Serious games are games that do not have entertainment, enjoyment or fun as their primary purpose.
There are many examples of serious games in the video game industry, but any game that has a serious purpose can be a serious game. For instance; card games, team games, sorting games or timed activities. The book and website Gamestorming describes dozens of ‘games’ that are played in person and address business problems in creative, engaging and most importantly, effective ways. Some examples you may recognize are SWOT Analysis, Brainwriting, World Café and Affinity Mapping.