Gamification and game-based learning have been used in education for a while now, with numerous studies supporting the view that they increase student engagement and motivation when applied effectively (da Rocha Seixas, Gomes and de Melo Filho, 2016; Poondej and Lerdpornkulrat, 2016; Ahma and Kadriu, 2025; Nurhayati and Fathurrohman, 2025). Building on this theoretical foundation, our study examines whether the gamified “fun-factor” activities impact upon increased student engagement in accounting and finance subjects.
Our findings indicate that gamification had a positive impact on student engagement and motivation. In particular, the competitive and interactive elements were consistently identified as enhancing interest and participation, with over 99% of participants agreeing that gamified activities helped maintain engagement and support the development of accounting and finance knowledge. Qualitative responses further reinforced these findings, with students describing the sessions as “engaging”, “fun”, “insightful”, “beneficial”, and “memorable”, highlighting the value of game-based approaches in promoting active learning.