Why Your Game Mechanic Is the Learning with Elisa Navarro Chinchilla | Episode 404
Release Date: 08/04/2025
8 Years Building the Global Leading Gamification Podcast | Episode 419
Professor Game Podcast
Aiming for sustainable retention? Intro chat (no sales pitch): Eight years, 420 episodes, and countless insights later: we celebrate the incredible journey of the Professor Game Podcast. From humble beginnings to becoming the #1 gamification podcast in the world, this episode dives into consistency, growth, and what’s next for the Engagers community. Rob Alvarez is Head of Engagement Strategy, Europe at (TOG), a leading gamification and behavioral design consultancy. A gamification strategist and , he founded and hosts , the #1 gamification podcast, and has interviewed hundreds of global...
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Design With Audiences: Mister and Mischief’s Playful Guide to Engagement | Episode 418
Professor Game Podcast
Build a thriving, loyal community—without chasing members or cranking out content 24/7. Join us for free: 🏡 From theme parks to zines, Andy & Jeff Crocker reveal how analog thinking powers modern engagement. We explore Infinite Right Answers, designing for collaboration, embracing imperfection over performance, and a field-tested model (confidence + generosity) that boosts motivation, loyalty, and community value. With roots firmly planted in the worlds of theatre and themed entertainment, Mister & Mischief (a.k.a. Jeff and Andy Crocker) create fun-forward journeys beyond the...
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The Secret Framework That Keeps Users Coming Back | Episode 417
Professor Game Podcast
Exploring gamification for your product or org? Let’s chat → We dive into the fascinating overlap between product thinking and gamification. By bridging Marty Cagan’s product discovery mindset with the Octalysis framework, we uncover how to build not just functional products — but ones users love coming back to. Rob Alvarez is Head of Engagement Strategy, Europe at (TOG), a leading gamification and behavioral design consultancy. A gamification strategist and , he founded and hosts , the #1 gamification podcast, and has interviewed hundreds of global experts. He designs evidence-based...
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From Viral Spike to Sticky Play: Doug Weitzbuch on Building Housle | Episode 416
Professor Game Podcast
Want your members to actually stick around and engage without burning out or guessing what works? Join our free community of retention-focused leaders: 👥 What happens after “going viral”? Doug Weitzbuch (Housel) breaks down the Wordle-style mechanics, player feedback he wishes he’d acted on sooner, and the roadmap to localized, high-intent engagement. Practical lessons on PR, streaks, and turning play into business outcomes. Doug Weitzbuch is a television producer with credits on hit series including Hell’s Kitchen, World of Dance, Lip Sync Battle, and Duck Dynasty. After...
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Epic Fight? Here's What Really Happened | Episode 415
Professor Game Podcast
Exploring gamification for your product or org? Let’s chat → No, there was no epic showdown, just a powerful new alliance. Rob joins The Octalysis Group and reveals how this new chapter amplifies his mission to make gamification practical, ethical, and impactful. Plus, what stays the same on Professor Game. Rob Alvarez is Head of Engagement Strategy, Europe at (TOG), a leading gamification and behavioral design consultancy. A gamification strategist and , he founded and hosts , the #1 gamification podcast, and has interviewed hundreds of global experts. He designs evidence-based...
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From Fan to Creator: Jaime Schwarz on the IP Economy | Episode 414
Professor Game Podcast
Want your members to actually stick around and engage without burning out or guessing what works? Join our free community of retention-focused leaders: 👥 What if your game character could earn you royalties? Jaime Schwarz unpacks co-creation, interactive media, and why the next frontier of engagement lives in the IP economy. A must-listen for future-focused creators! After an award winning 15 years as a copywriter and creative director for NYC agencies, Jaime Schwarz dove into Web3, first by filing the worlds first NFT patent in 2017 and then by founding brand therapy teaching brands...
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The One Choice That Will Determine Your Online Success | Episode 413
Professor Game Podcast
Build a thriving, monetized community—without chasing members or cranking out content 24/7. Join us for free: 🏡 Thinking of trying Skool? Use my link to get the 14-day free trial (same as direct)—and you’ll also be supporting my work: 👉 Content is not king. In this episode, we unpack the 3 key “engines” that turn passive followers into engaged community members. If you’re tired of content burnout and ready to build something meaningful, 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...
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Why Careers Need a Game Loop, with Unity's Jessica Lindl | Episode 412
Professor Game Podcast
Build a thriving, monetized community—without chasing members or cranking out content 24/7. Join us for free: 🏡 Vice President at Unity and author of The Career Game Loop, Jessica Lindl shares how game-based strategies build better communities, improve retention, and drive real impact. Jessica Lindl is the Vice President of Ecosystem Growth at Unity Technologies, where she leads global efforts to empower creators, learners, and professionals through transformative, game-inspired solutions. With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of gaming, education, and workforce...
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How To Grow Your Community! Without Paying For Ads | Episode 411
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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Escape Rooms for Growth with Sarah Iverson | Episode 410
Professor Game Podcast
👉 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...
info_outlineGet access to over $1,000 worth of retention and gamification strategies, templates, and live sessions—for free.
All inside our Professor Game community: 🎁 professorgame.com/freecommunity-web
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 Dance for PBS Fred Rogers, Sabz, a reforestation game for Afghanistan; Protection, a tabletop game to teach Results Based Protection for InterAction; Chuka: Break the Silence, developed for the Education for Justice initiative of the UNODC, that leverages social and emotional learning to help prevent domestic violence, and consulting for Project 21, FES, to develop a game for youth participation, governance and citizenship in the MENA region. Convinced of the power of games to support underprivileged contexts through collaborative learning, she has received several national grants in Mexico (Fonca, Procine, Prosoft) to create educational experiences with networked technology, alternate reality games, and digital literacy workshops. Her games challenge players to develop resilience through problem solving, stimulate critical thinking, and practice transferable skills. Elisa has an MA from the Institute of Education at UCL, UK.
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 community building and education. 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: goldbuginteractive.com
- Website: seriousplayconf.com
- LinkedIn: Elisa Navarro Chinchilla
Links to episode mentions:
- Proposed guest: Gonzalo Frasca
- Recommended book: What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy by James Paul Gee
- Favorite game: Puerto Rico
Lets's do stuff together!