Thread by @Tocelot

The best apps today are games in disguise

@calm @tiktok_us @superhuman @chime - many of the top consumer / enterprise / fintech apps embrace game design. These 'game-like' experiences feel fun and have great retention

Thread 👇

1/ First, game-like != gamification

- Game-like apps incorporate the design principles behind good games into the core product 🍎

- Gamification merely applies the surface mechanics like points, badges, leaderboards without understanding the design principles 📋

2/ The best game-like experiences focus on retention

Well-designed games retain extraordinarily well - @Warcraft @CandyCrushSaga have thrived for 10+ yrs

In contrast, most gamified programs boost short-term engagement but wear out users quickly

3/ A general framework for game-like experiences:
- Motivation: why does a user want to use your app? 🥅
- Mastery: what are the rules of the app? 🏅
- Feedback: how will a user learn those rules? 👩‍🎓

4/ Motivation - the best games motivate users via intrinsic goals 🥅

The intro level for Mega Man X is a great example of goal-setting. In the first 5 mins, users encounter and are defeated by Vile, a vastly more powerful enemy war machine

5/ Yet instead of seeing 'game over' - the user is saved last-min by Zero, who wears splashy red armor resembling a Ferrari

As the user kneels mesmerized, Zero proclaims you will grow stronger and one day "may even become as powerful as I am"

6/ This powerful sequence creates 3 intrinsic goals:
1) become more like Zero (relatedness)
2) beat Vile next time (competence)
3) figure out how to do this (autonomy)

Users are motivated to keep playing by these self-determined goals

7/ Mastery - once motivated toward goals, users need to learn the rules of the game - how to win. This is the path to mastery 🏅

Mastery is tied to the intrinsic need for competence - we want to improve in skill as we invest time in an activity

8/ The path to mastery should be fair and based on skill/choice, not luck. Goals should feel challenging yet attainable

Well-tuned difficulty creates flow - a state of mind where users are intensely focused on the present and the hours fly by 🧘‍♀️

9/ Combining intrinsic goals with a long-term path to mastery is what makes strong retention

RPGs like @ElderScrolls are a masterclass at this. Users who make it past a certain point generally keep playing for 100s of hours 🐉

10/ Feedback - the best games teach through iterative feedback loops. Users need a way to learn the rules and systems as they go 👩‍🎓

Very few people read instructions anymore

11/ Super Mario Bros famously taught users via death. The game presents an enemy Goomba early in World 1-1. If the Goomba touches Mario, he dies and restarts at the beginning - only 3secs back. This short harmless loop encourages experimentation

12/ @CandyCrushSaga rewards users for matching 3 candies with colorful explosions. The game also embraces serendipity as a design element. Candies often cascade too quickly to track, creating moments of delight as fireworks, fish, & lightning emerge!

13/ Today, many of the most popular apps across consumer, enterprise, & fintech embrace motivation, mastery, & feedback in their core design

A few of my favorite examples below:

14/ Many of our top social networks are game-like

@instagram @Twitter @tiktok_us hit intrinsic needs - users connect with others (relatedness) and express themselves as they post (autonomy). There is a path to mastery (building an audience) and feedback loops (likes/follows)

15/ The email app @Superhuman is a game-like experience

Superhuman sets a goal - Inbox Zero - and delivers fine-tuned controls that help users achieve flow. Upon reaching Inbox Zero, Superhuman celebrates by showing a beautiful HD image of nature scenery

16/ @forestapp_cc turns mental focus into a game

Users start a focus session by planting a tree that grows over time and withers if the user leaves the app early. Users who stay focused can plant the tree in a beautiful virtual forest 🌲

17/ @Chime automatic savings account turns saving money into a game

Chime's debit card rounds up transactions to the nearest $ and transfers the "Round Up" automatically to a user's savings account 💸

18/ The savings amount is different with every transaction (serendipity) and is highlighted colorfully in the app's feed

Chime succeeds in making a chore - reviewing bank statements - feel fun. This positive feedback loop also reinforces the savings goal 🥅

19/ @ZombiesRunGame makes running more fun. Zombies sends runners on audio missions where they role-play a survivor in a zombie epidemic

20/ @Duolingo turns language learning into a game. Lessons are broken into snackable levels similar in length to mobile game sessions. Many lessons are adaptive in difficulty to help students reach a state of flow

Wrap/ The core principles of game design have been integrated into many of the top apps today

When people have fun and make progress toward intrinsic goals, they build long-term habits

If you're building a game-like app, would love to hear from you!