Attainable Game-Based-Artifacts—A Introspection of the Intersection of Fun and Function

In the last decade, the concepts “serious gamesSerious games” and “gamificationGamification”—ergo, game-based artifacts that harbor purposes that go beyond entertainment—have attracted increased public interest, acceptance, and adoption and have consequently undergone an exponential growth. Although with the growing prevalence and influence of these two game-based siblings in diverse areas such as sustainability, community engagement, corporate training, healthcare, governmental initiatives, and perhaps most consequential, formal education, it also becomes imperative to ensure that the “serious gamesSerious games” and “gamificationGamification” artifacts furnished experiences are attainable for its targeted audience. Simultaneously, these game-based concepts possess a multifaceted nature. Besides promoting an entertaining experience for the participants, they frequently encompass ideas that promote growth in participants’ task performance, positively encourage sustainable behaviors, and stimulate the acquisition of new skills or the refinement of previously mastered competencies. Such utilitarianUtilitarian objectives differentiate game-based artifacts from the design space of traditional video games, as they must align with distinctive design directivesDesign directives and constraints postulated by their intended context. This chapter will comprehensively analyze the enablers and barriers that can impact your creation of game-based artifacts. Furthermore, it examines the appropriateness of serious gamesSerious games and gamificationGamification across varied scenarios and outlines strategies for crafting universally designed, inclusive games that cater to a broad audience. We aim to provide you with essential directions and insights to help you navigate these factors more easily and confidently. By doing so, you will be better equipped to produce top-quality game-based artifacts that are engaging and entertaining but also impactful, and effective.