This document discusses gamification and designing player journeys. It defines key gamification concepts like core activities, progress mechanics, and dynamics that create patterns over time. These elements guide and motivate a player's journey from novice to master. Case studies are used to illustrate how focusing on intrinsic motivations and social engagement can create successful gamification designs. The document concludes with questions game designers should consider around vision, player styles, mastery, progress metrics and engagement loops.

1. Beyond GamificationDesigning The Player JourneyAmy Jo Kim, Ph.D. © 2011 All Rights Reserved

2. What is gamification?

3. A Loyalty Program on Steroids?

4. using game techniches to turbo-charge products & services?

5. Using Levels, Rewards & Unlocks to drive behavior?

6. Turning real-world activities into games?

7. … currently experiencing a Hype cycle 

8. Let’s Cut Through the Hype

9. Gamification 101Gamification using game techniques to make activities more engaging & fun

10. Game Techniques ≠ Core Experience

11. Intrinsic value > extrinsic rewardsQuestsThreatsMasteryAutonomySatisfactionPowerLeaderboardsSexMeaningLoveRewardsBelongingFunBadgesLearningLevels PunishmentsLoss of PowerPoints

12. Extrinsic Motivators completing tasks

13. Intrinsic Motivators  long-term engagement

14. Gamification 101Gamification using game techniques to make activities more engaging & funPlayer the person playing your game (AKA user, consumer, customer)

15. Good Games balance Skill & Challenge to keep players engaged

16. Gamification 101Gamification using game techniques to make activities more engaging & funPlayer the person playing your game (AKA user, consumer)Journey a player’s experience/progression over time (AKA lifecycle)

17. Journey = Lifecycle + ProgressionMasterExpertNoviceGood games give players something to master

18. Novice needs onboarding(welcome + goals + progress + achievable rewards)

19. Expert needs fresh content/activities/people(also status/customization/powertools)

20. Masters need exclusive access, activities, unlocks

21. Think Like a Game DesignerDynamicsMechanicsPlayerJourneyAestheticsUse game techniques to guide and motivate the players journey

22. Gamification 101Gamification using game techniques to make activities more engaging & funPlayer the person playing your game (AKA user, consumer)Journey a player’s experience/progression over time (AKA lifecycle)Dynamics the time-based patterns & systems in your game

23. Game Dynamics = patterns over timeDynamicsPacingAppointmentsProgressiveUnlocksRewardSchedulesDynamicSystems

24. Patterns are programmed into game systemsReward Schedules  Habits, Surprise, Addiction

25. Gamification 101Gamification using game techniques to make activities more engaging & funPlayer the person playing your game (AKA user, consumer)Journey a player’s experience/progression over time (AKA lifecycle)Dynamics the time-based patterns & systems in your gameMechanics the systems & features that make progress visible

26. Game Mechanics make progress visibleMechanicsLevelsPointsLeaderboardsBadgesPlayerJourneyMissionsVirtualGoods

27. Mechanics “light the way” in a player’s journey

28. Gamification 101Gamification using game techniques to make activities more engaging & funPlayer the person playing your game (AKA user, consumer)Journey a player’s experience/progression over time (AKA lifecycle)Dynamics the time-based patterns & systems in your gameMechanics the systems & features that make progress visible Aesthetics the overall experience that yields emotional engagement

29. Game Aesthetics evoke emotionAestheticsCuriositySatisfactionSurpriseTrustDelightFunPrideEnvyConnection

30. Emotion drives action & engagementA good game takes the player on an emotional journey over time

31. Gamification 101Gamification using game techniques to make activities more engaging & funPlayer the person playing your game (AKA user, consumer)Journey a player’s experience/progression over time (AKA lifecycle)Dynamics the time-based patterns & systems in your gameMechanics the systems & features that make progress visible Aesthetics the overall experience that yields emotional engagementSocial Actions how players engage with each other in your game

32. Social Actions  Building Blocks of Social EngagementPlayerJourneyWHO am I playing with? HOW are we engaging? WHAT are we engaging around?

33. Who are players engaging with? What’s their preferred social style?

34. CompetitionBragging, Taunting, Challenging

35. CooperationSharing, Helping, Gifting, Greeting

36. Self-Expressioncustomizing, selecting, designing, creating

37. Bartles Player Types (1996)AchieversKillersSocializersExplorers

38. Social Actions (2010)WinCreateChallengeAchieversShowoffCompare

39. Social Actions (2010)WinCreateChallengeAchieversShowoffCompareExpressLikeHelpShareSocializersCommentGreetGive

40. Social Actions (2010)WinCreateChallengeAchieversShowoffCompareExpressLikeViewHelpExploreShareSocializersExplorersRateVoteCommentGreetGiveReviewCurate

41. Social Actions (2010)WinHackHarassCreateChallengeCheatKillersAchieversTauntHeckleShowoffCompareTeaseExpressLikeViewHelpExploreShareSocializersExplorersRateVoteCommentGreetGiveReviewCurate

42. Case Study: Foursquare

43. Why Does Foursquare Work?

44. Core activity: the checkin

45. Checkin to venues to earn Points & Stats

46. Badges mark progress and suggest goals

47. Badges have personality, attitude, humour

48. Mayorship rewards loyalty, recency – drives competition

49. Sharing checkins and badges promotes social engagement

50. Why does Foursquare work?Core activity has intrinsic motivationchecking into venues delivers lightweight fun, has both personal & social value

51. Why does Foursquare work?Core activity has intrinsic motivationchecking into venues delivers lightweight fun, has both personal & social value Progress mechanics light the waybadges guide players towards action & completion + have element of surprisemayorships mirror real-world dynamics, stimulate loyalty & competition

52. Why does Foursquare work?Core activity has intrinsic motivationchecking into venues delivers lightweight fun, has both personal & social value Progress mechanics light the waybadges guide players towards action & completion + have element of surprisemayorships mirror real-world dynamics, stimulate loyalty & competitionSocial Actions aligned with Social Needsexplore, showoff, share, compare, compete

53. Smart Gamification: Key QuestionsVISIONWhat’s our vision for this project? What’s the key benefit? Where’s the fun?

54. What’s the Core Game?

55. Smart Gamification: Key QuestionsVISIONWhat’s our vision for this project? What’s the key benefit? Where’s the fun?PLAYSTYLE Who’s playing? Who are they playing WITH? What’s their primary playstyle? What social actions do they find engaging – and why?

56. How do Players want to engage?

57. Smart Gamification: Key QuestionsVISIONWhat’s our vision for this project? What’s the key benefit? Where’s the fun?PLAYSTYLE Who’s playing? Who are they playing WITH? What’s their primary playstyle? What social actions do they find engaging – and why? MASTERYWhat’s the core activity and feedback system? What are players optimizing? What skills are they learning? What journey are they on? What’s driving them to keep playing? What does it mean to “play well?”

58. What can players learn and master?

59. Smart Gamification: Key QuestionsVISIONWhat’s our vision for this project? What’s the key benefit? Where’s the fun?PLAYSTYLE Who’s playing? Who are they playing WITH? What’s their primary playstyle? What social actions do they find engaging – and why? MASTERYWhat’s the core activity and feedback system? What are players optimizing? What skills are they learning? What journey are they on? What’s driving them to keep playing? What does it mean to “play well”? PROGRESSHow will you “light the way” towards mastery? How will players know how to get started, and what to do? How will they know if they’re playing well, or poorly?

60. What are the key progress metrics?

61. Smart Gamification: Key QuestionsVISIONWhat’s our vision for this project? What’s the key benefit? Where’s the fun?PLAYSTYLE Who’s playing? Who are they playing WITH? What’s their primary playstyle? What social actions do they find engaging – and why? MASTERYWhat’s the core activity and feedback system? What are players optimizing? What skills are they learning? What journey are they on? What’s driving them to keep playing? What does it mean to “play well”? PROGRESSHow will you “light the way” towards mastery? How will players know how to get started, and what to do? How will they know if they’re playing well, or poorly?ENGAGEMENT What activities and events will re-engage players throughout their lifecycle? How do these activities leverage core social actions?

62. What’s our core engagement loop?MasterEnthusiastExpertRegularNoviceNewbie

63. Thank You!for more like this, follow me on Twitter @amyjokimContact me with feedback & questionsamyjokim@gmail.com