Introduction by Claire Blacka
As a child, I remember being completely captivated by that scene in Mary Poppins where she shows the children how to clean up with just a click of their fingers. As a child with an overactive imagination, this scene helped me find playful ways of doing even the most mundane tasks – though sadly I still have to clean up the long way around.
Throughout my career in housing, I’ve been using games and play to help people absorb information, share ideas and build connections. From safeguarding bingo to values pass the parcel, I have always utilised games to keep things fun.
Last year, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Steve [Dungworth], who offered me a view of these activities as a form of gamification. Since then, we’ve jointly developed Game of Homes to help tenants, residents, colleagues, board members… in fact any group of people, collaborate on solving problems and giving them time and space to coproduce solutions.
But gamification and Game of Homes are about more than making the mundane less boring. They’re about taking engagement to the next level (pardon the game-based pun).
What is Gamification?
"Gamification refers to the use of game-like elements in non-game settings, typically in the workplace, to enhance employee productivity, organisational productivity and employee well-being."*
The Game of Homes is based on The Helsinki Participation Game, a board game developed by the City of Helsinki to help city employees and residents understand and engage in participatory budgeting and other forms of citizen engagement.
Gamification refers to the application of game design elements like point scoring, collaboration, role-playing, and time-bound challenges. From treasure hunts to escape rooms, we’ve seen how playful, team-based problem-solving and storytelling can boost engagement and creativity in corporate settings.
Gamification works because it taps into fundamental human psychology. We’re wired to respond to challenges, social recognition, and progress. Game mechanics like point scoring, level advancement, and real-time feedback satisfy our intrinsic needs for achievement and autonomy.
So why not use the same principles in tenant engagement?
When done well, gamification motivates participation, fosters creativity, and builds shared understanding. But used poorly, it can feel gimmicky or trivialise the serious issues we face in social housing. That’s why it’s essential to understand both the behavioural science behind it, and the structure that makes it work.
*[Note 1: Continuous learning at work: the power of gamification. Stefano Torresan and Andreas Hinterhuber, Venice School of Management, 2021 referencing Oprescu et al., Frontiers in Psychology, 2014]
Technical Design Principles
Gamification works best when built on thoughtful design, not just surface-level fun. While points, badges, and leaderboards (the PBL triangle) can spark interest, they need to be part of a deeper process. The MDA framework—Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics—ensures the experience is functional, engaging, and emotionally meaningful.
Strong design includes clear rules and goals, purposeful challenges, and intuitive action language. Players should feel in control, able to make meaningful choices. A compelling narrative deepens immersion, while feedback and reflection support learning. Above all, the environment must be inclusive, safe, and socially energising.
Participation or Performance?
“Ultimately, residents and tenants don’t feel like we have any power whatsoever. In our minds, you’ve already decided what you’re going to do, you’ve just come in to tick the box... We don’t feel like we are involved at the end of the day. We feel like decisions are made whether or not we have the conversation.”*
We send out surveys. We hold consultation events. We set up resident panels and create sub-committees. The reality is that most residents don’t take part in these formal processes. And when they do, it’s often because they’re unhappy or frustrated.
Despite years of strategies and scrutiny, tenant engagement in social housing continues to be challenged by low participation and limited influence. Tenants mistrust traditional models of involvement, because they feel like box-ticking exercises, not genuine collaboration.
Within the 2024 Transparency, Involvement and Accountability (Consumer) Standard, housing providers now face higher expectations from the regulator. Compliance alone won’t create trust. “The paternalistic ‘us and them’ approach simply won’t work.”
At Game of Homes we have been aware of this for some time. We see it as one of the root causes of transformation fatigue. A lack of engagement of both tenant and colleagues. We have been on a quest to find a more human-centred approach to change management and implementing technology. Could gamification, a technique rooted in behavioural science, offer a more inclusive, energising, and honest way to engage?
Traditional approaches to tenant engagement often miss the mark. They can feel irrelevant, exclusive, or out of reach. Here’s why:
- Some tenants simply don’t see how these opportunities relate to their everyday lives.
- If you have a disability, struggle with reading, or speak a different language, joining in can feel impossible.
- Digital tools help some, but leave others behind, especially those without internet access or confidence using tech.
- If people feel their feedback is ignored or the process lacks transparency, trust quickly erodes.
- And when there’s no visible impact, no sign their voice made a difference, motivation fades.
Worse still, these methods can reinforce old power dynamics: the landlord asks, the tenant responds, and then waits. Engagement becomes a one-way street. It feels extractive and painful, not empowering. If we want genuine, inclusive engagement, we need to shift the mindset, from consultation to collaboration.
*[Inside Housing article about first report by the Co-operation in Social Housing Commission – 23 May 2025]
In Part 2 – we explore how we applied gamification principles to the Game of Homes
