<![CDATA[Science education often faces various challenges, such as low student engagement and difficulty understanding abstract concepts. One approach that has been widely developed to address these issues is Game-Based Learning (GBL). This study aims to analyze publication trends, topic development, implementation characteristics, as well as the effectiveness and challenges of applying GBL in science education. The study employed a combined method of bibliometric analysis and a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) based on the PRISMA protocol, analyzing 45 Scopus-indexed articles from 2016 to 2026 using Biblioshiny and RStudio. The results indicate that GBL publications in science education have shown a significant increase since 2023, peaking in 2025. The most dominant topics were gamification, science education, and game-based learning. GBL implementation was dominated by digital games and gamification, with the greatest focus on integrated science and junior high school levels. In general, GBL has been proven to improve students’ motivation, engagement, conceptual understanding, learning outcomes, and 21st-century skills. However, its implementation still faces challenges in the form of limited technological infrastructure, teacher competencies, and game design quality. These findings indicate that GBL has the potential to be an effective and relevant innovation in science education to support 21st-century learning.]]>
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