Educational games in emails: How brands teach, inform, and boost results
Summarize
Education doesn’t always happen in classrooms. Sometimes, it’s built into an email. More brands are now experimenting with educational-style games, such as short quizzes, polls, and challenges that test knowledge, spread new information, and keep subscribers engaged.
While many still associate games with fun and lighthearted campaigns, educational ones serve a different purpose. They simplify complex ideas, support learning, and drive engagement in ways regular emails never could. In industries like healthcare, education, finance, and consulting, they can turn heavy topics into clear, memorable takeaways, and still provide a professional experience.
(Source: Email from HubSpot)
Key takeaways:
- Gamification isn’t just for fun brands. Even healthcare, finance, and SaaS companies can use quizzes and simulations to teach, inform, and build trust.
- Educational games make complex ideas easy to grasp. They turn learning into a quick, enjoyable experience right inside the inbox.
- Educational games drive real results. Depending on the game type and occasion, some brands see 10–90% higher conversions when adding interactive learning elements to emails.
- You don’t need code to make it happen. With modern tools, you can build interactive emails that work for every subscriber.
Myths about educational games in emails
Despite their proven value, many marketers hesitate to use games, believing they don’t belong in professional communication. Let’s address the three most common myths that hold “serious” brands back.
Myth 1. Games are too playful for serious industries
Truth: Games can make complex topics easier to understand. Healthcare, finance, consulting, and legal organizations already use simulations, quizzes, and scenario-based training internally. Bringing that approach into email only makes learning quicker and more memorable. A quick “spot the mistake” or “what would you do?” challenge can train clients, teach compliance, or reinforce professional standards without feeling childish.
Myth 2. They distract from the main goal
Truth: Educational games drive conversions because they engage deeper. When people actively participate, they process and retain more information. Psychologists call this the “generation effect,” when people remember better when they create or discover answers themselves. That means they’re more likely to trust your message and take the next step, whether it’s booking a consultation or starting a free trial.
Myth 3. They take too long to build and test
Truth: With today’s tools, it’s easier than ever to add interactivity. A simple quiz or poll can be built in minutes, and even static fallbacks can keep the educational tone. You can create them through UI.
Why educational games work: The psychology behind it
People are naturally drawn to learning through challenges. It’s how we’re wired.
Gamified learning taps into two core psychological triggers:
- curiosity: Subscribers feel the need to complete unfinished tasks or find the right answer;
- mastery: Each correct choice or discovery gives them a small dopamine hit, motivating them to keep going.
When subscribers interact in this way, they experience your brand as a helpful teacher, not a salesperson. This shift builds trust and emotional loyalty.
What brands gain from email gamification in educational emails
- higher click-through and interaction rates;
- faster onboarding;
- emotional connection and brand loyalty;
- smarter personalization based on subscribers’ responses.
Educational games are not a gimmick. They’re a learning tool that helps both sides: brands gain insights and engagement, and subscribers get useful knowledge and a sense of progress.
Major types of educational games you can use
Educational games in emails can take many forms, depending on what you want your subscribers to learn or do. Whether your goal is onboarding, knowledge reinforcement, or simply sparking curiosity, there’s a game for that.
Below are the most effective types worth exploring:
1. Quizzes and trivia
These are great for quick knowledge checks, product education, or just adding a fun challenge. You can ask recipients about your brand, industry facts, or niche topics they care about.
(Source: Email from FAIRWINDS)
2. Find-the-mistake games
Perfect for SaaS, compliance, or product training. Show a mock scenario or screenshot, and ask subscribers to spot what’s wrong. This helps reinforce attention to detail and product understanding.
3. Scenario-based simulations
Put recipients in real-world situations, and let them choose what to do next. These work especially well in B2B or onboarding emails, where you want to demonstrate how your product solves problems.
4. Culture and history quizzes
Ideal for seasonal or thematic campaigns; think Women’s History Month, Earth Day, or national holidays. These quizzes build engagement and show your brand’s values and awareness.
(Source: Yakaboo)
5. Surveys with educational value
While not technically a game, surveys can be interactive and informative. Ask subscribers about their habits or preferences, and share a personalized summary or score after completion.
6. Did-you-know challenges
Test your audience with surprising facts or stats. These are quick, scroll-stopping moments that educate while entertaining, great for top-of-funnel engagement.
No matter your goal, whether it’s onboarding, engagement, or product discovery, these games work for a reason: they combine curiosity, challenges, and instant rewards. People love to learn, especially when it feels like playing. That’s what makes educational games not just fun but genuinely effective.
When and where to use educational games
Educational games are most effective when they align with the subscriber’s journey and the purpose of your campaign. Below are some ideal opportunities and use cases:
Product launches
Turn feature introductions into fun, informative quizzes. For example, a trivia game about a new product’s capabilities helps raise awareness while simultaneously educating recipients.
Promotional campaigns with added depth
Before you offer a discount or reward, invite recipients to complete a quick challenge, such as a quiz on what they’ve learned about your product or brand. It’s a more meaningful way to re-engage inactive subscribers or celebrate loyal ones.
Holiday and seasonal campaigns
Special dates like Earth Day or national holidays offer a chance to run themed quizzes. These games tap into the moment and show that your brand cares about more than just selling.
Onboarding emails
Gamified tutorials or find-the-mistake games can make learning about your product much easier and more enjoyable. Instead of reading long instructions, new subscribers learn by doing.
of what we learn through gamified tasks stays in memory, studies show.
Retention and engagement flows
Use educational games to reinforce customer knowledge over time. A short “How well do you know your tools?” quiz can remind recipients of your product features while keeping them actively engaged. The same works for “How well do you know the industry?” or similar challenges.
Milestone and anniversary campaigns
Celebrate your journey by testing how well your subscribers know your brand. You can highlight product evolution, values, or key achievements in a fun, nostalgic way.
(Source: Email from Stripo)
Whether you’re welcoming new subscribers, announcing a product, or celebrating a holiday, educational games turn one-way messages into two-way interactions, making your emails more fun, useful, and memorable.
One note of caution: Avoid overusing the same mechanic. If you plan to use gamification regularly, vary the format and style depending on your campaign’s goal and audience segment.
How to design educational email games
Creating a great game for email takes planning, the right tools, and an understanding of key rules. You don’t need special skills or complex coding, just a thoughtful approach that balances creativity with usability.
What makes an educational game work?
A successful game taps into basic human instincts, such as curiosity and the drive for challenges and rewards. These emotional triggers are what make people want to play and keep playing:
- instant feedback: A game should respond to recipients’ actions, most often right away. That feeling of “I did something and got a reaction” is what keeps people engaged;
- the sweet spot: Challenge vs. frustration: If it’s too easy, players get bored. If it’s too hard, they’ll give up. A bit of difficulty, just enough to trigger a small dopamine rush when solved, is ideal;
- emotional hooks: Curiosity, surprise, and reward are powerful emotional mechanisms. Whether it’s a fun fact, a hidden discount, or a mini achievement, these moments make your game rewarding and memorable;
- strong visuals: If your game doesn’t catch the eye in the first few seconds, many subscribers will leave the message. Use color, structure, and other design elements to make the game inviting and easy to follow;
- clear rules and guidance: It should also be clear what people are expected to do, whether it’s answering a question, clicking through, or unlocking a small surprise. Subtle visual cues, thoughtful placement, and intuitive layout will guide them without the need for loud instructions;
- the right placement of a game: If you put, say, a poll at the end of your email, readers may click away after engaging with offers or other useful content earlier on. Instead, place your quiz or survey near the beginning; this increases the chances that people will take part.
Share the answer: Now or later?
- if your goal is sales, reveal the answer immediately. Send recipients who got it right to a landing page with a discount code or reveal the answer right in the email;
- if your goal is education, again, show the answer right away;
- if your goal is to increase OR, use a follow-up email to reveal the answer, explain the logic behind the answer, and share related tips.
Now that we’ve covered the creative side, let’s see what it takes to make it work in inboxes.
Technical side of the game
To make educational games work in emails, they need to be interactive, meaning recipients should be able to click, answer, explore, or play without leaving the inbox.
The challenge? Different email clients support different types of interactivity:
- AMP (used by Gmail, Yahoo, and Fair Email) enables real-time interactions but only covers about 30% of all subscribers;
- kinetic emails built with HTML5 and CSS3 (supported by Apple Mail, Samsung Mail, and Thunderbird) cover around 50%;
- that still leaves a large group of subscribers whose email clients support neither.
So, how do you make sure everyone can play despite their email client? Combine all three formats into one email:
- AMP for those who support it;
- kinetic HTML as an interactive fallback;
- a final fallback, which can either be a simplified version of the game or a link to a landing page that replicates the full interactive experience.
Combining these formats ensures that every subscriber, no matter the device or email client, can experience the value and fun of your game.
The good news? You can do it no-code through UI. Tools like Stripo's Interactive Module Generator let you create interactive games, complete with AMP, kinetic HTML, and fallback versions, quickly and without writing code. So, even small teams can deliver big experiences.
Wrapping up
Educational games can do a lot of heavy lifting, from onboarding and product education to re-engagement and brand storytelling. They spark curiosity, create memorable interactions, and turn passive readers into active participants.
Yes, building them takes thought and care. You’ll need to balance challenge with clarity, emotional appeal with brand relevance, and make sure it works in every inbox. However, with the right structure and tools, even small teams can launch games that teach, entertain, and convert.