GDC 2026 Workshop Materials: “Will It Work?” Mapping how game interventions work and where they break down

This project contains materials used during the Games Developers Conference 2026 workshop done in collaboration with Behavioural Research UK and the Thriving in Games Group exploring an approach for evidence-based digital thriving strategies. The workshop presented the core principle that strategies are a causal step-by-step process. Being explicit about that process, including mapping out what happens at each step, what could go wrong, and what needs to be in place, can help understand why a strategy worked or didn't, and whether it will work elsewhere. It should ho mapping out a causal process can provide a framework for organising what is known: which parts of the process are well evidenced and where the gaps are.