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Rewarding players while gaming is a successful way to keep them engaged, motivated, and enjoying the game. Reward systems are also part of game monetization; they offer gamers free awards but also opportunities to purchase additional gear or tools, allowing developers to earn more revenue from their games.
Developers make use of psychological principles by offering several kinds of rewards, surprises, and game progression to ensure players are satisfied and seeking more.
An in-game reward system uses psychological concepts like motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, to increase player engagement. Intrinsic motivation is when players receive personal enjoyment from the game, while extrinsic motivation comes from outside sources, like rewards or money.
A successful reward system must have several elements, including a variety of rewards, progression paths, immediate satisfaction, unpredictable elements, and attainable goals.
Developers must offer a mix of tangible rewards, like in-game items and currency, and intangible rewards, like titles and awards, to cater to different player motivations. iGaming platforms do this well, offering a range of bonuses and rewards. For example, a single online casino can offer a welcome bonus, deposit-matching, free spins, and loyalty points. Esports Insider has provided you with your go-to online casino list on this page so you can discover these rewards for yourself.
A progression system is also important in a game, with a tiered reward system. For example, a first-person shooter game may give a Level 1 player some free ammo, while the reward is gear or weapons once they reach Level 10. This creates a sense of accomplishment.
Immediate satisfaction is another important part of a successful reward system. Although grand rewards for big achievements, like a boss fight, work well to motivate players, smaller but more frequent rewards drive engagement. These smaller rewards provide instant gratification and will motivate a player to keep playing.
Unpredictable elements must also be incorporated into the game’s reward system. These are unexpected rewards, also called random rewards, that are delivered without any achievements being accomplished, like a loot box drop.
Finally, goals that deliver rewards must be achievable. Of course, players won’t enjoy an easy game, therefore goals must be challenging but attainable, aligning with the game’s story and mechanics. This provides players with a sense of purpose, and they will feel positive about the game once they reach a goal (and the associated reward) after a somewhat tough challenge.
Developers make use of different types of in-game rewards. First, there are fixed versus variable rewards. Fixed rewards are consistent, offering the same rewards for specific actions. They’re predictable, but can still be used for increased engagement. Fixed rewards are often used in subscription-based games, where players earn specific rewards at specific levels.
Variable rewards are unpredictable, which is used to create excitement in the game. These rewards are often randomized and can be successfully monetized by developers, for example, by purchasing a loot box for bonus goods in the game.