Gamification

Why it’s critical that AI is critical

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File 00000000363c62468a89dbe54e46e56b Why it 8217 s critical that AI is critical

It had to happen, I had to start writing about AI eventually. Why? Well, chatGPT is the ultimate gamification – a choose your own adventure with infinite outcomes!

I wanted to start with what AI is really bad at – being critical.

I’ve been using AI extensively over the last 12 months as a writing assistant, co developer and general wall to bounce ideas off, and I’ve learned a few things. First and foremost – AI is the best and worst cheerleader.


Everything you do is greeted with “that’s an amazing observation” or “what a great and insightful question” or “yes, this work is perfect, you are incredible”.
It like a constant stream of affirmation spewed out like shit from an incontinent dog,.but it is addictive. Suddenly, you are always right – how often can you say that in your day to day life 😉

It might make you feel great, but it also makes you miss critical issues with what you are doing. Rather than critique, you are getting confirmation of your own preconceptions. By default, things like ChatGPT wants to please you. This kills critical thinking, like having your own personal yes man that empowers all your worst ideas.

When you are working with AI, you need to set boundaries. You need to tell it to be critical, to analyse and assess what you are doing for merit and for being just plain shit.

I actually created a chat bot through ChatGPT that was trained on all my work, then given a personality.  Ninja Monkey is sarcastic, dismissive and at times just plain rude. Bit, he does try to be critical and tell you the truth. If an idea is crap, he isn’t scared to tell you.

This is essential, as it has helped me write better content, but assessing and checking my ideas and critically considering it for it’s true merits – not just waving a pompom and saying “you are awesome, go you!” He’s more likely to threaten to slap me with a pair of nunchucks.

Hell of you tell him you’re Andrzej, he may even insult you! Read More ...

The Foosball Fallacy & The Beanbag Illusion

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0 1 Blog2FreePlayInstall The Foosball Fallacy amp The Beanbag Illusion


Ah, the modern office. Where engagement is measured in beanbag density and the number of foosball tables per square metre. Welcome to the illusion factory.

I call it The Foosball Fallacy—the misguided notion that plonking down a few shiny toys in the corner of your open-plan office will somehow spark authentic employee engagement.

You’ve heard the logic:

“Let’s make work fun! We’ll add a games room and a cereal bar. People love cereal.”

What you get instead is superficial fluff. A workplace that looks like a startup, sounds like a pinball arcade, and still has an engagement score flatter than your last quarterly review.

Then comes The Beanbag Illusion, which is even cosier. Quite literally.

It’s the belief that providing comfort—softer lighting, flexible seating, and yes, beanbags—translates into meaningful culture. But here’s the thing:

Comfort is not culture. You can’t outsource purpose to interior design.

Employees don’t stay because they’re well-fed and slightly reclined. They stay when they feel valued. When they can grow. When they have autonomy. Mastery. Purpose. (Yes, you’ve met RAMP. You should really call them more often.)

These illusions persist because they’re easy. Buying a beanbag is simpler than building a feedback culture. Installing a foosball table is quicker than coaching line managers on trust.

But they’re also empty calories. Momentary boosts with zero nutritional value.

If you want real engagement, ditch the gimmicks and get serious about what drives people. Not perks. Not ping pong. People. Read More ...

Perfection in Simplicity – 10 Rules I Try to Live By

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1000020676 Perfection in Simplicity 8211 10 Rules I Try to Live By

Recently, I decided to put down in words a simple set of rules I try to live by. Think Gibbs in NCIS – be fewer rules! I wanted to be able to give them to my kids, something they can refer back to in their mind when they are making decisions or looking to the the future. These are not grand declarations or world-changing insights, just small truths that I’ve learned (and often relearned) over time.

Here they are:

  1. Be yourself, accept others.
  2. Be kind, starting with you.
  3. Be honest, take responsibility.
  4. Be curious, seek truth.
  5. Fear ignorance, not failure.
  6. Be brave, never reckless.
  7. Be strong, but don’t harden.
  8. Be confident, but humble.
  9. Be playful, never foolish.
  10. Seek joy, live with purpose.

That’s it. Ten rules. But as I looked at them written down, I realised something else—they form the bones of how I approach gamification too. These personal rules could just as easily be a quiet manifesto for ethical, human-focused design. So here’s the deeper dive: what each rule means to me, and how it maps to designing meaningful gamified experiences. Read More ...

New Book and Life Changes

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Press start banner New Book and Life Changes

Hey all, sorry it’s been a while!! Lots going on. First thing is – I recently had a diagnosis of ADHD – so a few changes ahead for me!!

Second, I’ve been writing a new book. Now, I’m not sure how good it is. It is written with the help of my Ninja Monkey Chat GPT, who basically knows more about me than me these days. Anyway, it is a very personal book about mental health and how I survive my Bastard Brain!. The idea is for it to be a playful support book for others who suffer with things like anxiety and depression based on my experiences and a little bit of Ludic Spirit 😉 Read More ...

PBL Battle – The Greatest Game Ever Made*

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Pbl battle 1 PBL Battle 8211 The Greatest Game Ever Made

I’ve finally done it! After countless hours of brainstorming and coding, I’ve created the ultimate game for those who live and breathe gamification. Say goodbye to boring gameplay—because there isn’t any—and wave farewell to contrived narratives. Game mechanics? Nah, not really! This is pure, unfiltered gamification with a satirical twist, designed to both engage and amuse.

What Makes PBL Battle So Special?

  • No-Nonsense Fun:
    Forget traditional game elements. PBL Battle is not about complex stories or puzzles—it’s about pure, addictive engagement.
  • Satirical Edge:
    It’s a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the futility of bad gamification. If you’re a gamification designer or consultant, you’re bound to appreciate the irony.
  • Global Competition:
    Test your mettle by climbing the global leaderboard. How many times can you push the big red button before your streak ends?
  • Challenging and Addictive:
    With its minimalistic design, PBL Battle proves that sometimes less is more. There’s no hidden trick or convoluted strategy—just a race to see who can push the button the most.

Ready to Join the Battle?

Try it for yourself and see if you have what it takes to reach the top of the leaderboard in PBL Battle! This is gamification, reimagined with a dash of satire and a whole lot of fun. Read More ...