This is an excerpt taken from my blog here - http://www.gamified.uk/gamification-framework/differences-between-gamification-and-games/ 

Game Thinking

The aim of this article is to present an umbrella term for the use of games and game like solutions in non game contexts. Many people lump this al under Gamification. I have chosen the term Game Thinking instead and hopefully by the end of this, you will understand why and also have a better understanding of the differences between games, gamification, serious games and more.

Game Inspired Design / Playful Design

This is where no actual elements from games are used, just ideas. So user interfaces that mimic those from games, design or artwork that is inspired by games or the way things are written. All of these have links to games, but do not contain anything that you would consider to be part of a game (mechanics, dynamics, tokens etc.)

Gamification

Gamification is generally defined along the lines of “The use of game thinking and elements in non game contexts“. Here I have split gamification into two distinct types. Intrinsic and Extrinsic. This is very similar to Karl Kapps two types of gamification, where he talks about structural and content gamification.

Extrinsic gamification is the sort that most people are used to, where game elements are added to a system. Things like points, badges, progress bars etc.

Intrinsic gamification is more about using motivation (RAMP) and behavioural design to engage users.

Serious Games

Spoken about here already, this group includes full games that have been created for reasons other than pure entertainment.

Teaching Game / Games for Learning

This is a game where you are taught how to do something, by playing a real game. An example of this is Phantomation. This was a game that was designed to teach you how to use the animation software Play Sketch. Rather than just showing you the tools, it has you solving various puzzles that need deeper and deeper understanding of the tool.

Simulator

A simulator is where you are interacting with a virtual version of something real. Raph Koster mentioned MS Flight, which is a great example.  Whilst this game does have the ability to set tasks and missions, used as a training aide it does not need gameplay. The idea is to learn how to fly a plane. An interesting example of this is Cornak. This game sets out to teach you the basics of selling products and managing a client portfolio. It simulates a company that sells red and blue cubes and puts you at the heart of managing it. 

Meaningful Game / Games for Good

This is a game that tries to get a across a meaningful message and if possible promote change with that message. An example of this would be Darfur is Dying. 

Purposeful Game

The idea of a purposeful game is that playing it has some sort of real world outcome. Four examples of this come to mind. FoldIt, Tilt World, Genes in Space and Digitakoot. 

• Teaching Game: Teaches you something using real gameplay.
• Simulator: A virtual version of something from the real world that allows safe practice and testing.
• Meaningful Game: Uses gameplay to promote a meaningful message to the player.
• Purposeful Game: Uses games to create direct real world outcomes.

Games / Play / Toys

Find out more about Play in these posts

• Play, games, toys, playfulness and gamification
• Learning about playfulness from Toca Town

Play. There is no true single definition, but most accept that it is a type of play. Play, in this context, is confined only by implicit rules. A ball is governed by implicit rules such as gravity. You don’t impose gravity on a ball, it is just there.

Play begins to become a game, when you start to add explicit rules to it. If I kick the ball through a goal, I get a point and win (Zero sum). If we work together to get the ball through a series of obstacles, we win (non zero sum). For some this will boil down to competition (with the system or other players) and cooperation. For others, there is much much more to it!.

Toys come into this as another part of play that is important to consider. A toy seems to have two main varieties. An object or representation of an object that obeys implicit rules, but has no explicit rules on it’s own. So a ball, a transformer etc. You can play with them however you want, within the toys own rules – gravity, shape, fragility etc. The other seems to be a playground. Take Gary’s Mod or Minecraft (in creator mode). You are in a virtual world that has it’s own implicit rules for how the world behaves and the restraints that you as the player have within the world (magic circle). With Minecraft this would be things like how far you can dig down, how far you can dig up, how certain blocks behave with other blocks. However, within those constraints you can do what you want. You can use the world itself as a toy.

There are hundreds of thousands of words dedicated to this conversation, but for me it is important not to forget the importance of play when you look at Game Thinking.

Back to games and I have split them up into 2 basic categories. Entertainment and Art. Entertainment is what most people would consider games. Call of duty, Civilization, World of Warcraft – that sort of thing. Art is more subjective. I would consider a game such as Proteus more art than game, some would not. That can be discussed elsewhere I am sure!

I have added a third type under games, that dotted lines back into serious games – Adver-games. These are proper games that are created to advertise something. The game is real, it plays like a game, but at some stage it is being used to try and sell you something. 

• Play is free form and has no extrinsically imposed goals. It is done for fun or joy.
• Games add defined goals and rules to play (such as challenges)
• Toys are objects that can be used in play or games.

A decision tree to work out if it is a Serious Game, a game or anything else!

What now?

This is my take on Game Thinking. For me this represents the majority of things you should have in mind when you hear the word gamification. Limiting yourself to the standard definition is going to reduce how effective your thinking will be when it comes to designing solutions for people. I know that others have other ideas – so I throw this open for you all to interpret, add too and take from