Gamification: When inspiring citizen engagement in Singapore is all fun and games

Gamification isn't just for fitness apps and retail loyalty programmes anymore—it's increasingly shaping how Governments engage their citizens. By turning everyday activities into interactive and rewarding challenges, gamification can inspire citizen participation, strengthen community bonds, and make civic involvement more enjoyable.

In Singapore, the public sector is also, well, getting into the game. Government agencies are embracing this gamification approach through initiatives powered by GovTech such as CrowdTaskSG—from gathering youth ideas for national policies, to crowdsourcing affordable meals, to even getting residents out and about on "phygital" walking trails.

Let's explore how these gamification programmes work, why they're effective, and how the public sector is proving that shaping the nation's future can truly be all fun and games.

Shaping Singapore’s future, one play at a time

The SG Youth Plan initiative is designed to gather insights from youth on issues such as sustainability, mental health, and social cohesion. To make it engaging and accessible, the National Youth Council (NYC) has launched a series of quick online surveys hosted on CrowdTaskSG, a web portal developed by GovTech Singapore for government agencies to roll out crowdsourcing tasks at scale.

Grouped under the SG Youth Plan Quest, each survey is kept short and simple, with about 10 questions or fewer. Completing a survey takes no more than two minutes, earning participants up to 50 virtual coins and 100 experience points (XP). These virtual coins can be redeemed for cash rewards at any merchant that supports Nets QR code payments, while accumulating XP helps users climb ranks within the CrowdTaskSG community, unlocking bonus coins as they progress.

Beyond surveys, NYC also introduced tasks that requires users to check-in at certain locations or encourages users to share their experiences through photos. With the new SG Youth Plan Challenge, completing tasks not only contributes to nation-building but also allows you to unlock milestone rewards as a community as the challenge encourages participants to rally their friends and family to contribute so that more voices can be heard. Participants can stand to receive attractive prizes from the SG Youth Plan lucky draw too.

Since March 2025, users are also able to complete surveys via the “Do Your Bit With Spark” game on CrowdTaskSG. In this interactive experience, participants collect and respond to question boxes scattered across a virtual game environment, gather gems and apples for points, and navigate through progressively complex levels. Every answer given during the game contributes to shaping the SG Youth Plan, turning fun gameplay into real-world policy impact.

The SG Youth Plan, developed with input from these engagements, will form a five-year action plan that reflects the hopes, aspirations, and ideas of young Singaporeans. It will guide how youth can be supported in their development and contributions to the nation.

Building on a strong foundation: the Great Budget Meal Hunt

The SG Youth Plan Quest is not the first time CrowdTaskSG has demonstrated the power of gamification. Previously, the platform supported another popular initiative: the Great Budget Meal Hunt.

Launched in late 2023, the Great Budget Meal Hunt invited Singaporeans to crowdsource affordable meal options at Housing & Development Board (HDB) coffee shops. Participants could submit new budget meal recommendations or verify existing ones, making it easier for everyone to find wallet-friendly food choices.

Submissions were progressively listed on BudgetMealGoWhere, a website that displays budget meals – typically priced at $3.50 and below for meals, and $1.20 and below for drinks – at coffee shops across the island. Within three months of its launch, the Great Budget Meal Hunt saw more than 1,600 new recommendations and over 2,500 verifications across 310 coffee shops.

Participation was incentivised through CrowdTaskSG’s gamified structure, where users could gain stars, unlock badges, and tackle more complicated challenges as they contributed. These efforts not only helped Singaporeans access affordable food options but also demonstrated how simple, fun citizen participation could create meaningful community impact.

Taking it outdoors: Walking Trails@CDC

Another recent example is Walking Trails@CDC—an innovative “phygital” walking programme launched in partnership with the five Community Development Councils (CDCs). Powered by CrowdTaskSG, it blends outdoor physical activity with interactive digital challenges across five curated trails, featuring local landmarks and park connectors in each district. Participants who complete a trail's checkpoints and digital challenges can stand to receive RedeemSG rewards vouchers via their CrowdTaskSG accounts.

By combining physical activity with interactive challenges, this programme motivates active lifestyles, fosters community cohesion, and demonstrates how gamification can turn healthy habits into shared, rewarding experiences.

Gamification is not just CrowdTaskSG’s game

CrowdTaskSG’s work is part of a broader trend across Singapore’s public sector to use gamification for good.

One standout example is the Health Promotion Board (HPB), which has long embraced gamification to encourage healthier lifestyles. Programmes like the National Steps Challenge, which rewards participants for achieving step targets, and the Healthy 365 app, which offers prizes for healthy eating and exercising, have motivated thousands of Singaporeans to make lasting changes in their daily habits.

Another notable initiative is LumiHealth, a collaboration between HPB and Apple, where participants complete wellness challenges through an app synced to their Apple Watches. With activities designed around exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and sleep, LumiHealth uses gamification to encourage healthier choices in an interactive and enjoyable way.

Globally, governments are also exploring gamification to enhance civic engagement. For example, Estonia, known for its e-government and smart city initiatives, has gamified citizen participation in digital literacy campaigns. In South Korea, officials gathered feedback about the capital through a metaverse environment, putting a new twist on the perennial issues of municipal management and urban development.

Join the movement: make your voice heard

At its heart, gamification transforms the way citizens engage with important issues, making it easier (and more enjoyable) to take part in shaping the nation’s future.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, visit CrowdTaskSG to find out how you can participate today. Let’s play our part in building a better Singapore together!

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