Let’s face it—corporate training can get a bad rap. Long modules, low engagement, and forgettable content aren’t doing your L&D strategy any favors. That’s where gamification in eLearning comes in.

Gamification brings the elements we love about games—like rewards, competition, and progress tracking—into learning environments. The result? More engagement, better retention, and a digital learning experience your employees might actually enjoy.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how gamification works in corporate training, when to use it, and real-world examples of organizations that nailed it.

Why Gamification Belongs in eLearning

We know it works: Gamified learning can increase employee engagement by up to 60%, and learners who are emotionally connected to content are 22 times more likely to recall it.

But the benefits go beyond just making training “fun.” Gamification taps into core psychological drivers that help learners stay focused, push through challenges, and actually retain what they learn. It’s especially powerful in corporate training, where the stakes are high, and the attention spans are low.

Looking to make bite-sized, mobile-friendly content even more impactful? Gamification pairs naturally with microlearning and mobile learning formats.

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Core Gamification Principles for eLearning Designers

If you’re new to gamification, it’s not about turning training into a video game. It’s about designing smart learning experiences that use game mechanics to meet learning goals.

Here are a few foundational concepts to know:

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation comes from within. Learners want to master a skill or accomplish something meaningful.

Extrinsic motivation involves outside rewards—badges, points, leaderboards.

A balanced approach helps you tap into both, making training both personally and professionally rewarding.

Structural vs. Content Gamification

Structural gamification adds game mechanics (like timers or levels) around existing content.

Content gamification weaves game-like experiences into the content itself, like branching scenarios or interactive storytelling.

Feedback Loops, Leveling, and Flow State

Great gamification is responsive. It gives immediate feedback, allows learners to “level up,” and keeps them in the sweet spot between boredom and anxiety—also known as the flow state.

Here’s a deeper dive into the psychological benefits of gaming and why they matter for learning.

When Gamification Works—and When It Doesn’t

Gamification isn’t a silver bullet. In fact, overusing it or applying it in the wrong context can backfire. Here’s a quick breakdown:

When It Works ✅
– Onboarding
– Product knowledge training
– Soft skills development
– Compliance (done right!)

When It Doesn’t ❌
– Topics that are already fun
– Overused leaderboards
– When gameplay distracts from learning
– One-size-fits-all approaches

Explore when gamification works in more detail to make sure your approach is actually effective.

Real-World Gamification in Action

Let’s break down how companies have made gamification part of their learning strategy—and the results they saw.

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Sony Music: Scaling Training Across Borders

Sony needed a solution to train teams across continents. By gamifying the training experience, they saw improved knowledge retention and engagement across diverse teams.

  • Sony Music, a global entertainment company, struggled to deliver consistent training across its geographically dispersed workforce. Employees stationed in various countries and working for different record labels (RCA, Columbia, Epic, etc.) made traditional live training workshops expensive and logistically challenging.

    ELM Learning was tasked with creating a more cost-effective and scalable training solution to ensure consistent knowledge and skills development for Sony Music’s employees.

    We transformed Sony Music’s existing live training sessions into an engaging, gamified online course. The course captured the interactive and conversational tone of the live sessions while offering the flexibility and convenience of self-paced eLearning. To enhance learner engagement, ELM incorporated several gamification elements throughout the course.

    Sony Music’s gamified eLearning program was a huge hit among employees. They appreciated the flexibility to learn at their own pace and found the gamified elements a great motivation. The program brought significant benefits to the company, including cost savings of around $100,000 by eliminating the need for live workshops and travel expenses.

    Additionally, the gamified eLearning program proved to be more effective in retaining knowledge compared to the previous live training format. The online format also allowed Sony Music to deliver consistent training to a wider audience more efficiently, making it highly scalable.

Omnicom: Gamifying D&I with Empathy

Omnicom used gamified modules to help employees navigate sensitive diversity topics with empathy. The training featured branching scenarios and role-based learning paths—making complex topics feel more approachable.

  • Omnicom Media Group (OMG) sought to create engaging diversity and inclusion (D&I) training for their millennial workforce. Traditional D&I training often struggles to capture attention, leading to a less impactful experience.

    ELM Learning’s challenge was to develop a program that addressed these sensitive topics in a way that resonated with younger employees while keeping them engaged.

    ELM Learning took a unique approach to interactive learning by incorporating gamification elements centered around robots. This approach offered several benefits, including a more engaging learning experience design that was transformed into a game where learners interact with robots representing diverse backgrounds.

    The gamified elements focused on the robot’s “battery life” to combat bias through play. Correct answers and demonstrations of inclusive behavior kept the robots charged, while biased choices or incorrect responses drained their power. This playful approach provided a safe space to explore unconscious bias and its impact.

    The OMG D&I training program, powered by gamification, proved to be a success. The robot theme, combined with the game mechanics, made the training fun and memorable for millennial employees.

    More importantly, the program sparked positive conversations about diversity and inclusion within the company. ELM’s creative approach demonstrates how gamification can transform serious topics into engaging experiences that foster a more inclusive and positive work environment.

Car Rental Company: Making Compliance Tolerable

This company used leaderboards, quizzes, and scenario-based challenges to help staff stay current on compliance. It wasn’t just a box to check—it became something employees actually talked about.

  • ELM was tasked with making a compliance course for a car rental company more “tolerable.”

    We went with a road trip theme and issued each user a Compliance Passport, which they used to collect stamps after completing each micro course along the simulated road map.

    The stamps worked liked badges, rewarding employees for completing a module, and the map showed users where they were going – and where they had been. The following image shows the course map for the compliance training, and the Compliance Passport.

Beer Maker: Dopamine and Uncertainty in Beverage Basics

By introducing elements of surprise and uncertainty, this training helped frontline workers better understand product basics—boosting both engagement and performance on the job.

  • Our client wanted an engaging way to teach their employees about the history of malt beverages, how to set up kegs, and pour the perfect pint. We created an adventure theme where learners navigated through three different scenarios in “Joe’s Bar” using drag and drop functions. During each scenario, learners received instant feedback from the narrator and other staff in the bar for correct and incorrect answers. After learners completed each scenario, a virtual chalkboard appeared with a satisfying checkmark.

    For the final test—serving a beer to a customer—we upped the dopamine release with an element of uncertainty. If the customer reacted with a smile, they were good to go! If the customer frowned and complained—it was back to the bar. Rewards presented with just the right level of uncertainty are very powerful. Read the full study here.

Integrating Gamification into Your eLearning Strategy

Thinking about adding gamification to your eLearning offerings? Start with these practical tips:

1. Set clear objectives: Make sure the game mechanics align with learning goals.
2. Start small: Pilot with a module or two to test engagement and outcomes.
3. Use the right tools: Many custom eLearning solutions integrate gamification without needing to build from scratch.
4. Track progress: Use analytics to measure what’s working—and what’s not.

Is Gamification Right for Your Program?

Still unsure if gamification is the way to go? Use this quick checklist to find out:

– My training program struggles with engagement.
– Learners often forget content after training.
– I want to increase retention and motivation.
– I have access to an LMS or authoring tool that supports gamification.
– I’m focused on results—like performance improvement, not just participation.

Wrapping It Up

Gamification in eLearning isn’t just about making training fun—it’s about making it work. When done right, it can drive meaningful behavior change, increase retention, and improve learner satisfaction across the board.

Want to learn more about how to boost engagement through gamification? Or explore whether it fits into your custom training strategy? We’ve got you covered.

Let’s make learning stick.

Engage Learners with Gamified Learning Solutions