Plants vs Zombies as an Empowering Learning Machine

What makes the computer game Plants vs. Zombies engaging and a successful learning machine – and can these engaging elements be used in serious game designs? In the game, vegetables and flowers defeat zombies by shooting peas, coconuts, and watermelons, and delaying the zombies by feeding them walnuts. The game is a classic strategic tower defence game in a vegetarian game universe.
This article analyses the game in order to identify engaging elements that can be used in the design of serious games. Empowerment and well-ordered problems were key elements found in the analysis of the gameplay in Plants vs. Zombies. Empowerment can be split into active participation, meaningful feedback, co-design, identity, and identification. The second key element, i.e. well-ordered problems, can be divided into pleasantly frustrating, cycles of expertise, strategies to achieve goals, and stripped-down version.
A first-hand experience of playing computer games gives valuable input for designing serious games. The first-hand experiences are also valuable in the classroom when relating game design theory to real-life experiences. The player invests a lot of time in playing, and meaningful gameplay can trigger deep learning.