Lost in Gamification Design: A Scientometric Analysis

Gamification represents a solution to motivate and engage users by introducing elements and characteristics of video games in non-playful activities. To help designers in the definition of these gamified systems, researchers are developing a consistent amount of gamification design frameworks. Through the current scientometric review, we analyzed a total of 1,751 results and 64,109 unique references and identified the most impactful publications in the domain of gamification design frameworks, the most relevant authors, and how research trends have changed over time. On the basis of the analysis, we also provide four suggestions for the future agenda. As a pioneering scientometric examination of the gamification design frameworks literature, this study will appeal to a diverse audience including academic researchers at various stages of their careers, graduate students, and professors seeking to discern research trends, pertinent subjects, major publications, and key scholars within the field.