As cloud technologies continue to drive innovation and fuel careers, it’s essential to keep up with the latest advancements. After all, the ability to acquire new cloud skills is critical for success, allowing you to stay in lockstep with this rapidly evolving technology. That’s where game-based training can help.

When it comes to learning, one size doesn’t fit all. Are you a visual learner? Do you need to learn by doing? Do you enjoy receiving guidance and feedback as you learn? Then interactive, game-based training may be for you.

A recent study commissioned by AWS explored the impact of gamified learning on upskilling one’s workforce and found that the majority of teams that tried it reported better results than traditional training. In fact, 80% of managers said they or their team were likely to engage with gamified cloud training in the next year.

AWS has expanded its suite of free and low-cost game-based learning experiences within AWS Skill Builder, our online learning center, to help you develop expertise and job-ready skills through hands-on practice. You can simulate customer conversations to sharpen your soft skills while translating business problems into technical solutions, learn the foundations of solution design, explore specific real-world use cases, prepare for AWS Certifications, and even recertify for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification without taking an exam.

An image showing an AWS game-based training experience.

AWS’s game-based learning offerings help users build knowledge and hands-on skills.

Each game-based learning product offers immersive 3D simulation for all levels of cloud experience, from foundational to advanced. Here, the player is presented with real-world issues along with guided training to effectively respond to those challenges. This leads to faster practical skill development and retention, while engaging game elements keep you motivated. You’ll validate your knowledge along the way through challenges, and there’s even a fun dose of competition.

Let’s explore AWS’s six game-based learning offerings.

Page overview

Build role-specific expertise

Simulate real customer conversations using generative AI

Grow your industry prowess

Explore AWS Cloud architecture and design

Prepare for your AWS Certification

A brand-new way to recertify your AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner credentials

1. AWS Cloud Quest

Build role-specific expertise

AWS Cloud Quest is the flagship training in our game-based learning portfolio. You start by creating your avatar and step into the role of a cloud professional, such as a solutions architect or machine learning specialist, and converse with virtual customers. It’s a great way to grow your ability to translate complex business problems into technical solutions.

Then you apply your knowledge with hands-on labs, solving your customer’s problem by building solutions in a structured AWS Management Console environment. With guidance, you can tackle use-cases specific to a technical domain or AWS service, benefiting from assessments along the way. When you complete all the assignments in the quest, you’ll earn an official AWS digital badge credential, which you can showcase to recruiters, potential employers, and peers through Credly.com.

“I am obsessed with it. I love how varied it is, allowing you to do quizzes to reinforce your knowledge, or you can be doing hands-on labs, which are really similar to real-world experiences.”

Katy Raby

software engineer

AWS Cloud Quest supports new-to-cloud learners with foundational cloud practitioner training and roles aligned with professional cloud jobs roles, including data analytics specialist, networking specialist, machine learning specialist, and security specialist. Our new generative AI role helps people gain practical experience developing generative AI solutions. Completing the respective AWS Cloud Quest role can help learners build knowledge and hands-on skills to pursue the aligned AWS Certification.

New training is continuously being added within AWS Cloud Quest. AWS has launched new solution assignments to build practical generative artificial intelligence skills for machine learning, serverless developer, solutions architect, security roles, and more.

These new tasks help you learn to generate images from text descriptions, create chatbots powered by large language models, and use generative AI to build cloud infrastructure. The hands-on assignments will teach you how to leverage services like Amazon CodeWhisperer, Amazon Lex V2, and Amazon SageMaker for applied generative AI and automation.

2. AWS SimuLearn

Simulate real customer conversations using generative AI

AWS SimuLearn, powered by Amazon Bedrock, provides an immersive learning experience that pairs generative AI-powered simulations with hands-on training to help people translate business problems into technical solutions. Learn more here.

3. AWS Industry Quest

Grow your industry prowess

Dive deep with AWS Industry Quest, where you solve challenges in order to transform a virtual organization into an industry leader.

AWS Industry Quest, like AWS Cloud Quest, is an interactive learning experience, but teaches you how to build cloud solutions for your industry. Choose an industryfinancial services, health care, or manufacturing and automotive—then customize your avatar, work through common industry-specific use cases, and solve the challenges in order to transform a virtual organization into an industry leader. When you complete all the industry-specific solutions, you’ll earn an AWS digital badge that you can share with your network.

4. AWS Card Clash

Explore AWS Cloud architecture and design

An image of AWS Card Clash, a game-based training experience.

Jump into AWS architecture and design with AWS Card Clash.

AWS Card Clash is a 3D virtual card game that helps you explore AWS Cloud architecture and solution design. No matter what your skill level is, this fun game will help you develop and expand your working knowledge of AWS Cloud services, and learn . Learn to identify common architectures and strategically deploy cards to build a scalable and efficient AWS solution architecture, using special cards to defend your strategy or capture an opponent’s deployment—and win. Check out the trailer on YouTube.

5. AWS Escape Room

Prepare for your AWS Certification

Gear up to become an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and/or AWS Certified AI Practitioner with AWS Escape Room, an immersive virtual escape room. You'll answer exam-style questions, build solutions in hands-on labs, and solve interactive puzzles in order to escape virtual rooms within the game environment. You'll get feedback along the way to help build your knowledge and prepare you to take certification exams. You can play solo at your own pace, or compete against a friend in event mode for bragging rights on the leaderboard.

6. AWS Cloud Quest: Recertify

A brand-new way to recertify your AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner credentials

Are your AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner credentials expiring in six months or less? Take the stress out of recertification, no exam required. You can complete AWS Cloud Quest: Recertify Cloud Practitioner, a game-based training that guides you through hands-on learning modules, and get recertified. The game consists of 12 solution-building assignments in the cloud practitioner role, plus a bonus recertification challenge.

Are you ready to build your cloud skills?

Each game-based learning product offers immersive 3D simulation for all levels of cloud experience, from foundational to advanced.

Whether you’re a beginner with zero cloud experience or a seasoned professional looking to expand your knowledge, our game-based solutions can help you gain a deep understanding of AWS technology. Game on!

Next, learn how AWS data centers benefit local communities.