Gamification of language learning and teaching (LLT) is a pedagogical method to engage students by making the learning activities more like games. The emergence of gamification in the 2010s was strongly connected to the marketing and business sectors. The concept later found its way into educational research and practice. This article will introduce two main approaches to the understanding and implementation of gamification in education: an artefact-centred approach and a situated approach. Central themes in gamification research within LLT will be explored, such as autonomy and engagement.