In this episode of Circular Hot Takes, we are joined by Katherine Whalen, researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, host of the Getting in the Loop podcast and creator of two circular economy games. We explore what games can do that research papers often cannot: make complex systems tangible, memorable and engaging, while giving people a space to experiment with different choices and see what happens. Katherine takes us behind the development of In the Loop, a game about critical raw materials and circular economy, and Moving Planets, which gamifies the co-design of circular business models between companies and users. We discuss how games can support learning, influence behaviour, reveal preferences and become tools for research and business model innovation, and why good game design starts by being very clear about what you want people to experience and learn. We also connect gaming to experimentation more broadly and ask whether playing with possible futures can help companies make better circular choices in the real world. Find out more at www.bdjpcircular.com — and feel free to send us questions, topics you think we should explore, or guests you’d like to hear on Circular Hot Takes.