Ritika Datta
Ritika Datta is a behavioral psychologist and the founder of Hakopi, a boutique studio specializing in learning games and simulations. With more than a decade of experience, Ritika designs award-winning games that turn complex ideas into immersive, actionable learning experiences. Her work blends behavioral science, immersive storytelling, and evidence-based design to help organizations spark meaningful conversations and support lasting behavior change in ways that feel safe, engaging, and genuinely human.
How to Make Words Your Strongest Game Mechanic
This session reframes words as one of the most powerful and underused mechanics in game-based learning. Led by Ritika Datta, the session focuses on how carefully chosen words can act as behavioral cues that help learning transfer beyond the game and into real-world action.
Drawing on behavioral psychology and real examples from learning game design, participants explore how cue words can be intentionally designed into game loops, scoring, and feedback to prompt desired behaviors during and after play. The emphasis is on clarity and restraint, using language to reduce cognitive load rather than add to it.
Takeaway: The right words, designed intentionally, can do more than any mechanic alone.
