In Sweden, where balance and harmony—lagom—are deeply valued, exhibitions are not just about information; they’re about experience. Adding interactive games to your booth is a modern way to increase footfall, spark curiosity, and leave a lasting impression.
In this article, we’ll introduce 15 exhibition game ideas across four engaging categories for Nordic Organic Food Fair. Whether your goal is brand awareness or meaningful interaction, these ideas are designed to resonate with Swedish audiences who appreciate thoughtful, playful encounters. Our team is here to support your implementation.
1) Physical Games
When people visit an exhibition, they often appreciate light physical activity—something fun, energizing, and not too complicated. In a society that values simplicity and movement, physical games can be a perfect way to break the ice and attract attention. These games don’t require deep thinking, but they do get people involved—ideal for creating a vibrant booth. For example, take a look at this activation we ran:
1. Greenhouse Climb
Concept: A custom-built climbing structure styled as a giant greenhouse frame. Participants race to the top to grab an “Organic Seed” token. Why It Works:
Thrilling Challenge: Balancing on beams and climbing short rope ladders keeps onlookers cheering.
Unique Construction: Built with durable scaffolding or welded metal bars shaped like a greenhouse. It’s not something people can duplicate in their backyard.
Fair Tie-In: Seeds represent the core of organic farming, aligning perfectly with the Nordic Organic Food Fair’s emphasis on natural growth and sustainability.
Greenhouse Climb
2. Bee Run Obstacle Dash
Concept: A short, intense obstacle run themed around pollination. Participants wear “bee” vests and must quickly navigate a course of honeycomb tunnels, hive walls, and safe “flower landings.” Why It Works:
High Energy: Short sprints, low hurdles, and quick bursts of activity fit the two-minute gameplay limit.
Hard to Replicate: Custom honeycomb obstacles, large stencils of flowers, and specialized bee vests give it a professional flair.
Fair Tie-In: Bees are vital to organic farming. This game highlights their importance in a fun, active way.
Bee Run Obstacle Dash
3. Organic Barrel Balance
Concept: Players stand on large, custom-engineered “barrels” that slowly roll along a short track. The goal is to keep your balance while transporting a small wooden crate labeled “Fair Trade Goods.” Why It Works:
Engaging Spectacle: Watching participants try not to fall as the barrels roll is comedic and exciting.
Professional Build: The rolling barrels must be carefully engineered so the challenge is tricky but safe—difficult for anyone to copy casually.
Fair Tie-In: The wooden crate can feature logos or messaging about organic certification, tying directly to the fair’s focus on ethical and natural products.
Organic Barrel Balance
2. Knowledge-Based Digital Games
These games work well when placed on a digital stand in your booth and can also be extended to your website, social media, or internal communications. In Sweden, digital interaction is expected to be seamless, accessible, and informative. Knowledge-based games are great for educating visitors in a fun way—and they’re easy to adapt for two-player competition. Here’s a sample from one of our past projects:
4. Save the Nordic Forest
Story & Theme: A brief dialogue plays at the start between two characters: a forest ranger and a concerned consumer. They discuss threats to Nordic forests—such as harmful chemicals, invasive species, and deforestation. The ranger asks for help protecting the forest from misinformation and dangerous practices.
Gameplay Mechanics:
Falling Text Items: Each item is either a “Safe Practice” (e.g., “Using organic-certified fertilizer,” “Planting native species”) or a “Harmful Practice” (e.g., “Spraying synthetic pesticides,” “Unregulated logging”).
Shooting Action: The player wields a “Seed Cannon”—an on-screen slingshot that fires seeds. When a harmful text item appears, the player taps or clicks to blast it with seeds, symbolizing blocking that dangerous practice.
End Line: The “Forest Edge” at the bottom of the screen. Correct (safe) items that reach the forest edge help the environment, while harmful items must be shot before they reach it.
What to Avoid: If a harmful item is not destroyed, the player loses. If a correct item is mistakenly shot, it counts as “damaging a good practice,” and the player loses.
Why It’s Meaningful:
Visual Symbolism: Shooting harmful items with seeds reflects how sustainable practices can neutralize or replace damaging methods.
Fair Tie-In: Ties into organic standards and environmental preservation—key values of the Nordic Organic Food Fair.
Save the Nordic Forest
3. Skill-Based Digital Games
If your goal is to boost engagement while maintaining a challenge, this format is ideal. Visitors try to beat a high score, track their own progress, and climb the leaderboard. This game style aligns well with the Swedish love of fair competition and personal improvement. A transparent leaderboard motivates people to participate again and again. Check out this example:
5. Fruit Ninja
Stats: Developed by Halfbrick, Fruit Ninja has surpassed 1 billion downloads across various platforms.
Gameplay: Players swipe the screen to slice flying fruit while avoiding bombs.
Why It Fits the Fair: An obvious tie-in to fresh, organic produce. You could brand in-game fruits with logos for organic certification or local farms, emphasizing healthy lifestyle choices in a fun, fast-paced environment.
6. Farm Heroes Saga
Stats: Released by King, Farm Heroes Saga has well over 100 million downloads on mobile devices.
Gameplay: A tile-matching puzzle where you collect various cropsies (colorful fruit and vegetables). Quick combos and strategic swaps drive the challenge.
Why It Fits the Fair: The entire theme revolves around farmland and harvesting produce. It aligns beautifully with an organic-focused event and can be easily decorated with your own brand’s icons.
7. Angry Birds
Stats: Rovio’s Angry Birds reached over 2 billion downloads in its heyday.
Gameplay: Players fling birds at structures to knock them down and defeat the pigs. It’s straightforward, reflex-based, and quick to learn.
Why It Fits the Fair: You can re-skin the game to feature “pests” or “chemicals” as targets that threaten organic farms. It’s a globally recognized casual game that draws immediate attention.
8. Nordic Harvest Dash
Concept: Players guide a virtual harvester across a small organic field, dodging chemical spills and collecting only the organically grown crops (while ignoring any that are “contaminated”).
Gameplay: Simple side-to-side swiping or tapping keeps the harvester on track to collect “clean” produce, while the clock ticks down.
Why It Works: Emphasizes distinguishing truly organic goods from compromised ones in a fun, reflex-testing manner.
Nordic Harvest Dash
9. Bottle Recycling Blitz
Concept: Inspired by deposit-return systems common in the Nordics. Different bottles and cans roll down a conveyor belt. Players must quickly tap to recycle only the correct types (e.g., glass, aluminum) and skip the rest.
Gameplay: Each correct tap within time yields a point. Accidental taps on non-recyclables or missed items reduce the score.
Fair Tie-In: Spotlights sustainability and the well-known recycling culture in Northern Europe.
Bottle Recycling Blitz
10. Vitamin Grabber
Concept: Various vitamins and minerals (represented by icons like B12, Iron, Calcium) bounce around the screen. Players must grab only the vitamins relevant to a balanced, organic diet while avoiding “synthetic” or “junk” icons.
Gameplay: Drag and drop correct vitamins into a basket within the time limit. Bonus points for quick combos.
Why It Works: Links directly to the fair’s emphasis on healthy living, vitamins, and nutritional supplements.
Vitamin Grabber
11. Fjord Fish Frenzy
Concept: A small fishing boat navigates across digital fjords. The player taps to catch fish but must avoid pollutants or overfished species.
Gameplay: Quick reaction tapping to hook only the sustainable fish species. Missing too many or accidentally catching the “endangered” fish ends the game.
Tie-In: Highlights sustainable fishing and the importance of protecting Nordic marine life.
Fjord Fish Frenzy
12. Nature Run
Concept: A side-scroller runner where the character leaps over obstacles like plastic waste or chemical drums, trying to collect as many “organic leaves” or “fair-trade tokens” as possible.
Gameplay: Simple jump and slide controls, with each run lasting up to two minutes. The better you time your jumps, the higher your score.
Fair Tie-In: Showcases the environmental theme of dodging pollutants while championing organic, ethical goods.
Nature Run
4. Chance-Based Digital Games
This format works best when your brand is already well-known, and you want to create excitement. If your product or service is unfamiliar, we don’t recommend starting with this type. Swedes often value fairness and transparency, so be sure your chance-based games feel lighthearted and fun—never gimmicky. Here’s how we’ve used it in the past:
13. Lucky Leaf Drop
Concept: Digital leaves fall from the top of a screen, each leaf carrying a hidden prize. Participants choose one leaf at random, hoping it reveals a big reward—like a discount code for organic products or a free sample.
Why It Works:
Low-effort, high-fun game that can be played in under two minutes.
Visually ties in with the fair’s focus on greenery and nature.
Lucky Leaf Drop
14. Golden Grain Raffle
Concept: Players watch grains of wheat tumble in a virtual silo. One randomly selected grain is “golden.” If they pick the right moment to tap the silo’s spout, they might collect the golden grain and win a prize.
Customization:
Silo design can incorporate sponsor branding or highlight a particular organic cereal brand.
The “golden grain” stands for high-quality, premium organic products.
Golden Grain Raffle
15. Wheel of Fortune
Design Overhaul: Instead of a standard color wheel, imagine each section shaped like a leaf or a wedge of fruit, each symbolizing a different organic product category—vegan items, free-range eggs, eco-friendly beauty, etc.
• Interaction: A digital spin or a physical wheel with a rustic wooden frame. LED lights can illuminate each wedge with nature motifs (e.g., leaves, raindrops).
Wheel of Fortune
Conclusion
Exhibition games are more than just fun—they’re strategic tools to engage visitors, communicate your message, and differentiate your booth. In a culture that values subtlety and meaningful interaction, gamification offers a respectful and impactful way to connect. We invite you to explore your options by filling out our Exhibition Game Design Form for Nordic Organic Food Fair. You’ll receive a free one-hour consultation and get to see some of our latest creations. Let’s design something unforgettable together.
