Learning as a Game – Understanding the “Game Loop” of Growth

Let’s be honest:
It’s kind of funny how games work, right?

You start out fighting butterflies with a wooden stick, just to earn some XP and loot.
Why?
So you can fight stronger monsters…
...that give you more XP…
...so you can level up…
...and fight even harder monsters.

It’s a loop. A beautiful, addictive loop.
And here’s the kicker:

The Game Is Never About Having—It’s About Growing

When you reach max level in a game, what happens?
You flex for a bit. Show off your gear. Maybe grind a final boss.
But soon?
The game becomes boring.

Because you’ve stopped growing.

Even in pay-to-win games, people who buy everything instantly often feel that emptiness.
They skip the journey—the challenges, the tension, the trial-and-error.
What’s left is just showing off.
But here’s the truth:
Most people don’t care what you’ve achieved.
They’re too busy with their own lives.

So the short-term high of “I did it!” wears off fast… unless you’re still on the path.

This Is the Game Loop—And Learning Works Exactly the Same Way

When I started building Edenauts, my educational game project, I noticed something strange:
It felt exactly like playing a game.

I had no clue what I was doing at the beginning—
It was like I had that same wooden stick, chasing down the first butterfly.

Then I hit a problem.
Something in the game needed to be fixed.
I didn’t know how—
So I learned how.

Next step? Another challenge. Another fix. Another level up.

It was a natural game loop:

• Face a challenge

• Gain knowledge (XP)

• Apply it

• Unlock the next level

And the most amazing part?
The game never ended.

Each new feature I added to Edenauts gave me more problems to solve, and each solution taught me something new—about design, code, psychology, storytelling, community-building…

Project-Based Learning: The Best Game Loop Out There

This is why I’m a huge fan of project-based learning.
You don’t learn for the sake of a test.
You learn because there’s a real mission you care about.

And just like in a great game, the stakes feel personal.
You want to build something that works.
You want to improve it.
You want to see people use it.
And when real players start showing up?

Now you have a social feedback loop too.
Your work is seen. Your ideas are valued. Your learning is visible in what you’ve created.

That’s powerful.
That’s motivating.

So What’s the Point of All This?

The point is:
Learning doesn’t have to be separate from life.

It doesn’t have to be boring. Or abstract.
You don’t have to wait until “the right time.”

Just pick a mission, grab your wooden stick, and go.
The challenges will come.
And so will the XP.

Because the best kind of learning?
It’s not a curriculum.
It’s a game.

And the goal isn’t to “win”—
It’s to keep growing.