Habit and Perception Towards Games and Game-Based Learning in India: A Survey Study of Awareness and Experience with Digital Games

This study surveyed 701 Indian respondents, drawn mainly from students and teachers at seven upper primary, high, and higher secondary schools, to examine their gaming habits and perceptions of game-based learning. Using an online questionnaire distributed through email and messaging with a convenience sampling approach, the research gathered data on demographics, awareness and preference for game genres, device usage, play frequency, and attitudes toward using games in classrooms. The sample skewed young, with 73 percent aged 15 to 24, and was nearly balanced by gender, with 53.4 percent male and 44.7 percent female respondents.

Mobile phones were the dominant gaming platform at 83.3 percent, while puzzle games were the most widely recognized genre at 63.9 percent. Action-adventure games were the most preferred genre at 46.7 percent, closely followed by puzzle games at 46.6 percent. Regarding learning, a clear majority held favorable views: 79 percent considered games a learning tool at least maybe, and roughly 88 percent supported schools using games to teach scientific concepts. Mathematics and science were the most frequently requested subjects for game-based instruction, together accounting for 67.2 percent of mentions, with history, languages, and geography also cited. Keyword analysis revealed associations with fun, challenge, competition, and learning, and identified graphics, storyline, and social features as key engagement drivers.

The findings also varied across age and gender groups in terms of genre preference and subject interest, though science and mathematics remained consistent priorities. The authors position these results as supportive evidence for experimenting with game-based applications in Indian education, while acknowledging limitations including the convenience sample, English-only survey administration, and the fact that the study measured perceptions rather than actual learning effectiveness.