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Rubén Andrés
WriterWriter at Xataka. I've been working remotely for more than a decade and I'm a strong advocate of technology as a way to improve our lives. Full-time addict of black, sugar-free coffee.
Alba Mora
WriterAn established tech journalist, I entered the world of consumer tech by chance in 2018. In my writing and translating career, I've also covered a diverse range of topics, including entertainment, travel, science, and the economy.
Work and pleasure often seem incompatible, like oil and water. However, LinkedIn is attempting to challenge this notion by incorporating a series of games into a platform primarily focused on professional networking.
Scrolling through the new LinkedIn timeline can be jarring at first. You might expect posts about a former colleague’s new job or a company seeking to fill a vacancy, only to suddenly encounter a co-worker boasting about achieving the highest score in a game. Wasn’t LinkedIn supposed to be about work?
Surprisingly, LinkedIn’s integration of games is proving to be quite successful.
Networking, Finding Jobs, and Playing Games
In May 2024, the company announced the integration of a series of free games accessible to all registered users on the platform. However, since this is a corporate platform, the focus isn’t on offering triple-A games but rather on following a productive approach.
“The mission of LinkedIn is simple: Connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful,” the platform says on its website. However, the company acknowledges that the world of work has changed, as has the way people communicate and approach their workdays.
This shift in communication habits and work dynamics has prompted the platform to adopt a more playful approach. “Our goal at LinkedIn is to continue to find ways to bring professionals together to stay informed and connected,” LinkedIn VP Daniel Roth wrote in a post.
LinkedIn offers a limited selection of games. It features four titles that are simple in terms of graphics. However, they provide a variety of mental challenges and an engaging way to enhance cognitive skills.
The games included in LinkedIn’s catalog are:
- Crossclimb. This is a quiz game where players use clues to guess words arranged on a ladder. The goal is to form groups of words where only one letter differs from the previous word. Once you’ve correctly ordered the sequence of words, you unlock clues for the starting and ending words. The challenge is to unscramble them as quickly as possible.
- Pinpoint. In this word association game, players attempt to guess the common category or theme that connects a set of words. You’re given five clues to help determine this category. The goal is to guess it using as few clues as possible.
- Queens. This is a logic game where players fill a grid with crowns, ensuring that there’s only one crown per row, column, and colored region. Crowns can’t be placed in adjacent segments.
- Tango. The latest addition to LinkedIn’s game collection is another logic game. Players need to fill a grid so that each row and column contains an equal number of suns and moons. Additionally, there can’t be more than two adjacent suns or moons, either vertically or horizontally.
What Are These Games Doing on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn games editor Paolo Pasco says these games aim to highlight the benefits of taking short breaks at work. According to Pasco, several studies emphasize the importance of work breaks and the cognitive advantages of puzzles. He adds that, with LinkedIn’s games, the company wants to provide professionals with a space to take a brief break and refresh their minds.
Research from the University of Exeter and King’s College London in the United Kingdom has shown that playing crosswords, Sudoku, and other types of puzzles can enhance memory. LinkedIn now offers these kinds of games in its catalog.
LinkedIn’s games can also allow the brain to enter its “play zone,” where abstract concepts and knowledge intersect to generate new ideas.
Pasco points out that something as simple as a game can give you the boost you need to return to work feeling energized and eager to learn, connect, and engage with others.
Additionally, these games can improve cognitive abilities, including attention, concentration, and mental flexibility, combined with the social interaction provided by the platform. As such, games can enhance socialization among professionals and colleagues in the same office and help break the ice in workplace relationships.
According to a YouGov survey, puzzle games are the most popular among users in the U.S., surpassing card games, action games, and adventure games. In addition, puzzles were the clear favorite among LinkedIn users, so it’s no surprise that the company has chosen to incorporate them into its platform.
Business Is Business
While the games allow for productive interactions and networking opportunities, their recent introduction also serves an economic purpose.
LinkedIn appears to be following the lead of The New York Times, which integrated a games section into its app a few months ago, capitalizing on Wordle’s success.
According to Axios, these games helped The New York Times stabilize its subscriber numbers, while competitors’ figures have declined. The Financial Times reported that LinkedIn’s implementation of games resulted in a “record engagement” rate of 1.5 million content interactions per minute in June 2024.
The game’s streak system attracts daily visits. It also encourages users to share their results, which boosts user retention and active participation on the platform, even if users engage for just a few minutes each day. This brief activity enhances the value of LinkedIn’s advertising business.
It’s Working
LinkedIn’s games have been well received regardless of the motivations behind their introduction. Since October 2024, the platform has observed a 20% weekly increase in new player engagement and strong retention rates.
According to LinkedIn, 80% of players return the day after trying a game, and 76% come back to play again a week later. The most active markets are the U.S., India, and the UK, with growth also noted in countries like Turkey, France, and Brazil.
Players sharing their scores is a significant factor in the success of these games. LinkedIn says that 40% of new players discover the games through links shared in posts or messages.
Image | LinkedIn
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