Serious Games for Serious Business: Unravelling Trends and Distribution Dynamics

Objective: To analyse the impact and applications of Serious Games in the corporate realm, evaluating both benefits and challenges associated with their adoption. Methodology: A literature review is conducted through a descriptive bibliometric analysis. The distribution of publications and citations of studies by year, affiliations and authors with the highest productivity rate, and most cited articles are analysed. Results: A marked increase in publications on Serious Games is observed, indicating a growing interest in research. Citation analysis shows an upward trend, with the year 2022 standing out as the most prolific. INRAE and Wageningen University Research are leading institutions in this field, and prominent authors include Mayer, Dumont, and Russell-Bennett. Limitations: There is potential bias in article selection and a narrow focus on the benefits and challenges of Serious Games in enterprises, overlooking long-term sustainability. This could be addressed by comparing the effectiveness of Serious Games in employee training versus customer interaction and evaluating their applicability across different sectors. Practical implications: Serious Games are useful for simulating business creation, developing entrepreneurial skills through a playful approach, as well as citizen decision-making and its impact on carbon emissions. In the tourism sector, the effectiveness of gamification through Serious Games is evidenced by increased brand loyalty. The article provides an understanding of the landscape of Serious Games and their implementation in companies across different sectors. It observes the practical implications of this learning tool and its interaction with consumers, to enhance their experience.