Experience Points

What are Matrix Games? At its core, a matrix game is a structured argumentation system used for learning through play. They were developed back in 1992 by Chris Engle, who wanted a teaching tool that was simpler and...

AP Table Talk: Tug of War In this episode of AP Table Talk, Brian and Dave dig into the tug-of-war mechanic , where a shared marker moves back and forth along a track toward opposing ends, creating a zero-sum struggle...

What are Military Simulations? Some of the most well-known games - chess, checkers, and Go - can all trace their lineage to battles, warfare, and general conflict. These games are related, at least in some way, to how...

Escape Rooms for Learning You know that feeling when the clock is ticking, and you’re scrambling to solve a puzzle before time runs out? Maybe you're searching for a hidden key under a rug, decoding a cipher on a...

Victoria Ichizli-Bartels on Be Your Best Game Master This episode of Experience Points features self-gamification pioneer Victoria Ichizli-Bartels , who reveals how treating everyday life as a game can spark joy, reduce...

Raul Mora on Understanding Second Language Users as Gamers In this episode of Experience Points, Dr. Raul Alberto Mora shares insights from his book Understanding Second Language Users as Gamers: Language as Victory...

Jon Spike on Games as Creative Constraint In this episode of Experience Points, Jon Spike explores how creative constraint drives innovation in game design and learning. A former K–12 English teacher now working at...

AP Table Talk: Race In this episode of AP Table Talk, Brian and Dave dig into the race mechanic , where players compete toward a shared finish line and the first to cross it ends the game. From childhood staples like...

Katrin Becker on Learning through Playful Experiences In this episode of Experience Points, serious games expert Katrin Becker explores why “good enough” may be more powerful than perfection in gamified learning . She...

Hostile Players Today we’re diving into something that affects every gamer at some point: hostile players. You probably already know the type… Those people who turn a fun session into a cesspit of negativity. I’m...

Meghan Gardner on Gamification for Emotional Engagement This episode of Experience Points features transformative design expert Meghan Gardner, who shares how gamification can create emotionally engaging, healing, and...

Mary-Ellen Fimbel on Game Design Principles for Education This episode of Experience Points features game designer and educator Mary-Ellen Fimbel , who shares how game design principles can transform classroom learning...

What are Role-Playing Games? Today, we’re diving into one of the most fascinating - and frankly, most misunderstood - forms of interactive play: Role-Playing Games, or RPGs. So what are RPGs? Are they just about dice...

Amber Sewell on Games as Information Literacy In this episode of Experience Points, Dave Eng talks with Amber Sewell , a Teaching and Learning Librarian at UNLV , about using games to teach information literacy . Amber...

Victoria Banks on Dungeons, Dragons, and Discourse In this episode of Experience Points, Dave Eng interviews Victoria Banks, a Clemson University PhD student and video game scriptwriter, on using Dungeons & Dragons...