Not your grandparents' games… Game‐based learning takes instructional methods to whole new level

Game-based learning—not to be confused with gamification—is the utilization of games as the pedagogical method that facilitates the learning process: Unlike gamification, which is an instructional method that uses elements of games, in game-based learning, the instructional method is the game itself.1 This nuance is important for the planning of learning activities that meet learning objectives and inform the creation of assessment questions.2 A learning session that uses an audience response system to deploy in-class questions employs the gamification elements of rewards, playful activity, and maybe friendly competition. A learning session that teaches or reinforces content through a game like Kahoot! (www.kahoot.com) utilizes game-based learning. The most interesting aspect of game-based learning is that the game itself needs to be well designed—no different than designing a lecture, case-based learning (CBL) session, problem-based learning (PBL) session, or team-based learning (TBL) session. The difference is if you've seen one lecture or CBL/PBL/TBL session, you've seen them all, so-to-speak. Every session has the same instructional formula. While this approach can be highly effective, it also runs the risk of becoming repetitive or dull. Games designed for game-based learning are sophisticated pedagogical techniques with a variety of presentations. This month's special issue of Anatomical Sciences Education—Game-Based Learnings in Anatomy and Related Health Sciences Education3—was borne from a workshop at the 2025 Anatomy Connected meeting of the American Association for Anatomy in Portland, Oregon, that was co-led by Jeremy Grachan (Rutgers New Jersey Medical School) and Mikaela Stiver (University of British Columbia), two of the guest editors of this month's issue. Dr. Grachan is an avid participant in community outreach and a pop culture enthusiast. It is probably no accident that he recognized early in his career that games used in K-12 learning could also be effective in health professions learning. Dr. Stiver is an expert in creative teaching approaches that emphasize the use of art in gamified learning. She also co-leads the Global Neuroanatomy Network and is involved with community outreach. The third guest editor of this special issue is Arthur Lau (National University of Singapore). Dr. Lau is an expert in technology-based gamified learning, with academic and industry experience with game design principles, immersive technologies, and AI-supported educational innovation. All three guest editors for the special issue are pioneers of game-based learning (Figure 1). As per their expertise, our guest editors have developed a special issue that highlights analog and digital serious games, escape rooms, entertainment games, and physical challenge games. It also gives a nod to novel approaches to gamification, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in game-based learning, and new theories and/or conceptual frameworks related to game-based learning. Our journal has a short history of publishing papers that propose new gamification techniques and/or report the effectiveness of using game-based learning in the classroom.4-12 This issue brings together the most recent thought leaders on the utilization of game-based learning in anatomy and health sciences education across academic levels.13-34 The papers in this special issue dive into concepts that are more than Trivial Pursuit(s). You will find that the techniques reported here may be just the thing you need if your teaching performance is in Jeopardy. Why leave your teaching success to a Wheel of Fortune when you can employ games that themselves are instructional methods? Dr. Grahan, Dr. Stiver, and Dr. Lau have edited an exciting and innovative special issue that will transform your classroom Civilization into a Minecraft of learning jewels. It will be a Kahoot! Jonathan J. Wisco: Conceptualization; writing—original draft; and writing—review and editing. Jason Organ: Conceptualization; writing—original draft; and writing—review and editing. N/A. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. N/A. N/A. N/A.