How Games Are Designed to Hook You In

Playing games is fun, exciting and one of the most enjoyed hobbies with Statista predicting that there will be over three billion gamers walking the Earth by 2023.

But it is not just exceptional graphics and riveting narratives that make gaming so popular. Gaming companies and developers use strategies to hook gamers in and keep them playing. Here are some of the ways that games are designed to grab your attention.

1. Engaging Music

Game developers know that what you see on the screen is not all that matters. When you buy a video game, you buy into the complete package. And that means paying particular attention to the soundtrack and the game's music. Just like a film can create suspense through music, games can stir emotions within gamers that get their attention and, more importantly, keep them gaming. For example, fast music could cause you to play for longer, and at the casino, faster music may cause you to bet more frequently.

Speaking of online casinos…

2. Winning Money

Gambling companies are investing heavily in new casino games to draw in customers. The most notable of late is Crazy Time by Evolution Gaming, which woos players in with live dealers, multiple bonus rounds, and promises of huge multipliers. The chance to win money – and more money than other games – is a big pull. But adding a live dealer experience to the mix, as is the case with the likes of Crazy Time, makes gambling more of social activity and negates the stigma of an isolated hobby.

3. Role-Playing Narratives

Role-playing games are extremely popular, especially among younger children. It gives them a chance to explore characters and relationships with other characters, sometimes other gamers worldwide. This can provide a sense of escapism from real life and help them transform themselves into personalities that they adore or long to be. In this sense, video games can hook players in with a promise of trialing a different type of life and adventure.

4. Top Scores and Leaderboards

Most video gamers have a competitive streak. They aim to beat the computer or fellow gamers, sometimes our friends, to be known as the best player on a specific game. When developers add top scores and leaderboards with social recognition to their games, usually via online gaming modes, they play into the hands of our competitive nature and longing for social status.

5. Creating an Offline Community

Sometimes it is not what the game developer does to the game that hooks us in. Nowadays, marketing of a game – possibly with scenes that are not even accessible within the game – is crucial to the game's success. Stirring up anticipation before a release date through the media, as well as using the top influencers and eSports stars, is all part and parcel of the process. You will also notice communities pop up outside of the game, such as on twitch streams and forums. These also increase our interest in trying these new games and be welcomed into a new gaming community.