What Makes a Casino Game ‘Sticky’? The Science of Player Engagement
At this point, it’s not a secret that millions of people enjoy playing casino games like Blackjack, Baccarat, Poker, and many more. But what about these games that make them appealing? Why have they become so successful and how can someone design a game that will create player engagement?
In this article, I will explore these questions and reveal some of the secrets known by the world’s most reputable casinos.
The Need to Stand Out
In a world where many thousands of games are available, ranging from card games to role-playing games and much more, players are willing to spend only a tiny amount of time experimenting with a new game. If that game does not succeed in capturing their attention almost immediately, they will naturally move on to something else.
Over time, certain games have survived this process, and some have even thrived, garnering much of the world’s attention and facilitating the creation of large communities who share the same hobby. Poker, for instance, is played by more than 100 million people, who are fascinated by its mechanisms and all the psychological and mathematical aspects involved in it.
On the surface, this card game looks simple. But once you get to know it a bit better, you realize that there’s a lot to learn and get better at. It usually takes years for someone to master poker and even the best players in the world have not yet fully mastered it.
So, the first key to creating a casino game that has broad appeal is to make it simple and captivating from the start, but complex enough to keep players interested for a long period of time.
There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. Some games are simple to understand and there’s no real depth to them but are still played by millions of people. That’s because they manage to maintain their interest in other ways.
There may not be much to learn about them, but perhaps there’s something to win by playing them repeatedly. Or, if a win-lose cycle has been created, many players will feel motivated to try again until they win enough to feel like they succeeded in whatever goal they may have set for themselves.
The Role of Aesthetics and Rewards
The look and feel of a game tend to be just as important as its rules. If a game has beautiful graphics and an intuitive interface, its chances of creating player engagement are much higher compared to a game that’s poorly designed and unintuitive.
The truth is that players don’t want to be forced to think too much at first. They want a quick reward that gives them the feeling that they’re winning.
Much of the real-world functions in reverse, in the sense that it forces you to dedicate yourself completely for a long time before you start getting rewarded. If a game gives the player the same kind of experience, it no longer feels enjoyable. It feels like work.
When they play games, people want to relax and have a pleasant experience. So, although a game may provide a lot of challenges along the way, it’s important to create the impression that it’s easy to understand and will reward the player quickly.
As soon as a person has tasted success, they will want more of it and in many cases, they will be willing to go through some failures and put in some effort to obtain it.
A Sense of Progression
Games tend to be more successful if they offer players a sense of progression. Challenges, especially when they’re successfully completed, offer a feeling of satisfaction and self-confidence. This feeling has great value even on its own. But if it’s accompanied by a financial reward, the psychological impact is much bigger.
In Poker, for instance, people love the idea that they can enter a tournament relatively cheaply and then have the possibility to win substantial rewards while honing their skills.
The more you play, the better you get and the more you enjoy the game. You also tend to win more often when you do this. Such a cycle reinforces itself and naturally motivates people to keep playing.