Guard Up

What if a 20 minute game could change behavior months later?

Excited to share this conversation with Eng from XP on Guardian Adventures’ Meghan Gardner about Games for Emotional Engagement.

🎧 Audio Podcast
Publishes: Sunday February 22, 2026 at 12:00pm ET
Listen: http://universityxp.com/podcast/158

🎥 Video (Slide Deck)
Publishes: Sunday March 1, 2026 at 12:00pm ET
Watch: http://universityxp.com/video/158

In this episode, we talk about Transformative Game Design.

“Games are structured play. Within that structure, we can create safe exploration.”

“A well designed game can be educational. The debrief is where transformation happens.”

“It is not enough for a game to feel powerful. Three months later, did behavior actually change?”

Transformative game design aims for sustained, measurable change in behavior or perspective.

Most change is a micro needle shift. Small. Repeatable. Compounding.

And sometimes, “The game itself became the alibi for a difficult conversation.”

Because games open discussions that nothing else can.

If you design for impact rather than engagement alone, I would love to hear your thoughts.

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We’re honored to share our work in Transformative Design at this year’s International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) conference exploring how immersive experiences can spark curiosity, inspire growth, and create lasting impact.

Join our founder, Meghan Gardner, for three sessions focused on designing experiences that go beyond entertainment to foster genuine transformation:

🎯 Beyond the Walls: Plan & Fund Your Next Outreach Project
🗓️ Nov 17, 10:00–11:00 AM
Discover strategies for developing mobile exhibits, digital courses, and outreach programs that extend learning beyond your institution.

💡 How to Capture SuperFans: Designing Deeply Transformative Experiences
🗓️ Nov 19, 8:30–9:30 AM
Learn how transformative design can cultivate lifelong fans and emotionally resonant experiences—from Disney and Meow Wolf to Smithsonian and Royal Caribbean.

🔬 Transformative Experiences in Museums & Science Centers
🗓️ Nov 19, 3:30–3:50 PM
Explore real-world examples of design that inspires reflection and engagement at institutions like CERN and Smithsonian.

We’re excited to connect with partners shaping the future of education, themed entertainment, and cultural engagement.

Two weeks ago today I had surgery to remove a softball sized lesion from inside my abdomen. My family and I spent 2 weeks not knowing if it was cancerous. Thankfully, blessedly, it was not. No one wants to be in that place of not knowing... but this space also provides an opportunity to do something we call "Life Review" in my hospice work.

This is where you go through your life and take a look at what you have done, the high points and low points, the regrets and the gratitude. I did this up to my current day. I asked myself if there was anything on my "Bucket List" - things I wanted to do or see or experience. And what I found didn't really surprise me: The only item on my "bucket list" is to make a difference in the world... to leave it a little bit better in some capacity than when I arrived.

My dear friend and I were talking about the long hours we are putting in this passion project to bring therapeutic games to Gaza and Ukraine to help children heal from the trauma of war. He told me a story about meeting an elderly woman of high regard as a political activist. She noticed he was tired from a long work day and she gently told him, "How privileged are we that we can go to bed exhausted from working to make the world a better place."

I love that story. And I repeat these words to myself often: I GET to make a difference in the world. How lucky am I?

And so it is that I surrender to sleep each night with a full heart. Knowing that children in war zones will have a way to express themselves through a unique form of play therapy that gives them the path and the words to start the healing process.

If you would like to be a part of this global team, please consider donating to our small fundraiser. We have only 4K left to raise and only 4 days to do it in. Not everyone has the privilege of donating - and for you, I thank you for sharing this post and believing in our cause. If you do donate, know that your money is going to a cause that is trying to bring emotional healing to those who are often overlooked: The children of war.

To donate: https://zurl.co/1pzh0

Thank you,
Meghan Gardner
Director
Guardian Adventures