Mastering Compelling Elements in Game Design

There’s something perverse about the way mobile games hook you. While there are exceptions, it seems like many mobile games are designed to keep you there while chucking ads and cash grabs down your throat.

We’ve gathered a list of the addictive elements in mobile games, so you can know what keeps returning you to a game that seems to have nothing to offer.

1. Accessible UIs, Easy Progression, and Design Psychology

One of the things mobile games use to make you stay in the first place is big, flashy, easy-to-navigate UIs. From the first time you open the game, you won’t have any issues figuring out where the menus and buttons are.

Mobile games use brain psychology tricks in their designs. They pick large buttons and menus with satisfying colors and use sound design to “reward” you when you succeed. These sounds condition your brain to try to do what it takes to trigger that sound again.

The game mechanics are also very easy to figure out, and they make the first few levels deceptively easy. This gives you a sense of “talent”; you feel like you’re a natural to the game. So when you run into issues in harder levels, you want to push through the level to keep up the illusion that you’re good at the game.

Don’t fall for it; it’s mostly likely difficult to get you to fork out some cash. And the UI is simple enough so that you know precisely where to go to buy whatever in-game currency they are peddling.

2. Mobile Games Capitalize on Instant Gratification and Dopamine

Mobile games are full of small challenges that gratify you with a burst of dopamine when you beat them. The dopamine hits that come with instant gratification are one of the reasons why we think mobile games are unhealthy .

Therefore, instead of quality gameplay, you have levels designed to gratify you in ways you might not be able to experience doing something more beneficial. While you might feel good about yourself for matching three similar cubes, remember that you’re being stimulated to keep seeking that feeling.

3. Free-to-Play, Pay-to-Win, and Season Pass Business Models

Free-to-play (F2P) and pay-to-win (P2W) aren’t the same thing . But mobile game creators often combine the two elements to make their games hook players.

Here’s how the two synergize: first, you can download the game completely free (F2P). That removes whatever barrier that may have hindered you from getting the game in the first place. They advertise the game as completely free, and you can justify testing it out. The second part is when they make you pay to beat a level or offer you hints, gems, power-ups, or, in some cases, powerful characters (P2W).

Battle passes are different from pay-to-win since most battle passes try only to give you cosmetics and skins (but some could reward you with in-game currency for powerups and boosts). However, the psychology of “investment” still remains, and you would want to grind on the battle pass to get as many “freebies” as you can for the price of your battle pass.

Investing money in something—because this is how you will justify spending money on the game—means you’re more likely to go the extra mile to get your money’s worth.

4. Mobile Game Devs Use Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

This strategy is popular in converting sales outside of the mobile games world. Advertisers capitalize on the human fear of being left out by creating limited-time offers and events.

A limited-time offer with certain in-game conditions or limited-time event bonanzas might pop up on your phone just about when you would leave the game and draw you back into its trap. That’s why we recommend you disable notifications for games on your phone, so you won’t succumb to the temptation of trying to get a good “deal” or join a limited-time event or competition.

5. Achievement Systems, Ranking, and Progression

Competition is another human need that mobile games exploit. People always want to show off their progress and power, and mobile games typically add a ranking system to show everyone how much time and money you’ve invested in the game.

Sometimes, they also incentivize you to add your friends to the game to “rank” over them, which can be a point of pride for you. Besides, if all of your friends spend time in the game, you’re less likely to leave it alone since it’s now a group behavior.

6. Loot Boxes and RNG Elements (AKA Gambling)

Gambling is addictive, and some mobile games introduce gambling and random reward generation elements into their games. One of the most popular methods is loot boxes, an otherwise harmless prize box that could give you potentially rare rewards.

While there’s nothing wrong with random rewards and loot boxes by themselves, the moment you make it so that you can spend real money to buy something that isn’t guaranteed, it becomes gambling of a sort. And gambling can be really addictive.

Apart from addiction, gambling has effects that can harm not just you but loved ones that depend on you. That’s why we recommend avoiding loot boxes as a solid tip for staying healthy as a gamer .

Choose Your Mobile Games Carefully

Once you see any of these elements in any mobile game you choose to play, you should tread carefully to avoid getting addicted. You should choose games that won’t require a long-term commitment.

In fact, it’s better to pay once for a complete and well-crafted game and forget about in-app purchases instead of choosing a free-to-play game that could drag you down a rabbit hole.

FAQ

Q: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Video Game Addiction?

There are a lot of differences between what you may define as video game addiction and other forms of addiction. Even still, despite how you may categorize an addiction to gaming, there are common signs you can look out for if you think someone is gaming too much. Specifically, these symptoms can be defined as restlessness when away from a video game, irritability, or even anxiety. Whether you define this phenomenon as addiction or just obsessive behavior surrounding a particular game is up to your discretion.

Q: Why Do People Play Mobile Games So Much?

There are many pros and cons of mobile gaming , but in terms of why it’s so popular, the convenience provided is paramount. And with mobile gaming offering tons of free-to-play experiences that you can play anywhere, it becomes one of the most accessible ways to game, enabling its popularity to reach anyone with a smartphone.

Q: Why Is Fortnite So Addictive?

Of all the addictive mobile games you can play, Fortnite is always a contender for the most addictive. But why? Fortnite represents the most popular title in the battle royale genre of video games. Battle royales rely on players battling it out in a vast arena until you’re whittled down to the last team standing. This final team is then crowned victors of the match. It’s this gameplay loop that makes battle royales so addicting: winning your first match inspires more victories, while falling short only makes your need to come first even greater.