She also writes about the way that collective intelligence can be generated and used as a means for improving the quality of human life or working towards the solution of social ills.

[11] In 2008, she became the Director of Game Research and Development at Institute for the Future,[12] and in 2012, the Chief Creative Officer at SuperBetter Labs.

[13] McGonigal has been developing commercial games since 2006, some of which are listed in the following chart: In July 2009, Jane suffered a concussion after hitting her head in her office.

Using current research from the positive psychology movement, McGonigal argues that games contribute to human happiness and motivation, a sense of meaning, and community development.

[22] The book received criticism from some quarters, notably the Wall Street Journal, which felt that her thesis—which claimed to use games to "fix" everyday life by giving it a sense of achievement and making it seem more fulfilling and optimistic—made "overblown" claims from minor examples, and did not address conflicting individual goals and desires, or the influence of "evil.

On September 15, 2015,[25] McGonigal's second book, SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver, and More Resilient, was published by Penguin Press.

[26] McGonigal's third book, Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything―Even Things That Seem Impossible Today, was released on March 22, 2022.