Why is it that the Europeans are the ones doing really cool shit with gamification? Here in the states it seems a new gamified app is released daily in the hopes of getting each of us to run a little bit faster, stay a bit more organized, get our kindergarteners to read more, or increase our personal sales goal (exponentially in many cases). We are each in a constant race to improve ourselves, and we’re doing it with applications and objectives that would make Mr. Rogers and the Elders in the Church of Latter Day Saints smile. It’s all so boring.

Europeans on the other hand tend to create quirky games to get citizens to obey the speed limit, decrease the rate of public urination, or promote safer sex practices in young people. They’re jogging on a steady sprint toward better conditions for society at large. These games tend to be fun, involve entire communities and take players away from their smart phones into an gamified reality. And when they don’t like what society is doing? Well then some decide to create a game to bring that society down.