Simplifying the validation and application of games with Simva Cristina Alonso-Fernández 1[0000-0003-2965-3104] , Antonio Calvo-Morata 1[0000-0001-8701-7582] , Manuel Freire 1[0000-0003-4596-3823] , Iván Martínez-Ortiz 1[0000-0001-6595-5690] and Baltasar Fernández-Manjón 1[0000-0002-8200-6216] 1 Facultad de Informática, Complutense University of Madrid, C/ Profesor José García Santesmases 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain {calonsofernandez, acmorata}@ucm.es {manuel.freire, imartinez, balta}@fdi.ucm.es Abstract. The suitability of games for learning has been proven for many years. However, effective application of games in education requires two important stages: their initial validation, and their later use in the classroom. Serious games should be validated prior to exploitation to prove their efficacy and use- fulness as tools for teachers, via larger experiments that include data collection, either from in-game interactions or from external questionnaires; this, in turn, requires dealing with data privacy regulations and informed consent. Once vali- dated, serious games can then be applied in educational environments, where their effective application is closely linked to the tools and preparation available to the teachers and educators that use them. In this paper, we revise the steps and considerations that need to be dealt with both when conducting experiments with games and, later, when applying them as part of teaching in educational scenarios. For both these stages, we provide guidance and recommendations to simplify stakeholders’ tasks, including the use of the tool Simva, which simpli- fies the management of users, questionnaires, privacy, data collection, and stor- age. Keywords: Serious Games, Games Validation, Game-Based Learning, Learn- ing Analytics, e-Learning. 1 Introduction The application of Game-Based Learning (GBL) has greatly increased in the last years, as many studies have proven the benefits of applying games in educational settings [1]. The interactive nature of games increases the engagement of students in learning activities, motivating them to progress and complete the in-game tasks [2]. This way, students further improve their learning as a consequence of their gameplay. The benefits of games, and in particular of their application in education, have attract- ed the attention of many stakeholders: from researchers, game developers and design- ers trying to create games that are effective tools for learning, to teachers, educators and institutions more increasingly willing to apply games as part of their teaching