With new apps popping up daily in the market, we recently came across Gametize, a platform designed for event gamification. This app stands out in helping users create gamified events, challenges, and quizzes for all kinds of audiences.
With a mix of useful features and customizable options, it is an appealing choice for education and event gamification. Let’s dive into its features and see what makes them amazing.
Gametize makes it easy to get started with game creation by offering pre-made templates for projects and challenges. These templates help users design games quickly and effectively, especially useful for beginners who want to avoid starting from scratch.
Since the user interface of Gametize can be a bit complicated for first-time users, having templates can make a big difference. However, project templates are only available in the paid version.
Gametize offers diverse task categories, making creating interactive and engaging challenges for any event easier. With 11 task types, Gametize provides most of the basic challenge options needed for event creation. The app’s task categories allow for various activities, such as trivia, photo uploads, and polls, catering to various event formats.
While these challenge types are diverse and cater to various event needs, it’s important to note that not all tasks are available on the web app. Some tasks require the mobile app for full functionality, which may be inconvenient for organizers who prefer to manage everything from a web-based platform. For instance, challenges like QR code scanning and video tasks can only be fully accessed via the mobile app.
Moreover, Gametize doesn’t include "judged" tasks, a feature often required by scavenger hunt organizers for challenges that involve personal evaluation, such as photo contests or creative submissions in complex or competitive events. Without this feature, it’s harder to include challenges that need personal evaluation, such as photo contests or creative activities.
So, if you want to explore more flexibility, try scavenger hunt apps like PlayTours which offer over 25 task types, including the versatile "judged" task, all available on the web app, providing broader options for scavenger hunt organizers.
Gametize includes a unique feature called flashcard content, designed to share important information simply. Flashcards are non-point-based tasks that allow organizers to present guidelines, introductions, or educational content to participants. This feature is perfect for onboarding new players, explaining rules, or delivering key details during an event. Since they don’t involve earning points, they serve as a purely informative tool, keeping the focus on learning or understanding without adding competition.
Gametize includes a mini-games feature, allowing organizers to integrate fun, interactive games where players can earn bonus points. These mini-games bring excitement and variety, making events more dynamic and enjoyable.
There are five types of mini-games currently available. But one thing to note is that this mini-games feature is currently in beta testing. Some games may not function seamlessly on all platforms (web or mobile). Organizers are encouraged to verify compatibility or reach out to Gametize’s support team if needed.
Gametize provides a variety of options that allow organizers to customize their games effectively. Features like adding speed points to reward the first participants, configuring quizzes in list or grid layouts, and scheduling tasks to appear at specific times give users significant control over the game flow.
For a better experience, it would be great to have more detailed settings for each task in the game. For example, point penalties for wrong answers, limited attempts, skip penalties, and timed or attempt-based clues. Apps like PlayTours offer these customization options, which help create a more exciting and engaging game flow.
When it comes to text-based answers, PlayTours provides a more flexible approach to reduce errors and improve the player experience. Organizers can set multiple accepted answers, ignore capitalization, spaces, and special characters, and allow answers with minor errors like typos or misplaced letters. Additionally, it supports awarding bonus points for specific answers, giving organizers greater flexibility to create dynamic, engaging games while reducing player frustration.
The platform offers a range of features to enhance the visual appeal of games. Organizers can access Pixabay and Gametize’s image libraries or upload their own images to align with the event’s theme. Additionally, external media such as videos, documents, or web pages can be embedded directly into tasks, making the experience more engaging for participants.
Similarly, PlayTours also provides extensive media embedding options, catering to organizers who need advanced customization. Users can upload images, videos, or MP3 files directly from their devices or embed external media such as web links, maps, or YouTube videos. A standout feature of PlayTours is the ability to embed interactive elements using iFrames, enabling seamless integration of 360° videos or other external content. This flexibility makes it easy to create immersive experiences, such as virtual tours and interactive scavenger hunts.
Gametize includes features that help organizers manage the timing and pacing of tasks. Users can set tasks to be completed at specific intervals, expire at certain times, or include time delays between completions. These controls are particularly effective for maintaining engagement over extended events.
The rewards store is a great way to keep participants motivated and engaged in the game. Players can earn points and then redeem them for prizes, which can range from small items to exciting experiences. Organizers have the flexibility to set up rewards that suit their audience, making the game even more fun and rewarding. But one thing is this feature also still in beta testing.
Gametize's Analytics feature gives organizers a clear overview of how their project is performing. It shows important stats like player participation, task completion rates, and overall activity, helping organizers understand how engaged everyone is. You can also see daily trends such as new sign-ups, task completions, comments, and votes over the last week.
For more detailed analysis, Gametize provides a summary of task completions, focusing on which tasks are popular and which are completed most often. It also tracks individual player data, showing trends in sign-ups, performance, and engagement. Plus, you can download reports for offline analysis or to share with others.
For those seeking an alternative with more advanced event data analysis, PlayTours' session analytics offer enhanced features through session-based tracking, ideal for large event gamification and team-building races. By separating test runs from live events, it delivers detailed insights into team performance, task completion trends, and participant activity. With live leaderboards and tools to monitor skipped tasks and time patterns, PlayTours provides a robust and flexible solution, ensuring seamless management for events of any size.
Gametize offers flexible pricing plans, making it accessible for users with different budgets. It offers tiered pricing plans ranging from a free plan to a premium option costing $500 per month. Compared to platforms like GooseChase, Gametize is relatively cost-effective for smaller-scale events. While these plans are straightforward, the pricing scales significantly with the number of players and features required, which can become costly for larger or recurring events.
So, if you organize events with hundreds of players or run multi-day activities, PlayTours’ concurrent device pricing plan can provide even more value. Instead of charging per participant, you only pay for the maximum number of devices in use at the same time. This means you can manage large-scale events spread over different sessions or days without needing to pay for every participant individually.
For example, let’s say you’re hosting a scavenger hunt with 60 teams of 5 players each, using 2 devices per team, which totals over 300 participants but requires only 120 devices concurrently. With PlayTours, this fits comfortably under the $159 plan, regardless of the event’s duration or how many participants rotate in and out. This is far more cost-effective and scalable for managing corporate gamification, multi-day scavenger hunts, or any event requiring seamless transitions between sessions.
Gametize is mainly built for education and corporate training, offering tools for learning, quizzes, and interactive lessons. Its design feels more like a project management tool, which can make creating casual games harder. While it's good for structured activities, it’s not ideal for dynamic games like scavenger hunts. For example, Gametize often unlocks all the challenges at once, which takes away the excitement of discovering clues one by one. Scavenger hunts rely on tasks being revealed gradually, but Gametize doesn’t support this.
Gametize is a powerful platform for creating interactive and engaging gamified events. Its unique features and flexibility make it particularly appealing for first-time users and smaller-scale events. However, if you're looking for a more exciting scavenger hunt experience, other apps might be more suitable. For example, PlayTours stands out with its extensive task variety, advanced customization features, and seamless usability for both simple and complex events.
Ultimately, the best platform depends on your specific event needs, budget, and desired level of customization. Both tools offer valuable capabilities, and understanding your priorities will help you choose the one that fits your event perfectly.
That's it! If you need help, do email us at hello@playtours.app
