This article examines the problem of reducing students' interest in natural science and mathematics disciplines and suggests a solution through the introduction of game techniques into the educational process. The aim of the study was to empirically verify the hypothesis that the systematic use of gaming approaches, including innovative digital and collaborative formats, significantly increases academic motivation and stimulates interest in participating in subject Olympiads in physics and mathematics. As part of the study, two groups of students (control and experimental) were formed, in which indicators of motivation and Olympiad activity were compared. The results obtained demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in these parameters in the experimental group, which confirms the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Special attention is paid to the role of online tools and the student-to-student mentoring model in the context of gamification.