Designing Gamified Social Interaction for Gen Z in the Metaverse: A Framework-Oriented Systematic Literature Review

Baitong Xie; Mohd Fairuz Shiratuddin; Mostafa Hamadi; Joo Yeon Park; Thach-Thao Duong

doi:10.57019/jmv.1736387

Designing Gamified Social Interaction for Gen Z in the Metaverse: A Framework-Oriented Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Gamification plays a pivotal role in enhancing user engagement in the Metaverse, particularly among Generation Z users who value autonomy, immersion, and identity expression. However, current research lacks a cohesive framework tailored to designing gamified social experiences in immersive virtual environments. This study presents a framework-oriented systematic literature review, guided by PRISMA 2020 and SPIDER, to investigate how gamification is applied in the Metaverse and how it aligns with the behavioral needs of Gen Z. From 792 screened studies, seventeen high-quality papers were synthesized to identify core gamification mechanics, including avatars, XR affordances, and identity-driven engagement strategies. Building on these insights, we propose the Affordance-Driven Gamification Framework (ADGF), a conceptual model for designing socially immersive experiences, along with a five-step design process to support its real-world application. Our contributions include a critical synthesis of existing strategies, Gen Z-specific design considerations, and a dual-framework approach to guide researchers and practitioners in developing emotionally engaging and socially dynamic Metaverse experiences.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This research did not receive any outside funding or support. Author reports no involvement in the research by the sponsor that could have influenced the outcome of this work.

Ethical Statement

This study is a systematic literature review and does not involve human participants, animals, or sensitive personal data. Therefore, institutional ethics approval was not required. All procedures complied with the ethical standards for research integrity and academic publishing. AI-assisted tools (e.g., ChatGPT) were used only for language refinement, grammar correction, and formatting assistance during manuscript preparation. No AI tools were used for data collection, analysis, interpretation, or for generating scientific findings, arguments, or conclusions. The authors take full responsibility for the content and integrity of the manuscript.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Virtual and Mixed Reality

Journal Section

Review

Authors

Baitong Xie ^*
0009-0004-3798-7299
Australia

Mohd Fairuz Shiratuddin This is me
0000-0002-9529-6320
Australia

Mostafa Hamadi This is me
0000-0001-5330-0478
Australia

Joo Yeon Park This is me
0000-0002-5231-5405
Australia

Thach-Thao Duong This is me
0000-0003-2294-3619
Australia

Early Pub Date

December 16, 2025

Publication Date

January 8, 2026

Submission Date

July 7, 2025

Acceptance Date

November 12, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 6

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57019/jmv.1736387

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA55WW36MA

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Xie, B., Shiratuddin, M. F., Hamadi, M., Park, J. Y., & Duong, T.-T. (2026). Designing Gamified Social Interaction for Gen Z in the Metaverse: A Framework-Oriented Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Metaverse, 6, 57-70. https://doi.org/10.57019/jmv.1736387