LinkedIn’s New Trend: Beware the Gamification Traps

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Quick Links

• LinkedIn Has Added NYT-Style Games
• What Possessed LinkedIn to Add Games?
• Why LinkedIn Users Shouldn’t Play These Games

Key Takeaways

• LinkedIn added NYT-style games like Pinpoint, Crossclimb, and Queens.
• LinkedIn sees games as a networking tool, but it may not be suitable for professional connections.
• Users should avoid playing games on LinkedIn to maintain professionalism and focus on networking efforts.

For some unexplained reason, LinkedIn has added games to its website and app. This is despite LinkedIn being designed for professional networking and job searching. While we’re stuck pondering why LinkedIn has added games, we would advise you to stay away from them regardless.

LinkedIn Has Added NYT-Style Games

Since the 1990s, when Java and Flash were all the rage, people have been able to play silly little games online. However, when it burst onto the scene in 2021,Wordle ushered in a new era of daily web-based games . Easily playable and easily shareable, the game spawneda raft of Wordle alternatives . And the New York Times has been the big driver of this trend, first buying Wordle, and then creating a raft of daily games you can play in your browser or on its app.

Now, LinkedIn has decided to join in with the fun, adding a Games tab populated with (at the time of writing), three “fun” games. These are Pinpoint, Crossclimb, and Queens.

Pinpoint

Pinpoint is a simple game that has you guessing the category from the clues provided. There are five clues in total, with the idea being to guess the category from the fewest number of clues. Its simple nature means this is the most fun and least frustrating game on offer.

Crossclimb

Crossclimb has two elements to it. First, you need to find the four-letter answers to the clues provided. Second, you need to rearrange the answers so that there’s only one letter different to the answer above and below. Only then will you unlock the top and bottom clues.

Queens

Queens is a little like Sudoku, in that you have to be aware of several different elements in order to place things correctly. In Sudoku, it’s numbers, whereas in Queens, it’s crowns. There’s a lot of trial and error with this, so you’ll either love it or hate it.

What Possessed LinkedIn to Add Games?

You can take a look at LinkedIn’s games by visiting theLinkedIn Games tab . But if you forget to bookmark it, just search LinkedIn for “games”, and it should be the top result. When you search for it, the platform will sell you on them with the tagline, “Keep your mind sharp with daily games. Connect with your network over a little fun.” This reveals how LinkedIn sees its users using these games.

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LinkedIn thinks you’ll use these games as another networking tool. In the same way that many of us send our Wordle, Connections, and Strands scores to our loved ones every morning, LinkedIn wants you to do the same with Pinpoint, Queens, and Crossclimb. However, there’s a fundamental difference between your family and friends and the people you are likely to connect with on LinkedIn.

Do you really want to invite hiring managers and C-suite executives to play a silly little game with you? Not just once, but every single day without fail? The correct answer is no. While LinkedIn may see this as a way of increasing engagement levels and making the usually dull and dreary LinkedIn a little more fun, that isn’t why any of us use LinkedIn in the first place.

Why LinkedIn Users Shouldn’t Play These Games

The bottom line is, you should steer well clear of these games. Why? Because LinkedIn isn’t designed for these frivolities, and they’ll just distract you from using LinkedIn in the way it was intended to be used. Not only that, sharing your scores with your LinkedIn contacts could look unprofessional, and make it look like you’re doing something other than being productive. Which is not what hiring managers and potential employers want to see.

Play web games as much as you want, but do so on the New York Times, Facebook, or any of the other platforms specifically designed to let you waste away your free time. If you’re on LinkedIn, use your time more productively byimproving your LinkedIn profile orbroadening your network . To be fair to LinkedIn, the platform addresses these concerns directly inits announcement/tutorial , but I still can’t help thinking that this is a misstep from the company.

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