Key concepts in gamification
Gamification can be, and is often, used to describe many things. Sometimes, it is a distinct feature added to a product such as a progress tracker. But it can also be the use of subtle psychological cues to help nudge a user down a desired path such as offering a coupon for creating an account on an e-commerce platform. It could also be something bolder, such as a fast-food restaurant offering a scratch-off ticket that could reward you with anything from a free drink to a cash prize. Game design is all around us, and that becomes evident the second you start paying attention to it and looking for it. As more and more products adopt gamified techniques, the lines between what could be considered gamification and what is simply experience design become more and more blurred. But for the lessons in this book, most of what we now consider gamification techniques fall into one of five broad categories:
- Reward systems
- Progress tracking
- Narrative...
