Gaming for the public good: Unraveling the outcomes and challenges of serious games in the public sector

Serious games are increasingly recognized as low-risk and less costly environments for fostering competencies in the public sector. They are used internationally in the fields of military, policing, sustainability, citizen participation, and healthcare. When properly designed, serious games are considered feasible for encouraging learners’ motivation, advancing training success, and enhancing task performance. This article reviews the current state of research on serious games for vocational training in the public sector. This article pursues the question: “What are the outcomes and challenges of the purposeful use of serious games in the vocational training of public employees and students?” Using a systematic literature review, we classified selected records concerning their applied methods, theories, outcomes, challenges, and point towards avenues for further research. Hence, we set a research agenda for the use of serious games training in the public sector.