The ongoing digitalization processes in the industrial context, within the framework of Industry 4.0, enable more efficient and innovative working conditions. However, the framework of Industry 4.0 comes with manifold challenges and demands, including new skills, competencies and knowledge assurance. Applied games can be used as such a training tool, as they can facilitate learning processes by allowing workers to experience real-world problems in a safe environment. For successful game design and implementation in the industrial sector, it is important to understand how applied games contribute to the demands of Industry 4.0. In order to explore the current state of the usage of applied games in the industrial context, a structured literature review was conducted. The results show that in this context, applied games are mostly designed as a digital singleplayer game used for education purposes and played by students or operators. Furthermore, the main goal of these applied games was the acquisition of procedural skill or declarative knowledge. Especially implicit experiential knowledge is an important asset in the industrial context. The transfer of this knowledge from experienced to unexperienced workers is only possible through practical involvement. Applied games can make an important contribution to this, and are thus able to address several difficulties in the ongoing digitalization and in Industry 4.0. To ensure effective game design and the use of applied games in future, research will have to focus on the evaluation of applied games and validate their benefits in a quantifiable manner.

Both LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and simulation games have gained attraction as innovative methods for use in education and beyond. Where LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® makes use of haptic LEGO® bricks, simulation games come in many different forms. Although the two methods exist separately, the question has arisen as to what extent the two methods can create synergies in the different phases of a simulation game: briefing, game play and debriefing. To be able to answer this question, a four-hour workshop with fifteen simulation gaming experts from Germany, Switzerland and Austria was held. Based on the three phases of a simulation game, LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®-visions were developed within smaller groups to show how synergies between LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and simulation games could look like. In three discussion rounds, best practices were discussed and critical reflections derived.

The successful adoption of digital transformation and the need to use digital technologies in industry to maintain a competitive position requires a socio-technical perspective. The successful and sustainable implementation of such a socio-technical perspective must be accompanied by training programs for employees. Compared to conventional training, game-based approaches are a safe and cost-effective alternative with a particularly high potential. Applied games are generally considered to be a superior tool in training contexts and can increase the effectiveness of immersive technologies through interactivity, feedback, and user involvement, thus applied immersive games take advantage of both immersive technologies and applied games. Given the complex requirements of industrial training, an analysis of the current state of the art in applied immersive games in industry is essential to gain a deeper understanding of their effectiveness. A structured literature review was conducted to systematically assess existing research. The results show that applied immersive games are becoming increasingly popular in a variety of industries, particularly those characterized by hazards. This is also reflected in the main objectives of the applied immersive games, which are often used in the area of safety training. In addition, applied immersive games using VR have been particularly popular. This ensures that users can interact safely and make mistakes in a completely virtual environment without fearing negative real-world consequences. Future research should focus on the long-term effects that applied immersive games could have in industry and beyond.

With hybrid board games rising in popularity and game AI algorithms becoming more sophisticated, there is potential in involving AI to create novel game experiences and tools that can support developers. However, examples of hybrid board games that involve AI remain relatively sparse. In this work, we propose that creating a taxonomy of AI in hybrid board games can help the development of games that occupy as-of-yet unexplored areas of the design space. By mapping out different dimensions through which the involvement of AI in such games can be understood, we seek to encourage further academic discussions and applied explorations.