop in your city or attend our next scheduled Regional Workshop. Find more information at http://www.sententiagames.com/certifications.html HRCI, SHRM, and ATD Recertification Credits Available Created by Monica Cornetti, CEO Sententia Gamification www.monicacornetti.com www.sententiagames.com guru@sententiagames.com

1. Game the System™
A Proven Method to Level Up Your
Training and Talent Development
Through Gamification
by Monica Cornetti
- Gamification Keynote Speaker and Strategy Designer -
© 2015
www.SententiaGames.com

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction: The Game the System™ Strategy 4
Chapter 1: Objectives… The Building Blocks of Fun! 9
Chapter 2: It’s Story Time - Create an Epic Adventure 13
Chapter 3: Design Variety - Mix Up Your Learning Activities 17
Chapter 4: Deconstruct the Game - Design and Mechanics 24
Chapter 5: Tally up the Aesthetics - So They Wanna Play! 30
Conclusion: The End Game 36
f t in

4. Introduction
Game the System™
Making Business Processes
Compelling by Making them Fun!

5. Game the System™
Making Business Processes Compelling by Making them Fun!
Gamification 101: How the Game is Played
The goal is to increase learning and engagement through key concepts found in game design
and behavioral psychology.
Gamification invites people to participate and engage by integrating game mechanics and
game dynamics into such things as a website, online community, marketing campaigns, and
as demonstrated in this eBook – even a traditional training or talent development program.
By adding game mechanics to training, Gamification not only increases interest, it makes
learning “fun.”
Gamification does NOT equal technology … it is really a way of thinking about the
development and delivery of your training programs.
The Game the System™ Model guides you through the process of gamified learning design.
By following the 5-step plan, we essentially assure you a successful outcome.
5
f t in

6. “Gamification involves the deconstruction of
games – unpacking the question, ‘What
makes games fun, challenging, and even
addicting?’ We use game psychology and
game mechanics in a non-game context.”
6
- Monica Cornetti
Founder and CEO, Sententia Gamification

7. Gamification can play a key role in
how your organization trains
employees when you learn how to
think like a game designer.
7
How the Game is Played
Game the System™ a Proven Method for Instructional Design.
Level 1: Define Business Objectives… The Fundamentals of Fun!
Level 2: It’s Story Time – Create an Epic Adventure
Level 3: Design Variety into Your Learning Activities
Level 4: Add the Game Design and Mechanics
Level 5: Tally up the Aesthetics so They Wanna Play!
t inf
Schedule a Workshop in your city or attend our next scheduled Regional Workshop
*HRCI, SHRM, and ATD Recertification Credits Available

8. Face it… Figuring out a way to reward your kids for doing their chores
or rewarding yourself when you exercise, make the sale, or complete a
boring task is a game. The truth is, it’s all a game, and we’re all gamers.
The reality is…
• People enjoy playing games
• Popular games inspire extreme loyalty
• People are motivated by gaming reward and
achievement systems
• Therefore, if non-games are made more game-
like, we’ll be more likely to ‘play’ them
8

9. CHAPTER
Objectives… The
Building Blocks of
Fun!

10. Business Objectives
Gamification should never be seen as an end in itself or positioned to be able to deliver
value all by itself. It should be secondary to clearly defined business objectives.
To be effective, the gamified program must align with the desired instructional and
business outcomes.
10
The Fundamentals of Fun
f t in

11. To design a game you begin with the end in mind – you
need to know the goal of the game. What do you want
to have accomplished by the end of the game? What
does victory look like? What’s the take away?
The gamified program should be based around real
business issues, dilemmas, or trade-offs, and not right
or wrong answers. The right issues will inspire rich
conversations and give players the opportunity to learn
from each other.
The most useful gamified programs focus on specific
company “pain-points” rather than generic business
challenges, such as leadership or communication.
11
A single, clearly defined overall goal
is important.
f t in

12. f
What exactly do you want your
audience to know, do, and feel as a
result of the training?
- Monica Cornetti
Founder and CEO, Sententia Gamification
t in
12

13. CHAPTER
It’s Story Time – Create
an Epic Adventure

14. It’s Story Time
Good games are framed around a compelling story. What do you remember from a training
or workshop experience that you have participated in? Facts, figures, and statistics? Not
likely. It’s the stories. We learn best from the analogies and remember the stories. The
Game the System™ model of Gamification encourages you to design your training around a
story.
And the good news is that you don’t have to
start with a blank page to create your storyline.
You can use any number of techniques to craft
a compelling storyline. If you are unfamiliar with
the craft, spend some time researching
The Story Coaster or purchase a couple sets of
Rory’s Story Cubes.
14
Create an Epic Adventure
f t in

15. A common template is Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth, a tale where your hero ventures
forth from the common-day world into a region of magical wonder. Here they encounter
and battle a supernatural force. After a decisive victory is won, the hero then comes back
from this adventure with the power to bestow good fortune to their community.
15
f
The basic path of the monomyth, or "Hero's Journey".
t in

16. 16
Visit www.Gutenberg.org
for an extensive list of
characters that you can use
to build your storyline.
Many familiar and popular characters are in the public domain. Works in
the public domain are those whose intellectual property rights have
expired or been forfeited, and these works are available for public use.
Some well known examples include Snow White, Robin Hood, Hercules,
and Sherlock Holmes.

17. CHAPTER
Design Variety into Your
Learning Activities

18. Learning Activities
The key to delivering effective Gamified training is in the design of the activities you use
throughout the session.
The right ingredients mixed into your learning activities should allow the participants to
acquire knowledge and skill, rather than merely receive them.
In training, as in cooking, art, or music, a desired end can be accomplished by a variety of
means and methods. Of course, there is also the risk of things turning out badly. It is only
through experimentation, practice, and revisions that you can polish your delivery methods.
Beware… no matter how well you design a particular activity or teaching point, its impact and
value for the participants may diminish greatly if it is misplaced in the overall sequence of
events. For example, participants may be tired just when you need them to be alert. Or the
group may not be able to grasp abstract ideas before experiencing concrete examples.
So begin by gathering the ingredients you need to Game the System™ and create award-
winning awesome activities.
18
Design for Interaction and Reflection
f t in

19. Gamification 1.0 : Movement and learning go
hand in hand. Don’t be afraid to get ‘em on their
feet to reinforce where you, the storyline, and
the learning objectives need them to go.
“. . . movement is crucial to every other brain
function, including memory, emotion, language,
and learning. Our “higher” brain functions have
evolved from movement and still depend on it.”
- John J. Ratey, MD Harvard Medical School from User’s Guide to the Brain
19

20. What will you say or do to get participants involved? Help
participants understand the big picture as well as specific
learning points. Focus on the training goals and objectives and
remind them what you want them to retain and apply.
Exercises should be relevant, challenging, and fun so
participants want to interact with you and each other. Know
your players and mix the appropriate amount of competition,
collaboration, group and individual quests, challenges, and
achievements to earn points, badges, and other rewards.
Easy activities should be used before demanding ones. Mix
large-group and small-group activities with brief instruction
and time for individual reflection and application.
20 f t in

21. How should you set up the physical environment for the design
to succeed? Do you have enough empty space in your room for
more active activities or will you need to adjust the format in a
crowded room.
What technology do you absolutely have to have? What do you
have available? Do they match? It not... how can you revise or
acquire your technology needs?
Finally, don’t forget to debrief, debrief, debrief – What remarks
do you want to make and/or what discussion do you want the
participants to have after completing the learning activity?
21

22. Design different activities for different learning
styles. Auditory learners tune into sounds, visual
learners gain understanding by observation, and
kinesthetic learners learn by doing.
21 f t in

23. What are the next steps that the participants need, should, or want to take after completing
the activity?
The instructor must stop talking and let the audience assimilate the material presented. What
activities will you design into your curriculum to double-check that learning has occurred?
In low- or no-tech gamification you have many options to get your participants building,
creating, drawing, reflecting, discussing, debating, sharing, competing, collaborating… in
reality the combination of possibilities is endless. Find ways to recognize, reward, share, gift,
achieve status, etc.
Be sure to get out of your comfort zone which will help your participants to also do the same.
23
Activities to Reinforce Each
Learning Objective

24. CHAPTER
Deconstruct the Game -
Design and Mechanics

25. Game Mechanics
Remember… the goal is to increase learning and engagement through key concepts found in
game design and behavioral psychology.
When participants first encounter a game, they rely upon a combination of visual cues,to
not only understand how the game is played, but also how success is defined and
determined. The most common cues include:
Points Progress Skill Development
Levels Rewards or Unlocks Collections
Leaderboards Player Pieces Avatars
Game Boards Rules In Game Currency
People love piling up points. They love to earn them, bank them, and make sure others
know how many points they have. Points earned that increase the expertise of the player
create a feeling of being the number one and enhance many other mechanics. Alone points
are nothing; they are totally useless if the system lacks other mechanics.
25
Think Like a Game Designer
f t in

26. Trophies, badges, ribbons, etc. are the visible recognition of
having reached new levels or completed challenges. Challenges
give people goals and the feeling that they’re working toward
something. Levels are an indication that you’ve reached a
milestone or overcome a specific challenge.

27. Fiero: an Italian word for
the feeling of personal
triumph over adversity.
27
Games typically give players a payoff, even if it’s only the
enjoyment of playing. It is important to realize that
participants in a gamified training activity want some sort of
payoff.
The aspects of games that make them fun, addicting, and
challenging can’t be reduced to a list of components or step-
by-step instructions. This is where game-design techniques
come in.
Just like strategic leadership, managing a team, or creating a
killer marketing campaign, game design is a strong mix of
knowledge, skill, and luck.
If users are having fun, they are more likely to stay engaged.
And when they are engaged, they are more likely to achieve
performance goals.
f t in

28. Leaderboards increase competition. When participants see where they stand in relation to
their peers, they may work extra hard to surpass them.
28
f t in

29. Gamified activities satisfy basic human desires such as
winning, competition, overcoming challenges, even
working with others to preserve community status.
Game mechanics are the rules
and rewards that make games
challenging, fun, and satisfying.
The addition of game mechanics
enlivens your training and
development programs.
Participants are not only eager
to get involved, they will also
work extra hard to complete the
game.
Start building your own gamified
processes to see how they work
and test the design to see what
actually happens versus what
you anticipated would happen.
You can also interview your
players so that you understand
what they liked and didn’t like.
29
f t in

30. CHAPTER
Tally up the Aesthetics
so They Wanna Play!

31. Don’t Forget the FUN!
In the Game the System™ model – we define aesthetics as those extra added touches that
wrap your story, characters, learning activities, game elements and game mechanics into a
consistent, attractive – even charming and captivating – cohesiveness that ties the entire
project together.
Create great visuals that appeal to different senses – touch, sight, and sound – using
colors, designs, textures, and manipulatives.
Make your props, badges, chance cards, and rewards fun. They should not only be fun for
users to earn, but also fun to look at. Tie them all together with a theme that you carry
the entire way through your program.
Tally up the Aesthetics So They Wanna Play
f t in

32. The Riddle of the Exporter™ creates an 8-step process that serves as a roadmap for new
exporters and those seeking export certification. Centered on imaginary characters from
Gun Barrel City, TX – participants of this training have a 99% pass rate!
Instructional designer and creator of the
program, Elyse Eriksson believes there are
three components to a good gamified
training program: knowledge, skill, and
luck… because even when you do
everything right in life, some things still
rely on simply being lucky.
32

33. The bottom line is that just like a game – your gamified training elements are all part of a
system, and a system by definition, is a group of interrelated elements that work together
to form a complex whole.
When designing your gamified training program, remember the old saying that, “the
whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” The elements of your program individually may
not seem that significant or impactful. But when you artfully bring them together and put
them into motion – they should engage your players, draw them in and allow them to
connect emotionally with the experience. Your players should be moved both intellectually
and emotionally..
33
f t in

34. Create a theme or epic adventure: Use your story and weave the
theme as you build each of the teaching points. This way you’ll fulfill
your objectives within fun and clever aesthetics.
ASK YOURSELF – WHAT
FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS DO
YOU WANT YOUR PLAYERS TO
EXPERIENCE?
34

35. Now You Try
It…
For instance, let’s say you wanted to design a
curriculum for sales training called “Light up the
Future”. You could include learning activities using
real camping gear and survival techniques:
What kind of aesthetics might
you choose to wrap your story,
characters, learning activities,
game elements and game
mechanics into a consistent,
attractive, cohesive, gamified
learning program?
Feel free to post your ideas in
the comments section below.
34
How Do You Start a Fire Without Any
Matches? – a competition that generates
ideas for finding new leads.
What To Do When All You Get is Smoke? –
techniques for successfully closing the sale or
overcoming objectives
How to Keep the Fire Burning – tips on keeping
themselves motivated and going for the next
“yes”

36. The End Game
The challenge of Gamification is to take the elements that normally operate within a game
space and apply them effectively in the real world. For example:
 To accelerate growth and learning in new employees, develop systems and processes
that enable fast and meaningful real-time feedback.
 Capture data and share with employees in a transparent, easily understood format.
Everyone wants to know how performance is being measured, and how they are being
compared to others.
 Challenge and reward specific actions and your people will be naturally motivated to
engage more directly and intensely with information or activities.
Gamification of real-world activities is a powerful technique which can motivate people and
help generate loyalty to the organization, its products, or its messages.
At its core, Gamification is about finding the fun in the things that we have to do. Making
business processes compelling by making them fun is about the most fascinating and coolest
thing that I can think of!
36
A Real World Adventure

37. LIVE Gamification 1.0 : Let them take the
lead to demonstrate what their team has
learned or accomplished.
“How will they be able to use
the information and skills that
they develop?”
37
Although in the beginning they may seem
hesitant to present in front of a group – in the
end, they are all eager to join in, and share
their new found insights and skills.
- Monica Cornetti
Founder and CEO, Sententia Gamification

38. Gamification Apprentice Certification
Train the Trainer Program
Sententia is the ONLY
organization to offer a
Gamification Certification
specifically for Talent
Development and Human
Resource specialists.
PLUS our certification can earn
you recertification credits with
HRCI, SHRM, and ATD.
f t in

39. The Gamification Apprentice has completed basic training in
the 5-step Game the System™ model for gamification learning
design, gathered data, participated in problem-solving
exercises, analyzed case studies, and added their personal
experiences to the exploration process. An individual who
has earned a Level 1 Gamification Apprentice Certification has
received introductory training and demonstrates the necessary
understanding of the fundamentals of gamification as it applies
to the 5-step process of gamifiying an organizational training or
talent development program.
A Gamification Apprentice typically has a basic knowledge of
gamification, but has not designed or led projects on their own.
www.SententiaGames.com

40. “A stellar
program that
will delight your
members.”

41. 360 Training
Abbott Laboratories
Abudawood
Accenture
ADP
American Cancer Society
AmeriHealth Caritas
Association for Talent Development
Audible.com
Amazon
Apple
AT&T
Baker Hughes
Bank of America
BCBS Florida
Bloomington Public Schools
BNSF Logistics
Boehringer-Ingelheim
Boy Scouts of America
Brown University
Brother International
Caliber Home Loans
Carolinas Health Care
Caterpillar
Choice Hotels
Citizens Bank
Colorado Springs Utilities
Country Financial
Dell
Direct Checks Unlimited
Duke University
Flik Lifestyles
FM Global
Get Fueled
GoDaddy
Goodwill Industries
Greyhound
Growmark
Harvard University
Harley-Davidson Financial
Harte Hanks
Heartland Bank
Help Desk Institute
ICMI
Illinois Central College
Illinois State University
JB Hunt
Jobbing America
Legal Learning Network
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Mary Kay
MD Anderson
Metro Technology Centers
North Highland Consulting
Northwest University (RSA)
Oklahoma Department of
Mental Health and Substance
Abuse Services
Oncor
Pacific Islands SBDC
Peace Health
Pepsico
PWC
PYXERA Global
Queen Rania Foundation
Round Rock ISD
Samsung
Schlumberger
SegaTeam
Serious Play
State Farm
State of Arizona
Stetson University
The CARA Group
The Help Desk Institute
The Hill at White Marsh
Texas A&M University
Texas State University
Training Magazine
TXDOT
United Airlines
University of Arkansas
University of Phoenix
University of Texas
Wal-Mart
Wells Fargo
Wilmington University
Your Company Name Here
www.SententiaGames.com
We’ve Certified Gamification Strategists in these Organizations

42. Sententia partners with
Organizations, Associations,
and local ATD Chapters to offer
a one-day LIVE Gamification
Certification program for your
employees, members, or
community.
“A certification that
demonstrates a
dedication to their
profession.”
f t in

43. If someone asks the participants what
they learned from your training, how
would you like them to answer?
43 f t in
- Monica Cornetti
Founder and CEO, Sententia Gamification

44. Ready to Level Up?
Game the System™
Workshops and Certifications
The ultimate workshops for Educators,
Trainers, Talent Development Managers,
Instructional Designers, HR Managers
Innovators, and Entrepreneurs.
Learn best practices, tips, tools, and
techniques to engage people and get
training results that stick from experienced
Gamification Strategy Designers.
Book a Workshop in your city or attend our
next scheduled Regional Workshop.
*HRCI, SHRM, and ATD Recertification
Credits Available
© 2015
www.SententiaGames.com