In order for a game to be fun, it has to respect four principles:<ul><li>it is tied to a goal: every goal has an outcome in mind, a definition of win or lose or of finding something</li><li>it has rules: every game has constraints that its players has to know and respect in order for the game to exist</li><li>feedback: there is constant feedback on how you are progressing in the game</li><li>voluntary participation: what makes it fun is that it is not mandatory to play it, and people can choose not to enter it or start it whenever they want</li></ul>

Basic principles of game fun

<ol><li>Manage the mission: whenever using gamification, it is crucial to have a mission tied to it (e.g. we want our gamification to result in 80% of people coming to our platform 1 week after onboarding) </li><li>Monitor motivation: at each step, understand what motivates the user and if your game mechanics are applied correctly</li><li>Measure the metric: at each step, measure where you are compared to the original mission</li></ol>

The 3Ms of Gamification

There are different types of players in a game with different motivation: <ul><li>The Achiever - the objective is to collect accomplishments among the way and showcase status (10% of people)</li><li>The Explorer - he/she wants to discover and learn new things (10% of people). Likes to gradually discover new areas and skills</li><li>The Socializer - wants to collaborate with others, the objective is to achieve things but not on their own, rather in teams (70-80% of people)</li><li>The Killer - want to see other people lose and he/she winning compared to them (1% of people)</li></ul>

Player-Centered Design

The easiest way to boost endorphin release with gamification is create situations where your users will feel they have achieved something. Rather than giving rewards for clicking buttons, you need to create challenges that actually require skill and effort to complete. If they feel they have worked hard, they will get that feeling of fiero and with luck a hit of endorphins.

Games have existed probably for more than 3000 years, the first we can recollect being the invention of rolling the dice in Persia. However, gamification is a different term, which is defined by including the game experience in elements that are naturally not necessarily all fun and games.

What is gamification? 

Gamification can boost engagement in a product if tied to the right motivation

What You’ll Learn: The power of gamification and how it can increase user engagement and fulfilment . Why and how gamification is not the same as game design. H...