Game-based learning incorporates interactive tasks, quizzes, and mechanics such as levels and feedback loops to make lessons more accessible. In 12,856 government primary schools across Punjab, the Khed Pitara initiative offers play-based learning kits comprising puzzles, toys, and activity resources for children aged three to eight. In Patna and Gurgaon, schools have also begun introducing game-based learning in early-years and primary classrooms, using interactive activities under “Play and Learn” modules to support foundational numeracy and literacy.
In the EdTech space too, companies are introducing tools that combine gaming elements with learning content. Vikalp India, an experiential learning organisation working with schools, has partnered with over 300 private and government institutions across Karnataka, Delhi, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh. Its use has expanded across age groups and subjects, though it is often conflated with gamification.
“Game-based learning provides the full experience of a regular game, with rules, progression, and a clear objective. Gamification, on the other hand, borrows elements like points or badges to drive behaviour. Both have value, but they are not interchangeable,” explains Kartic Vaidyanathan, founder of LetsPlayToLearn and guest faculty at IIT Madras.
Where it is more fully realised, game-based learning centres on problem-solving, interaction, and feedback. Teachers then connect these outcomes back to the lesson through quizzes, adaptive practice, or simulations such as ecosystem management or mock parliaments.
The appeal of this approach, educators argue, lies in how it reshapes the learning environment. “We need to provide an environment of safety for slower learners to participate. This psychological safety is provided by games, because in games, losing is an OK state, unlike poor performance in a test or assessment,” Vaidyanathan says. He adds that it also enables peer-to-peer learning and offers flexibility to accommodate different learner levels, allowing some students to take on simpler challenges while others move to more advanced ones. There is growing evidence that these methods can lead to real learning gains beyond small or experimental settings. In Andhra Pradesh, a 17-month trial of Personalised Adaptive Learning software involving 14,000 students found learning gains that were 2.3 times higher than in traditional classrooms. Researchers said this was equal to nearly 1.9 extra years of schooling. The same study also found that every additional hour spent on the platform in a year was linked to a further rise in learning levels. Mindspark, another adaptive learning platform used in government schools, has been introduced in 2,217 schools across 13 states, reaching more than 266,000 students. In many of these schools, it takes up about 12.5% of weekly class time, showing that it is being used as part of regular teaching rather than as an occasional add-on. At the early-grade level, Chimple, a gamified learning platform, reported weekly engagement rates between 56.6% and 84.6%. Its data also suggested that children who used it for about 10 minutes a day showed better learning outcomes, including improved Maths scores in Classes 1 and 2.
That does not mean game-based learning is a cure-all. Vaidyanathan cautions against treating it as a universal solution. “Games are not needed in every topic. Novelty could wear out with time. Some games continue to engage even if repeated and others do not. We need to keep experimenting and trying to understand how students respond, and make changes accordingly,” he says. Its effectiveness appears to depend on how closely the activity is tied to the lesson. Used well, a quiz, simulation, or role-play can deepen participation and create room for experimentation. Used poorly, the same elements can become little more than distraction. What seems to be emerging is not a replacement for conventional teaching, but a broader effort to make learning more interactive, less punitive, and more responsive to different kinds of learners.