AI + Game Thinking = Retention Breakthrough | Episode 397
Release Date: 06/16/2025
Professor Game Podcast
Your next viral title is already written. Get the free sheet: 👉 Curious about Skool? Grab the 14-day free trial through my link (and it helps me keep creating resources for you): 👉 Think ads are the only way to grow your community? Think again. Rob reveals how he grew his community to 140+ members with $0 in ad spend—using three powerful, game-inspired strategies you can start today. Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions, especially in education and learning. He's also a professor and...
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👉 Build a thriving, playful community—without chasing members or creating endless content. ✨ Get started free with our community The Game of Skool: Magic in the Mundane: Sarah Iverson on Gamifying Wellness Discover how Sarah Iverson transforms personal growth into playful adventures through wellness escape rooms, storytelling, and creative game design. Sarah Iverson is the founder of Curious Sunshine, a play-based wellness initiative that transforms personal growth into an imaginative adventure. A multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer, and holistic coach, Sarah fuses her love of...
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Health and Safety 🔥 training is a drag and ineffective or expensive and dangerous ☠️... Or is it? Check out what's possible with our sponsor Ludus and their Free Guide: Or just book a free VR demo. Warning: you might end up liking Health and Safety training... Hearing this only? Check out the video episode on or straight on On this sponsored episode, we dive into the world of VR-based health and safety training with Ludus. You'll get a behind-the-scenes peek into my home HQ as I test five of their standalone VR/AR simulations — from firefighting to CPR and even recycling! I share...
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Don’t guess your next title – get the proven ones for free: 👉 Want your content to actually get seen? I paid five growth experts to reverse-engineer how to grow a community—without spending a cent on ads. In this episode, I reveals the three biggest levers. Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, 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...
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Book a free 1:1 call to create your personalized gamification game plan: 🎯 Can games teach students to navigate politics and power? Kerry Flanagan-Owen from the Bill of Rights Institute says YES—and she’s showing us how playful learning is transforming civics education in classrooms across the U.S. Kerry Flanagan-Owen is the Senior Manager of Learning Design at the Bill of Rights Institute, where she leads the development of free K–12 civics, government, and U.S. history resources. With a background in teaching and instructional coaching, Kerry brings deep expertise in designing...
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If you feel like your inner explorer’s been benched for too long... you’re not alone. We’re rebuilding new learning quests inside a Skool group. Might be your next side quest. 🎯 Education wasn’t built to empower—it was built to control. In this episode, Rob Alvarez breaks down how education evolved into a grind loop and how we can flip the system using gamification. If you've ever felt like your inner explorer got benched, this one's for you. Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, and advocate for the use of gamification and games-based solutions,...
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🚀 Want your community buzzing and bringing in more revenue? Snag my free mini course with 3 killer gamification hacks: Forget trust falls and awkward icebreakers. Alex Suchman is redefining the workplace with intentional play. Tune in to find out how one game changed a manager’s mindset—and why play may be the missing ingredient in your team culture. Alex Suchman is the CEO and co-founder of Barometer XP, whose mission is to create cultures where people are excited about their work because they feel a strong sense of purpose and belonging. She uses games and play to strengthen...
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Get access to over $1,000 worth of retention and gamification strategies, templates, and live sessions—for free. All inside our Professor Game community: 🎁 What happens when a powerful game opens Pandora’s box? Elisa Navarro Chinchilla shares the highs, lows, and serious challenges of designing games for real-world impact—from schools in Mexico to reforestation efforts in Afghanistan. Elisa Navarro Chinchilla is the CEO and co-founder of Gold Bug Interactive and a veteran educational video game developer with more than 25 titles under her belt. Her most recent projects include Dino...
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Click the link below to book a quick 10–15 minute chat with me. No sales, no pressure—just ideas and clarity on how to engage your community and grow revenue. 🗓 What do sticky communities and addictive games have in common? We break down two powerful design moves to build a community you love showing up to—and one your members will too. Rob is a host and consultant at Professor Game as well as an expert, 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...
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Build a thriving, loyal community—without chasing members or cranking out content 24/7. Join us for free: 🏡 Crushing churn in the classroom? It starts with embracing AI. Rob Alvarez is joined by Dr. Matt Metzger to explore how AI can revamp higher education—boosting motivation, retention, and engagement while staying human-centered. No tech expertise required, just a willingness to rethink learning. Dr. Matthew R. Metzgar, PhD, is a Clinical Professor of Economics at UNC Charlotte’s Belk College of Business and an award-winning teacher who develops and delivers undergraduate and MBA...
info_outlineClick the link below to book a quick 10–15 minute chat with me.
No sales, no pressure—just ideas and clarity on how to engage your community and grow revenue.
🗓 professorgame.com/discoverycall
Strategy Meets AI
Game design + AI = game changer. In this episode, Amy Jo Kim returns to share how she’s combining decades of design wisdom with cutting-edge AI to build smarter, faster onboarding and retention systems. If you're struggling with churn, this conversation is your blueprint to better systems, better questions, and better engagement.
Previous episodes with Amy Jo Kim:
- Amy Jo Kim shows the importance of finding the fun as a game designer
- Amy Jo Kim's Game Thinking Masterclass 2019
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.
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