Successful free to play games are a brew of persuasion techniques designed to achieve fast engagement. Here’s a short list and lots of examples of the most notorious persuasive methods and psychological tactics that are used in games you play and love.
2. Successful F2P games are a brew of persuasion techniques
designed to achieve fast engagement and revenue.
3. Love it or hate it, you have to acknowledge it.
4. Here’s a short list of the 7 most notorious persuasive methods
that can be found in casual games today:
5. Loss Aversion
People strive to avoid pain. And losing is painful.
We experience loss in twice as intense a manner
than we enjoy a possible gain.
6. A classic “loss aversion trap”. Players are reluctant to lose the
progress they have made in a level and pay to avoid loss.
Game: Love Rocks Starring Shakira
7. Notice the strong language, “Don’t abandon the baby pandas!”
that aims to trap users in the loss aversion corner.
Game: Panda Pop
8. Timers are often used to stress users into a quick decision.
(BTW, nothing happens when this timer hits zero).
Game: Panda Pop
9. No wonder Tinder is charging for the undo functionality.
People pay to avoid loss!
Game: Tinder
10. READ MORE about loss aversion and more psychological tactics
you can’t afford be ignorant of!
11. See how I persuaded you to click
my link? Such a cunning chap!
Moving on.
12. Endowed Progress
People who feel they’ve made some progress toward a goal
are more committed to achieve that goal.
13. Level systems are made with the endowed progress effect in mind.
A “progress” is made immediately after the first play.
Game: Temple Run 2
14. All “timer based” games are built around starting processes
that players feel compelled to finish, only because they started.
Game: Minions Paradise
15. Progress bars, especially those who offer concrete milestones
backed by rewards work wonders on players.
Game: Minions Paradise
Milestones
Rewards
16. Ever wondered how come you always have some of the
ingredients needed to complete a mission? Now you know why.
Game: Hay Day
19. World building games often show players their neighbours’
achievements to tap on their envy - embarrassment axis
Game: Simpsons Tapped Out
20. Some games would let players play with superior equipment
during tutorial phase, only to take it away on the first level.
Game: CSRacing
21. Watching your friends progress while you lag behind is a classic
envy - embarrassment motivator.
Game: Candy Crush Saga
22. Finally, leaving your awkward family group on Whatsapp is too
damn embarrassing for you to even think about it.
Game: Whatsapp
23. Reciprocity
Responding to a positive action with a positive action. When
someone gifts us we feel obligated to give something in return.
24. Receiving gifts on Candy Crush would make players more
probable to return the favour when their friends are in need.
Game: Candy Crush Saga
25. This is such a strong social norm that some games would force
players to give gifts.
Game: Angry Birds 2
26. On this game, friends can retrieve gems that were stolen from a
player’s treasure. The grateful owner would feel obligated to
return the favor.
Thank You!
Thank You!
Return Favor
Game: King of Thieves