Gamification and the Poison of Competition

In today’s world, children are being encouraged to play sophisticated and highly addictive video games. These are often referred to as strategy games, but their underlying purpose is far from educational. The objective, in most cases, is to defeat the opponent, sometimes even kill them and conquer their land. The enemy may appear as a demon, alien, or zombie — but regardless of the disguise, the central theme remains the same: domination through violence.

These games cast players into two roles — the victim, whose suffering justifies retaliation, or the conqueror, who must crush others to rise in power. Children are conditioned to believe that to be great warriors or “alphas,” they must constantly climb the pecking order through aggression and dominance. In the name of “gamification,” we are teaching them that violence and competition are virtues, and that victory — not compassion — defines worth.

Monopoly and the Rise of Capitalist Values

A century ago, a very different kind of game became immensely popular — Monopoly. Unlike battle-driven video games, it was designed to teach the principles of business. The objective was simple: buy land, build property, and collect rent. But beneath the surface lay a subtle ideology. The game rewarded monopolistic behavior — accumulating wealth for personal gain while driving others into bankruptcy.

Interestingly, early versions of Monopoly included a tax component, but it was later removed, symbolizing a shift toward pure capitalism. The message was clear: wealth exists to be hoarded, not shared; society is merely a field for personal enrichment. Through games like Monopoly, children learned not the ethics of economy, but the art of domination through money — the capitalist version of conquest.

Snakes and Ladders: The Philosophy of Karma

Now, contrast these Western games with an ancient Indian game — Snakes and Ladders. Originally designed by Indian monks, this game wasn’t about wealth or war. It was a spiritual metaphor, a reflection of life and karma.

In Snakes and Ladders, your fate is determined by the throw of a dice — the symbol of chance. A good throw may lift you up a ladder toward prosperity, while a bad one may send you sliding down a snake into hardship. Yet the game is not about triumph or loss; it is about acceptance and awareness. You can choose to “win” and escape the game — achieving liberation — or continue to play, savoring the experience.

The deeper message lies in participation, not victory. There is no violence, no conquest, no domination — only the unfolding of fate and one’s response to it. The dual nature of luck, both uplifting and humbling, becomes the real teacher.

The Spirit of Sports: Competition vs. Collaboration

The same distinction extends to sports. Competitive sports — running, wrestling, fencing, or team games like football and volleyball — all hinge on the same principle: defeat the other to win. Even teamwork exists only as a strategy for overcoming another group.

But India’s cultural traditions also celebrated collaborative games, where the joy lay in unity rather than rivalry. One such example is the festival game of forming a human pyramid to break a hanging pot of butter — an act inspired by Lord Krishna’s playful spirit. Everyone contributes to the goal, everyone shares in the joy. Even those who fail or fall are part of the laughter. It is a celebration of togetherness.

Sadly, modern politics has corrupted even this. Today, such acts of unity are turned into competitions, pitting communities against one another — transforming what was once joyful collaboration into rivalry.

The Lesson from Vishnu Purana

An ancient story from the Vishnu Purana illustrates the danger of competition beautifully. When the gods and demons churned the ocean of milk to obtain the nectar of immortality, they wound a serpent around a mountain and began pulling from both ends. Their rivalry, however, produced not nectar but poison — Halahala.

Only when Vishnu intervened and advised them to pull in coordination, taking turns instead of competing, did the ocean yield treasures and the coveted nectar. The lesson is timeless: cooperation creates nectar; competition breeds poison.

The Modern Poison of Gamification

Modern society, however, seems to have forgotten this wisdom. We are rapidly turning every game — and even life itself — into a competition. The thrill, the dopamine rush, comes only from defeating others. We glorify success that depends on someone else’s failure.

This mindset has bled into every sphere — education, business, politics, and technology. Trillion-dollar corporations are now built around the principle of dopamine addiction, rewarding our competitive impulses just as drug cartels feed physical cravings. Ironically, we admire these digital cartels — the tech giants — for their “innovation,” even as they enslave billions in the pursuit of validation.

Through the lens of gamification, we are building a world that takes, hoards, and conquers, rather than one that shares, gives, and uplifts. The result? A fractured planet where humanity’s dream of a global village has turned into a confederacy of warring tribes, each addicted to victory, blind to compassion.

The Real Game Worth Playing

Perhaps it’s time to rethink the games we play — and the values they teach. Do we wish to raise a generation of conquerors who thrive on dopamine and domination, or a generation of collaborators who find joy in participation, empathy, and creation?

The true game, after all, is not about defeating others. It’s about discovering ourselves.