GAMIFICATION BEYOND 
GAMIFICATION 
What UX designers can learn from games besides shiny badges? 
CSERTÁN ÁKOS, UX MEETUP, BUDAPEST 2014
HELLO! 
+ I’m a psychologist 
+ No, I don’t know what you are 
thinking about right now 
+ I’m a UX Designer 
+ All my pictures look awful
SO WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT THEN? 
1st 
mention 
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 
Source: Goolge Ngram Viewer
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
+ 15,000 
+ =
"I call it the law of the instrument, and it may be 
formulated as follows: Give a small boy a hammer, and 
he will find that everything he encounters needs 
pounding." 
Abraham Kaplan
PROBLEMS ARE WICKED
RADICAL BEHAVIORISM 
Image by Craig Swanson
WHAT ARE GAMES ALL ABOUT? 
Click on images of animated 
people on the screen 
Save the world from a 
terrorist threat 
THE MAGIC CIRCLE
DELICIOUS DOPAMINE
WHAT KEEPS ONE MOTIVATED? 
AUTONOMY MASTERY PURPOSE 
Be in control Get better 
Something that 
matters
WHAT KEEPS ONE MOTIVATED? 
AUTONOMY MASTERY PURPOSE 
Be in control Get better 
Something that 
matters
WHAT KEEPS ONE MOTIVATED? 
AUTONOMY MASTERY PURPOSE 
Be in control Get better 
Something that 
matters
FOGG BEHAVIOR MODEL 
MOTIVATION 
ABILITY 
TRIGGER 
ACTIVATION 
TRESHOLD
FOGG BEHAVIOR MODEL 
MOTIVATION 
Be in control of 
your health 
ABILITY 
ACTIVATION 
Run every day TRESHOLD
FOGG BEHAVIOR MODEL 
MOTIVATION 
See more from the 
world 
ABILITY 
ACTIVATION 
Learn a language TRESHOLD
FOGG BEHAVIOR MODEL 
MOTIVATION 
Save lives 
ABILITY 
ACTIVATION 
Fold proteins TRESHOLD
ACTION 
REWARD 
MOTIVATION 
BASIC 
ENGAGEMENT 
LOOP
ACTION 
REWARD 
MOTIVATION 
Pull lever -> Get cash -> 
Want more cash 
Add contact -> Feel more 
connected -> Be more 
connected
ACTION 
REWARD 
MOTIVATION 
UPGRADE 
UPGRADE LOOP
ACTION 
REWARD 
MOTIVATION 
UPGRADE 
Race -> Collect reward -> 
Upgrade car -> Need 
more cash 
Contribute -> Get 
reputation -> Unlock 
features -> Get more 
reputation
ACTION 
REWARD 
WAIT 
MOTIVATION 
UPGRADE 
WAIT LOOP
ACTION 
REWARD 
WAIT 
MOTIVATION 
UPGRADE 
Plant crops -> Wait for 
crops to grow -> Collect 
reward -> Build -> Need 
more cash 
Upload photo -> Wait for 
likes -> Feel great -> 
Need to feel greater
ACTION 
REWARD 
WAIT 
SESSION 
MOTIVATION 
UPGRADE 
SESSIONING – 
END OF GRIND
ACTION 
REWARD 
WAIT 
SESSION 
MOTIVATION 
UPGRADE 
Nothing more to plant or 
harvest 
No more connections 
to add
ACTION 
REWARD 
WAIT 
SESSION 
LEAVE 
RETURN TRIGGER 
RETURN 
MOTIVATION 
UPGRADE
LEAVE 
RETURN TRIGGER 
RETURN 
MOTIVATION 
UPGRADE 
Time to harvest or you will 
lose your reward - 
Appointment trigger 
New connections to 
add – Social 
commitment
PROGRESSION, DECOMPOSED
THE JOURNEY 
CHAPTERS 
CHALLENGES
TAKE REVENGE FOR YOUR WIFE AND DAUGHTER 
FIND EVIDENCE 
SURVIVE LEVEL
BUILD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FARM 
LEVEL UP 
BUILD
BECOME A DATA SCIENTIST 
WRITE YOUR OWN CODE 
RUN TESTS
MOTIVATIONAL TYPES 
DISRUPTOR 
CHANGE 
REWARD 
PLAYER 
Andrzej Marczewski, http://www.gamified.co.uk/
?
! 
@csertanakos
.

Gamification beyond Gamification