Playing for Change?  Exploring how Gamification can help promote ‘healthy’ and ‘positive’ masculinities

Young men are increasingly exposed to powerful online messaging that promotes damaging traits and behaviours such as aggression and violence, sexism and misogyny and emotional suppression and stoicism. These toxic messages are commonly transmitted through the "manosphere" and by influential masculinity influencers. Playing for Change is a research project exploring whether and how playing a card game can help counter and challenge these narratives.
 
The project centres on Top Bloke, a Top Trumps-style card game developed by the Men's Exchange, a local men's group run by Think Forward and The Old Electric. The 
Top Bloke cards score famous and well-known men from a range of backgrounds, ages and occupations across 5 key criteria:  values and integrity, influence, contribution to society, positive masculinity and role model rating. The aim of the game is to prompt players (men of all ages, but younger men in particular) to talk about masculinity and male role models, what it means to be a man today, values, integrity and social influence. 

Working with young men aged 14-19 through schools, alternative provision and youth organisations across Blackpool, the research is exploring and evaluating what impact playing Top Bloke might have on players, particularly in facilitating critical discussion about influential men and their behaviour, and in terms of whether the game can encourage critical reflection on the relationship between (social) influence and values and integrity. Young male game players are playing a key role helping shape the final design of the cards.
 
The research is being conducted by Dr Darren Nixon of Leeds Beckett University, with support from Blackpool Council, game design expertise from the University of Lancashire, alongside a team of highly committed youth workers, educators and community members. The research is utilising a variety of methods including surveys, focus groups and observations of game sessions to evaluate the impact of Top Bloke. The project is also helping to build research and evaluation skills across local organisations.
 
Findings and the final printed cards will be shared around International Men's Day (19 November 2026). They could inform how gamified approaches are used in youth work, PSHE education and early intervention, and support future research into the promotion of positive, healthier masculinities and young men's wellbeing.

Project supported by Blackpool Researching Together