Industrial control systems (ICSs) are software systems that allow operators to remotely control entire industrial processes. This activity is usually performed within particular spaces located inside the facilities: control rooms. While the operators’ job is extremely important, it is often regarded as boring and dull; due to the passive nature of the job, the operators often feel unengaged. Industrial stakeholders are concerned about the next generation of operators, due to their different requirements regarding softwares and engagement. In fact, they would not be eager to work with the current ICSs. However, gamification — the design practice about using game design elements in contexts unrelated to games — has potential to contribute in addressing the problem. Implementing gamification within ICSs could make the future operators’ job more fun, appealing, and engaging, providing an overall better user- experience (UX). This research is a step towards achieving an effective gamification of ICSs; it consists of an exploratory study aimed to understand what gamification approaches are more suitable for the industrial context and the target user group. This research adopted an user-centred design approach, starting with extensive user studies on control rooms and the future operators; followed by a design and prototyping phase, and finally a user evaluation involving quantitative and qualitative investigations. This paper ultimately provides a series of design implications and insights for the design of gamified ICS.