DEA LABO Public Play Design Lab
Rewriting the Rules of Society Through Games. Rewriting the Rules of Society Through Games. of Society Through Games.
We don’t just gamify social issues—we make society itself a playable system.
DEA LABO is a research and implementation lab dedicated to reimagining public engagement through the logic of games—what we call “Public Play Design.”
A World Where
Public Play Design
Is the Norm
The World as Envisioned by DEA LABO
Many initiatives that combine social issues and gamification stop at surface-level enhancements—adding points, badges, or other decorative elements to existing behaviors.
DEA LABO is looking beyond that.
What kind of worldview sets the stage?
What exactly are we trying to "conquer"?
Who takes on which roles—and why?
What rewards and narratives have the power to turn participation from a duty into a shared thrill?
What kind of public values or economic ecosystems could emerge from that play history?
We are not merely using games to “solve” social issues.
We are redesigning the structure of society itself—through the logic of games.
DEA LABO is a space for designing and experimenting with that transformation.
What is Public Play Design?
Public Play Design is not about simply adding game elements to existing behaviors— it's about redesigning society itself to be playable as a game.
It transforms rules, roles, rewards, and narratives into meaningful experiences,
so that the accumulation of play gradually and quietly rewrites the shape of real-world systems and public life.
Through this process, participants in the game become collaborators in social change.
Public Play Design is a form of social design that assumes and enables this transformation from the outset.
The Concept of the “Public Gamer”
It’s perfectly fine if the entry point is point-based rewards or personal gain.
Most people join because something “seems rewarding” or “looks fun.”
But once Public Play Design starts to take effect,
a new type of player emerges—one who keeps playing with genuine enthusiasm.
They take initiative without being asked, sustain community activity,
and collaborate with a clear sense that “this play is making society better.”
At DEA LABO, we call this select group the Public Gamers.
And we believe that the true core of Public Play Design lies in
designing the conditions for their spontaneous emergence—the social tipping point.
The Three Core Functions
of DEA LABO
Which world shall we tackle together?
DEA LABO is a laboratory for partners who seek to redesign their businesses and social issues as “social games.”
Let’s begin with the world you want to tackle.