Citizen Engagement
Gamification: When inspiring citizen engagement in Singapore is all fun and games
12 June 2025
How can gamification transform civic engagement to shape policies and build a healthier, more connected Singapore?
Games are serious business nowadays, with "gamification" a proven way for organisations to nudge behaviour, shape habits, and make civic participation fun. And so, we have fitness apps awarding badges for daily exercise, retail programmes offering experience points for purchases, and educational platforms turning lessons into quests.
In Singapore, the public sector is also, well, getting into the game. One of the latest examples is the collaboration between GovTech’s CrowdTaskSG platform, the National Youth Council (NYC), and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) as part of the SG Youth Plan. Through this partnership, young Singaporeans are invited to share their ideas for Singapore's future, simply by answering short surveys and participating in interactive 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, NYC has launched a series of quick online surveys hosted on CrowdTaskSG, a web portal developed by GovTech 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 will also be launching 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.
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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