Professor Game Podcast

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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, Joe shares how combining leadership coaching with roleplay doesn't just gamify learning—it changes how people show up at work.

​Dr. Joe Lasley is an Assistant Professor of Leadership and Organizational Studies at the University of Southern Maine and the Founder of Gamenamic Leadership, where he merges academic rigor with the imaginative power of tabletop role-playing games to transform how individuals and teams learn to lead in the real world. He is an International Coaching Federation certified Leadership Coach, has a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies, ​and degrees in Organizational Psychology, Higher Education Administration, and Organizational Communication. In academia, Joe designs and teaches courses on leadership ​d​evelopment, systems thinking, organizational​ and group dynamics, with a focus on experiential and transformational learning. He has published peer-reviewed ​a​research on leadership development through role-playing games, led action research projects, and regularly presents at national and international conferences including I​nternational L​eadership A​ssociation, National Communication Association, and N​orth American S​imulation A​nd G​aming A​ssociation.

As a consultant, ​Dr. Joe created LeadRPG, an innovative method that blends leadership ​d​evelopment with tabletop role-playing games to build emotionally intelligent, adaptive leaders​ and creative teams. ​W​ith the LeadRPG Team, he has developed immersive retreats, facilitated custom programs for mission-driven organizations and tech ​l​eaders, and produced game-based toolkits used for leadership coaching, team development, and reflective practice.

With expertise spanning group dynamics, adaptive leadership, and game-based learning, ​Dr. Joe is committed to helping people unlock their potential, co-design shared experiences, and navigate complexity with creativity, purpose, and play.​

Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.

Guest Links and Info

• Website: gamenamic.org
  • Retreats: gamenamic.org/retreat
• LinkedIn: Joe Lasley
• LinkedIn: GameNamic Leadership

Links to episode mentions:

• Proposed guest: Gijs
• Recommended book: Playing and Reality by D.W. Winnicott
• Favorite game: Age of Wonders 4

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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 learning through games can activate students like never before.

Anders works as a teacher in Swedish upper secondary school. His main subjects are History and Swedish but he is also part of the school's educational steering group and takes part in a collaborational project with other Nordic upper secondary shools.

Apart from being a teacher, Anders is a musician, playing mostly bass, guitars and syntheizsers in several of bands and records a lot of music in his house up in the Swedish forests.

Together with his friend Zhenya Luchaninau, he has created an educational tool/simulation to be used in history class in upper secondary school, called "The Great Gambit". The scene is a tumultous transitional period in Europes history, dealing with the years between 1871 and 1914: the build up to World War One. The purpose of the game is, to put it short: make the students understand the driving forces behind conflicts and wars and, hopefully, teach them to understand how a society can avoid such things.

Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.

Guest Links and Info

• Website: thegreatgambit.com
• LinkedIn: Anders Kjellberg
• Facebook: The Great Gambit Community

Links to episode mentions:

• Proposed guest: Neil Young
• Recommended book: Hang City (In Swedish)
• Favorite game: Who Knows Where

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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-founder and the Head of Education at Shapescape, a company merging education with the immersive world of Minecraft. With years of experience in games and gamification, Bram has built educational experiences that don't just engage—they inspire. Through Shapescape's partnership with Minecraft Education, he's been shaping unique content that bridges fun and learning, resonating with audiences around the globe. From guiding strategy to developing immersive curriculums, Bram has hands-on insights into how gamification can unlock new dimensions in both education and business.

Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.

Guest Links and Info

Website: shapescape.com/education LinkedIn: Bram Wulteputte X/Twitter: @BramWulteputte

Links to episode mentions:

• Proposed guest: Justin Edwards (from Minecraft Education)
• Recommended book:
  • The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
  • Start With Why by Simon Sinek
• Favorite game:
  • Overwatch
  • Minecraft

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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 and real-world impact in education.

Chief Executive Officer of AAK Tele-Science , And CEO of Alter-Learning Educational Platform from since 2020. He's an Entrepreneurial Chief Executive Officer, experienced in founding companies in domestic and international marketplaces. Facilitator and builder of world-class technology. Provides technical and visionary leadership for technology company offering a Cloud-Based Platform as a Service (SaaS) for Scientific Research.

Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.

Guest Links and Info

• • Website: alter-learning.com
  • LinkedIn: Aldi Agaj

Links to episode mentions:

• • Recommended book: Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Favorite game: Volleyball

Lets's do stuff together!

• • FREE Gamification Resources!
  • LinkedIn
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  • Ask a question

🚀 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 gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.

Episode Links:

3 Gamification Hacks To Boost Your Community's Revenue

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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-playing games and an educator in higher education. His work bridges storytelling, game mechanics, and immersive learning, creating experiences that foster social-emotional learning and critical thinking. As an adjunct professor and College Life Coach and Florida State University, he helps students explore the power of collaborative storytelling, while his research focuses on how TTRPGs can be used as educational tools. He has also developed his own TTRPG system and is eager to share it with the world—whether through publishing, workshops, or partnerships that bring games into new spaces. His goal is to make storytelling and role-playing more accessible, engaging, and transformative for players and educators alike.

Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.

Guest Links and Info

• Website: kurzplaysgames.itch.io
• LinkedIn: Anthony Kurza

Links to episode mentions:

• Proposed guests:
  • Joe Lasley
  • Garrett Munro and Maryanne Cullinan
  • Sarah Lynne Bowman
  • Corbin Nall
  • Delaney Sills
  • Ali Watts
• Recommended books:
  • Transformational Role-playing Game Design by Sarah Bowman (and its free!)
  • Monsters, Aliens and Holes in the Ground by Stu Horvath

• Favorite games:
  • Dread
  • Alice is Missing

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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 his work on The Witcher III: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077. Jakub has played a key role in shaping some of the most emotionally immersive and critically acclaimed storylines in modern gaming, blending deep lore, player-driven choices, and unforgettable characters.

Beyond games, Jakub is also a novelist and a passionate storyteller who understands how narrative can hook people—and keep them coming back. Today, we'll explore what makes interactive stories so powerful, and what we can learn from games like The Witcher to design better, more engaging experiences in other fields.

Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.

Guest Links and Info

• Next game is The Blood of Dawnwalker
• His book Inner Space is coming in July

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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 means to create and play games, first diving into programming and then exploring 2D and 3D art. Eventually, he discovered his true passion in game design, which sparked a deep curiosity about human behavior. With this newfound interest, he went for psychology, sociology, behavioral economics, and persuasive design, continually learning about motivational theories like Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Flow, and the Fogg Behavior Model, as well as every aspect of behavioral economics available. Soon enough, he realized these principles and insights could be applied outside of games as well. This revelation led him to design engagement solutions and gamified campaigns across a variety of fields, including Fintech, E-learning, E-health, Open Innovation, and even offline advertising. With experience in designing for diverse platforms and genres, Alireza has contributed to nearly every area of gamification and game development, from systems design, AI, and UX to marketing and monetization. However, economy and balance—the 'hidden' yet crucial elements of experience design—have always been his primary focus and specialty. For him, design is about striking a balance between a fun, fair player experience and sustainable monetization for a successful business. Above all, he views players as complex individuals with limitless dimensions, constantly seeking to understand and interpret the behavioral data collected from in-game interactions—and beyond.

Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.

Guest Links and Info

• LinkedIn: Alireza Ranjbar Shourabi

Links to episode mentions:

• Proposed guests:
  • Joris Dormans
  • BJ Fogg
• Recommended books:
  • Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design by Joris Dormans
  • Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
• Favorite game: Journey

Lets's do stuff together!

• Get started in Gamification for FREE!
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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 designer. She's author of the books How to Save the World and Zerowastify and hosts a podcast where she investigates the academic research in environmental psychology.

Katie specializes in the design of getting people to change. She applies gamification and behavioral science in a way that dramatically increases the adoption of environmental programs and has worked with organizations including UNEP, NASA JPL, Stanford University, U.S. State Department, Google, University of California, Magic Leap, and the Institute for the Future.

Katie started UrbanCanopy.io, a map-based application that uses satellite imaging of urban heat islands and vegetation cover to encourage urban greening and cooling initiatives. She is also the co-founder of Energy Lollipop, a Chrome extension and outdoor screen project that shows the electric grid's CO2 emissions in real time.

She was CEO of the VC-funded green-lifestyle magazine Green Pages Australia and was appointed environmental brand ambassador by the Ogilvy Earth advertising agency for Volkswagen, Lipton Tea and Wolfblass Wines.

She has served on the board of Australia's national eco label, Good Environmental Choice Australia, and won the Cosmopolitan Woman of the Year Award for entrepreneurship. After graduating from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with a B.Eng in Environmental Engineering, she worked as an environmental design engineer for building engineers WSP in Sydney on some of the world's first platinum-LEED-certified commercial buildings.

Katie lives in Silicon Valley with her young daughter, Anastasia.

Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.

Guest Links and Info

• Website: helloworlde.com
• LinkedIn: Katie Patrick
• Instagram: @katiepatrickhello
• X/Twitter: @katiepatrick

Links to episode mentions:

• Proposed guest: Cybernetic Theory experts (mostly professors)
• Recommended book: Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker
  • Mastery by Robert Greene

Lets's do stuff together!

• Get started in Gamification for FREE!
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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 and methodologies to solve hard problems in the technology world. He is the founder and CEO of Persona, The Talent Company. They are the world's leading provider of elite non-technical talent. Jason is also a senior advisor at Edelman, a global communications firm, where he provides behavioral science insights and guidance to clients across various industries and sectors.

Jason's passion is to create products and services that empower people to achieve their goals and improve their lives. He has co-founded and led several successful startups, such as Kite.io, a mobile search company that was acquired by Quixey, and Dopamine, the first tech-focused applied behavioral science firm. Jason has also served as the global head of behavioral science at Walmart, where he co-founded and built the Walmart Behavioral Science Team. Additionally, he is the creator of Behavioral Strategy, an interdisciplinary approach to ensuring that behavioral research is incorporated into new products and initiatives from the strategic planning phase. The goal of Behavioral Strategy is to achieve Behavior Market Fit.

Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, international speaker and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and workshop facilitator for the topics of the podcast and LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) for top higher education institutions that include EFMD, IE Business School and EBS among others in Europe, America and Asia.

Guest Links and Info

• LinkedIn: Jason Hreha
• Websites:
  • personatalent.com
  • thebehavioralscientist.com
• Book: Real Change
• The Big Five Personality Test

Links to episode mentions:

• Proposed guest: BJ Fogg
• Recommended book: Personality by Daniel Nettel
• Favorite game: Final Fantasy VII
  • Earthbound (NES)
  • Overwatch

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• Get started in Gamification for FREE!
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