Book a free 1:1 call to create your personalized gamification game plan: 🎯 professorgame.com/discoverycall Can games teach students to navigate politics and power? Kerry Flanagan-Owen from the Bill of Rights Institute says YES—and she’s showing us how playful learning is transforming civics education in classrooms across the U.S. Kerry Flanagan-Owen is the Senior Manager of Learning Design at the Bill of Rights Institute, where she leads the development of free K–12 civics, government, and U.S....
Aug 25, 2025•32 min•Ep. 407
If you feel like your inner explorer’s been benched for too long... you’re not alone. We’re rebuilding new learning quests inside a Skool group. Might be your next side quest. 🎯 professorgame.com/freecommunity-web Education wasn’t built to empower—it was built to control. In this episode, Rob Alvarez breaks down how education evolved into a grind loop and how we can flip the system using gamification. If you've ever felt like your inner explorer got benched, this one's for you. Rob is a host an...
Aug 18, 2025•16 min•Ep. 406
🚀 Want your community buzzing and bringing in more revenue? Snag my free mini course with 3 killer gamification hacks: professorgame.com/freebie-3-gamification-hacks Forget trust falls and awkward icebreakers. Alex Suchman is redefining the workplace with intentional play. Tune in to find out how one game changed a manager’s mindset—and why play may be the missing ingredient in your team culture. Alex Suchman is the CEO and co-founder of Barometer XP, whose mission is to create cultures where p...
Aug 11, 2025•36 min•Ep. 405
Get access to over $1,000 worth of retention and gamification strategies, templates, and live sessions—for free. All inside our Professor Game community: 🎁 professorgame.com/freecommunity-web What happens when a powerful game opens Pandora’s box? Elisa Navarro Chinchilla shares the highs, lows, and serious challenges of designing games for real-world impact—from schools in Mexico to reforestation efforts in Afghanistan. Elisa Navarro Chinchilla is the CEO and co-founder of Gold Bug Interactive ...
Aug 04, 2025•33 min•Ep. 404
Click the link below to book a quick 10–15 minute chat with me. No sales, no pressure—just ideas and clarity on how to engage your community and grow revenue. 🗓 professorgame.com/discoverycall What do sticky communities and addictive games have in common? We break down two powerful design moves to build a community you love showing up to—and one your members will too. Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamificat...
Jul 28, 2025•5 min•Ep. 403
Build a thriving, loyal community—without chasing members or cranking out content 24/7. Join us for free: 🏡 professorgame.com/freecommunity-web Crushing churn in the classroom? It starts with embracing AI. Rob Alvarez is joined by Dr. Matt Metzger to explore how AI can revamp higher education—boosting motivation, retention, and engagement while staying human-centered. No tech expertise required, just a willingness to rethink learning. Dr. Matthew R. Metzgar, PhD, is a Clinical Professor of Econ...
Jul 21, 2025•32 min•Ep. 402
🚀 Want your community buzzing and bringing in more revenue? Snag my free mini course with 3 killer gamification hacks: professorgame.com/freebie-3-gamification-hacks “Sometimes your idea isn’t broken — it’s just not ready yet.” In this immersive episode, Dain joins Rob to explore how interactive storytelling can drive real-world impact, from failed game prototypes that resurrected years later to transforming news stories into joyful community games. Tune in for deep insights on designing for em...
Jul 14, 2025•35 min•Ep. 401
🚀 Want your community buzzing and bringing in more revenue? Snag my free mini course with 3 killer gamification hacks: professorgame.com/freebie-3-gamification-hacks What if your life was a game—and you had the playbook to win? In this episode, gamification expert Yu-kai Chou returns to share his new framework, 10K HP (10,000 Hours of Play) , and how aligning your purpose, role, and daily actions can unlock real-life legendary success. 🎮💥 Previous episodes with Yu-kai: Yu-kai Chou and how to ...
Jul 07, 2025•40 min•Ep. 400
Want help creating online revenue—without needing like a thousand different tools? Book a free 1:1 call to create your single platform revenue-creating online community: 🎯 professorgame.com/discoverycall Tired of juggling tools to run your online business? We break down why Skool is a game-changing platform for building and scaling online communities and offer a tour of its features, benefits, and real earning potential. Plus, learn how to go beyond tech and design for retention and revenue wit...
Jun 30, 2025•15 min•Ep. 399
If you're struggling to make more money with your online community, check out my FREE resources to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web What can a 40-year-old machine teach us about loyalty, engagement, and creative freedom? In this episode, Jesper Juul returns to the Professor Game Podcast to talk about his new book Too Much Fun , diving deep into the legacy of the Commodore 64. From hacking and game development to subculture and hardware design, Jesper unpacks the "fi...
Jun 23, 2025•34 min•Ep. 398
Click the link below to book a quick 10–15 minute chat with me. No sales, no pressure—just ideas and clarity on how to engage your community and grow revenue. 🗓 professorgame.com/discoverycall Strategy Meets AI Game design + AI = game changer. In this episode, Amy Jo Kim returns to share how she’s combining decades of design wisdom with cutting-edge AI to build smarter, faster onboarding and retention systems. If you're struggling with churn, this conversation is your blueprint to better system...
Jun 16, 2025•32 min•Ep. 397
🚀 Want your community buzzing and bringing in more revenue? Snag my free mini course with 3 killer gamification hacks: professorgame.com/freebie-3-gamification-hacks Why are your members disappearing—even when you’re doing everything “right”? Rob breaks down the real reasons communities lose members, even when packed with great content. Drawing from what successful games do to keep players hooked, you'll learn the 3 invisible traps that quietly destroy retention—and what to do instead. No gimmi...
Jun 09, 2025•10 min•Ep. 396
🚀 Want your community buzzing and bringing in more revenue? Snag my free mini course with 3 killer gamification hacks: professorgame.com/freebie-3-gamification-hacks What happens when role-playing games become a leadership development tool? In this episode we interview Joe, founder of GameNamic Leadership , to explore how tabletop RPGs can unlock transformational learning, reshape team dynamics, and deliver lasting cultural change. From piloting immersive retreats to coaching teams in real time...
Jun 02, 2025•30 min•Ep. 395
🔥 Losing users? Get free, expert-backed resources to boost retention with gamification: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web What happens when a teacher turns history into a simulation? We interview Swedish educator Anders Kjellberg, who co-created The Great Gambit , a role-playing simulation designed to help students understand the driving forces behind conflict—and how to prevent war. From sweaty failures to empowering classroom dynamics, Anders shares what worked, what didn’t, and how learnin...
May 26, 2025•26 min•Ep. 394
🔥 Losing users? Get free, expert-backed resources to boost retention with gamification: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web How do you gamify learning without losing the learning? We talk with Bram about designing Minecraft-powered learning experiences that actually work . From working with NASA to teaching democracy through play, he reveals how chunking content, building tutorials, and collaborating with subject matter experts creates game-based learning that sticks. Bram Wulteputte is a Co-fo...
May 19, 2025•31 min•Ep. 393
🔥 Losing users? Get free, expert-backed resources to boost retention with gamification: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web What if learning felt like playing — and retention was built into the design? In this episode, Rob interviews Aldi Agaj, CEO of Alter Learning, who shares how his team builds educational video games in collaboration with scientists, educators, and developers. From failures to scaling 40+ games, Aldi reveals how passion, teamwork, and gamification fuel long-term engagement ...
May 12, 2025•32 min•Ep. 392
🚀 Want your community buzzing and bringing in more revenue? Snag my free mini course with 3 killer gamification hacks: professorgame.com/freebie-3-gamification-hacks Tired of watching great customers walk away? We reveal how gamification can transform retention, skyrocket engagement, and massively increase your customer lifetime value—without resorting to gimmicky rewards. Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gami...
May 05, 2025•9 min•Ep. 391
🔥 Losing users? Get free, expert-backed resources to boost retention with gamification: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web From clueless to collaborative in one session? That’s the power of a well-designed Tabletop RPG. Rob Alvarez sits down with Anthony Kurza, creator of the SAN model and higher ed coach, to explore how role-playing games can unlock retention, connection, and deep learning—both inside and outside the classroom. Anthony Kurza is a game designer specializing in tabletop role-pl...
Apr 28, 2025•36 min•Ep. 390
🔥 Losing users? Get free, expert-backed resources to boost retention with gamification: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web Why do players stay hooked for 100+ hours in games like The Witcher 3 ? It's not just gameplay—it's story. Rob Alvarez is joined by Jakub Szamalek, the master narrative designer behind gaming's most iconic worlds, to unpack the secrets of choice, emotion, and retention through storytelling. Jakub Szamalek is an award-winning narrative designer and writer, best known for hi...
Apr 21, 2025•42 min•Ep. 389
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web What happens when a perfectly balanced gamification system fails with users? Alireza Ranjbar Shourabi shares this shocking experience and unpacks how cultural nuances, hidden perceptions, and behavioral insights can make or break your engagement strategy. Starting in high school, Alireza used computers as a mean...
Apr 14, 2025•32 min•Ep. 388
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web Badges won’t cut it. Katie Patrick reveals how focusing on feedback loops, imagination, and measurable actions makes climate programs actually work. Join us to explore how to crush environmental inaction with game-inspired design. Katie Patrick is an Australian-American environmental engineer and climate action ...
Apr 07, 2025•41 min•Ep. 387
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web Forget hacks—behavioral change starts with better behavior selection. In this episode, Jason Hreha and Rob Alvarez explore how psychometrics can help align strategies with personalities for meaningful, lasting impact in business and life. For close to 15 years, Jason has been applying behavioral science research...
Mar 31, 2025•38 min•Ep. 386
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web 🎤 What do a trivia show, a fake country, and a war against Crocs have in common? You’ll find out in this hilariously high-energy episode of the Professor Game Podcast with Rob and the unforgettable Mark Corona! From founding the micro-nation of Slowjamistan (where Crocs are banned by law 😆) to designing and ho...
Mar 24, 2025•27 min•Ep. 385
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web What if the characters we play in games reveal more about who we truly are? 🎭🎲 Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) offer more than just entertainment—they create powerful opportunities for self-discovery, personal growth, and deeper engagement. This conversation dives into how the roles we play in games often...
Mar 17, 2025•33 min•Ep. 384
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web What if playing pretend could unlock real-world skills? 🎭🎲 We explore how Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) are transforming education and therapy. Through structured yet creative gameplay, Kathrin helps students and therapy patients develop communication, teamwork, and confidence—while having fun. She shar...
Mar 10, 2025•31 min•Ep. 383
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web What if your favorite video game could teach you more about life and career success than any classroom? 🎮🎙️ We explore the surprising connections between gaming, motivation, and professional growth. From mastering Starcraft strategies to navigating the world of voice acting, Chris shares how the principles of ...
Mar 03, 2025•39 min•Ep. 382
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web What if games could be more than just fun—what if they could transform learning itself? Our guest Dr. Mark Harvey brings a wealth of experience in integrating games into educational settings to this ongoing conversation on gamification. This conversation delves into practical strategies for enhancing classroom e...
Feb 24, 2025•35 min•Ep. 381
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web Unlock the secrets behind truly captivating game design and community-building. We have this conversation with Dhiraj Jujare, the force heading Warpverse X. Armed with a visionary outlook, Dhiraj demystifies the paths less traveled that bridge gamers and creators under one roof. Set your imagination free; here a...
Feb 17, 2025•30 min•Ep. 380
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web Discover the intersection of AI and gamification in education to enhance creativity and efficiency. We're joined by Dr. Victoria "Tori" Mondelli, a pioneer in the field of educational game design and the founding director of the University of Missouri's Teaching for Learning Center. This episode dives deep into ...
Feb 06, 2025•33 min•Ep. 379
If you're struggling to keep people engaged and loyal in your product or business, check out my FREE gamification course to learn how to do just that: professorgame.com/freecommunity-web "I'm better than almost anyone at making complex subjects easy to understand for anybody." – Jerry Kolber. On this episode Jerry shares his journey in revolutionizing edutainment with popular shows like " Brain Games " and his podcast Who Smarted . Dive into the fascinating world of gamifying education, learn ab...
Feb 03, 2025•33 min•Ep. 378
