This week, I explored how games balance achievements to reinforce learning outcomes and maintain engagement. I compared Green New Deal Simulator with Pokedex Accurate Dual Type Pokémon Personality Test, two very different games that both use achievement systems to guide reflection and understanding.
Achievements and Feedback Loops
In Green New Deal Simulator, achievements come in the form of measurable policy outcomes. As players make decisions about energy, taxes, and infrastructure, they receive immediate and cumulative feedback through shifting graphs, approval ratings, and CO₂ levels. These metrics create a constant loop of decision → consequence → reflection, allowing players to test economic and environmental trade-offs.
By contrast, Pokedex Accurate Dual Type Pokémon Personality Test uses self-assessment as achievement. Players answer a series of questions, and the game translates their responses into a Pokémon dual type—essentially a reflection of personality mapped onto game mechanics. The “achievement” here isn’t winning, but discovering insight about oneself. It’s playful, accessible, and surprisingly effective at maintaining engagement because the end result feels personalized.
Balancing Motivation and Learning
In both games, achievement systems encourage reflection, but in different ways. Green New Deal Simulator motivates players through system mastery—learning how interrelated policies influence national outcomes. Success feels earned through logical thinking and strategic foresight.
Pokedex Accurate Dual Type Pokémon Personality Test leans toward intrinsic motivation, rewarding curiosity and self-discovery. There’s no scoreboard or ranking—only a sense of identity alignment. This aligns with research on gamification, where self-expression can be as motivating as competition (Kapp, 2012).
Both games demonstrate that achievement doesn’t always require high scores or trophies. Instead, it can be about clarity of feedback and meaning in results—whether understanding a nation’s sustainability path or learning what Pokémon type best reflects your values.
References
Simona, J. (2023). Green New Deal Simulator [Web game]. MIT Education Arcade. https://educationarcade.mit.edu/project/green-new-deal-simulator/
Mewwwtwooo. (2024). Pokedex Accurate Dual Type Pokémon Personality Test [Browser game]. Itch.io. https://mewwwtwooo.itch.io/pokemon-dual-type-test
Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education. Pfeiffer.
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