Since 2011, gamification has taken root, and gamified trainings have become increasingly common. But let’s be honest — sometimes “interactivity” is just window dressing. A colourful wrapper around the same old lecture-style format that leaves most participants bored and disengaged.
Two stats say a lot: According to the Bespoke Principles Blog, the most common corporate trainings are still team-building events and skill-development workshops, while only 10% of companies try alternative formats. And here’s the kicker — in traditional trainings, participants forget 90% of what they’ve heard within a month.
Before I became a trainer, I sat through plenty of these classic sessions: the trainer arrives, opens a laptop, projects a deck. A few slides spark interest, but most of the day it’s up to you to decide what (if anything) you take away. In the best case, you might get a quick “raise your hand if…” at the start.
PowerPoint isn’t evil — it can structure content, illustrate ideas, and leave participants with something tangible. But it’s vastly overused. And above all, it often feels impersonal.
What Makes a Training Truly Effective?
At [eureka], we design training sessions where learning is delivered through experience, and knowledge is deepened with gamified elements. Here are 5 professional anchors to help you tell whether a training will have a real impact.
1. It Demands Active Participation
In traditional training, attention is expected — and attention fades fast. Games naturally create flow. Whether competing for goals or collaborating as a team, everyone — even the quieter colleagues — gets pulled into the mix. Tasks ask for both mental and physical involvement. People don’t just hear about the topic; they live it in a safe, hands-on environment.
2. It Motivates Through Experience
“No learning without experience,” as Tamás Vekerdy said. When someone is playing, they’re truly present — and that presence becomes a memorable shared moment. A skilled trainer’s guidance ensures the space is safe, inclusive, and open, so participants can bring their full selves into the game.
3. It Encourages Honesty
Games have a way of revealing who we are — whether through a character we create or an unexpected role we take on. Masks drop. People surprise themselves. Those moments can spark self-awareness and empathy, and even shift how teams handle conflict.
4. It Brings Participants Closer
By the end of a shared “adventure,” colleagues aren’t just faces on a screen or names in an email. They’re people you’ve created something with. Gamified sessions create these bonds naturally — and motivate people to take ownership of their own learning.
5. It Builds the Team Too
A well-designed gamified training is never about the trainer. It’s about the energy, creativity, and effort the group brings. Every task needs everyone’s input, so teamwork and communication aren’t just “covered” — they’re lived.
A training isn’t successful just because it ticks a box. If participants feel it was too short or too shallow, they’ll see it as a wasted day.
EUREKA tip: If you want training people wish had lasted longer, choose experiential learning. It works more slowly than a one-off info dump — but it’s tailored, motivating, and sticks.
Let’s explore how gamified learning could transform your next training day.