Research Data Management (RDM) Adventure Game: a text-based role-playing interactive fiction serious game, based on the data management challenges of a research project. The game takes the form of an online choose-your-own-adventure format in which game players take a simulated research project through the following processes: data management planning, data collection/generation, data organisation, data description and research publication, while encountering data management challenges along the way. The game was developed as part of a collaboration between the University of Bath Library and Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service between 2017 and 2020 by Alex Ball (University of Bath), Samuel Simango (Stellenbosch University) and Nushrat Khan (University of Bath). In January 2021, the Wellcome Trust's Early Career Researchers Advisory Board endorsed the game by including it in the Wellcome Open Research early career researchers pack, recognising it as a useful tool for researchers. More details. 

DANS Data Game: card and online game in English developed by the Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS), The Netherlands. The game is only available in multiplayer mode (3-4 players, but can be adjusted for two players). The goal of the game is to collect as many sets of four cards as possible, by asking alternately between players. The sets represent various areas of the research data landscape and each card bears the name and a definition of a concept relevant for Research Data Management, as well as the names of the related cards that should be collected. Cards can be downloaded and printed. More details

Halloween-themed online escape rooms: The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam created three online escape rooms Open Science Escape Room (2021), Software Horror Escape Room (2022) and Data Horror Escape Room (2023). All three escape rooms are openly available resources; anyone can play them at any time. They are also used as team-building activities during larger events and trainings.

Open Science files, developed by Hannah Crago and Thomas O'Toole-Mills (2023, as part of the YUFE Transforming Research and Innovation through Europe-wide Knowledge Transfer (YUFERING) project), is "a game based approach to teaching researchers about open science. Through a series of puzzles, participants have to figure out what or who is preventing YUFERING researchers' open science practices. The game can be completed online or in person, and is divided into four main cases, with a final puzzle bringing everything together. Each case can be completed by the same person, or can be completed by teams that then come together at the end to solve the final puzzle."

Open Axis: The Open Access Video Game (2021) - a browser-based game designed by the UCLA Library. The player takes the role of a scholar navigating the research and scholarly publishing landscape.

"The role-playing Open Access Mystery game developed by Katrine Sundsbo uses downloadable slides. It was also designed for online platforms (i.e. Zoom) to allow for immediate verbal interaction between players who are tasked with finding the culprit responsible for a global lockdown of all research. The Open Access Escape Room, also by the same author, was originally created in 2018 as a physical game and digitally adapted in 2020 under the name The Puzzling Hunt for Open Access. Both versions follow the narrative of all research being locked away by a villain and are aimed at academic staff to gain an understanding of the concepts of Open Access. The players have to find clues and solve various Open Access themed puzzles in order to unlock research. Despite not replicating the original escape room format, where participants interact with each other in teams, the online game offers more flexibility as the mixed media-based puzzles can be completed by a single player at their own pace. Like most Research Support Games, all materials are published under a CC BY licence resulting in both versions having been played and adapted further in and outside the UK." (from Using games to engage with Open Access (and beyond!)

The Game of Open Access, developed by staff from Computing & Library Services (CLS) at the University of Huddersfield in 2017 and adapted by F. de Andrade, C. de Wilder, E. Van Zimmeren, M. Zahadzic, R. Baccarne (University of Antwerp). A board game that can also be played online (

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The Publishing Trap is a board game from the UK Copyright Literacy team that allows participants to explore the impact of scholarly communications choices and discuss the role of open access in research by following the lives of four researchers – from doctoral research to their academic legacies. The game was first developed in 2016 when it won a runner’s up prize at the LILAC Lagadothon. The most recent version is v2.0 which has been made available as an online resource. You can also download the first version of the physical board game resources. 

Röthlisberger, Melanie, Höfler, Manuela, Hermans, Katherine, Furrer, Eva. 2021. Open Up Your Research - An Open Science Game. University of Zurich. You will follow the researcher Emma on her way to a PhD. You get to decide at each stage whether Emma should practice an open science approach or go the conventional route. How should Emma’s research process look like? What will await Emma at the end?

The Dilemma Game app has been developed by Erasmus University Rotterdam to stimulate awareness of, and an open and critical discussion about, integrity and professionalism in research. The game lets participants consider, choose and defend (and possibly reconsider) alternative courses of action regarding a realistic dilemma related to professionalism and integrity in research. The game can be used in a variety of settings, and has three modes: Individual, Group, and Lecture. 

The Openscientometer: A serious game about Open Science topics, practices and challenges by Christophe Dony. / L'Openscientomètre (Version FR): Jeu sérieux sur la Science Ouverte et ses enjeux. 

Foldit is a protein folding computer game developed by scientists. By playing Foldit, you can contribute to advanced research on human health, bioengineering, and the inner workings of biology. Foldit is free to play and not-for-profit. Discoveries made in the game are published in peer-reviewed research journals and Foldit players are always credited for their contributions. Every week, Foldit scientists post new puzzles focused on the latest problems in protein folding. For a deep dive into the science behind protein folding, visit the Science page.

Board game "Super-Open Researcher" / Jeu Super Open Researcher  (English version and French version) - a serious board-game created within the SCD of the University of French Guiana by Marie Latour and Caroline Boiteux to ensure the understanding of the main principles of Open Access, and to start the debate on the challenges raised.

EOSC Ice Breakers are discussion cards developed under the EOSC (European Open Science Cloud) Future project for trainers on EOSC-related topics and Open Science, as well as for all those who would like to learn more about these topics. The playing set consists of a card deck including 30 cards: 8 myth-busting cards and 22 statement cards, and playing instructions. The cards can be used in many ways, e.g. in engagement and training activities.

An aggregated list of games and game-related materials:
Bray, George; McCutcheon, Valerie (2021): Research Support Games List. figshare. Online resource. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16652701.v5