101 Game Design Principles for Social

Media
posted by Anna Mar, August 10, 2011

Game design principles are often incorporated into social media

(gamification). The reason is that games are downright addictive.
Game-like features can increase user engagement encouraging
desired behaviour from customers, partners and employees.

Game design is a well developed field. After all, games have been
around for thousands of years. The following 101 game design
elements are commonly incorporated into social media and software
(usually in small amounts).

Game Mechanics
1. Appointments
Players must join the game at predefined intervals (e.g. once a day) for
positive effect.

2. Achievements
Players seek to achieve goals successful players are rewarded with
points, status etc..

3. Bonuses
Players receive bonus rewards for exceptional achievements.
4. Combos
Players are rewarded for achieving multiple things concurrently.

5. Concentration Scaling
Ensuring that the game is playable when the player is only passively
engaged. However, the game should also reward players for more
intense concentration.

6. Cascading Information
Revealing information gradually.

7. Countdown
Game tasks are often time-bound.

8. Turns
Turn based games allow players time to consider strategy and tactics.

9. Discovery
Allowing players to explore and discover virtual universes.

10. Scoring
Most games are scored to determine a winner.

11. Infinite Game

Games that can be played indefinitely.
12. Chance
Randomness to avoid predictability.

13. Skill
The longer you play a game, the better you get. Many games take
years to master.

14. Strategy
Games that allow players to plan and direct resources to achieve a
goal.

15. Puzzles
Games that test ingenuity.

16. Structure Building

Players are asked to build things.

17. Resource Management

Players manage resources such as power etc...

18. Reaction Time

Demanding the player's attention by testing their reaction time to real-
time events.
19. Cooldown
When the player needs to wait after using an ability (before they can
use it again).

20. Grinding
Repetitive tasks that reward the player.

21. Mini Games

Embedded sub-games.

22. Longevity
Allowing players to bounce back from failure so that they will keep
playing.

23. Catch-up
Making the final challenge difficult so that players who are behind can
catch up.

24. Levels
Game play is divided into levels that become progressively more
difficult. Difficulty is often curved so that the gap between levels
grows in a non-linear fashion.

25. Experience point

A milestone achievement frequent milestones give players a sense
of achievement.

26. Magic
Anything is possible in games they are not restricted by the laws of
the physical universe.

27. Invisibility
Allowing players to be invisible to others in the game.

28. Risk and Reward

Rewarding players for pushing their luck and succeeding.

29. Punishment
Punishing players for taking risks and failing.

30. Health (and healing)

The health of game characters often represented as a number.

31. Game Balance

The laws of virtual universes should be balanced.

32. Cheat Detection

Games should be difficult to cheat.

33. Cheats
Minor cheats are sometimes intentionally included in games .

34. Easter Eggs

Oddities and quirks intentionally included in games.

35. Lottery
When game outcomes are decided purely by chance.

36. Vocabulary
Games often have their own language that only game insiders can
understand.

37. Creation
Allowing players to extend the game with their own creations (e.g.
levels, avatars etc..)

38. Difficulty Levels

Difficulty levels make games more accessible to players of different
skill levels. In the past difficulty levels were manually selected
more advanced games scale difficulty based on performance.

39. Modes
Support for multiple modes of game play (e.g. single vs multiplayer).

40. Artificial Intelligence

Intelligence of bots and the game itself.

41. Virtual Universe

A virtual universe where the laws of physics, society etc.. may be
different.

42. Area of Control

Allowing players to control geographical areas in the game universe
(such as plots of land).

Motivations
43. Euphoric Productivity
Games may make players feel productive.

44. Loss Aversion

Games that satisfy a player's risk adverse instincts.

45. Lucky Day

Games that make players feel lucky.

46. Ownership
Allowing players to own virtual things.

47. Status
Allowing players to achieve status within the game.
48. Optimism
Feeding a player's sense of optimism.

49. Urgency
Creating a sense of urgency within a game.

50. Karma
Allowing players to perform good deeds.

51. Vanity
Feeding the player's self-pride.

52. Achieving the Impossible

Games that allow players to achieve the unachievable.

53. Feedback
Providing the player with continuous performance feedback.

54. Envy
Creating a sense of envy amongst players for status, ability, or virtual
possessions.

55. Fun
Above all, games should be fun.
56. Self Expression
Feeding the player's desire for self-expression (e.g. by allowing them
to design things).

57. Escapism
Allowing players to escape from reality.

58. Curiosity
Fostering a sense of curiosity in players.

59. Points
Players may be motivated by the desire to score points.

Social Dynamics
60. Collaborative Strategy
Games that reward collaborative behaviour encouraging players to
come out of their shell and socialize.

61. Parties
Players are organized into teams (parties) and assigned missions.

62. Collaboration Tools

Allowing users to collaborate with voice, text chat, video etc..

63. Social Networking

Social networking features such as user profiles.
64. Intelligent Matching
Matching players based on location, interests etc...

65. Meet Ups

Facilitating events that allow players to meet in the real world.

Character Development
66. Avatars
Allowing users to customize and control game characters.

67. Character Classes

Categories of characters (e.g. wizards).

68. Character Sketch

Character profiles.

69. Protagonist
Most games have a focal character.

70. Antagonist
Villains are an important element of many games.

71. Stock Character

A character type that appears repeatedly (often comical in
appearance).
72. Secret Character
Secret characters appear only after a milestone is reached in the game.
Secret characters may be playable or non-playable.

73. Ghost Character

A ghost character is mentioned in the game but never appears.

Narrative
74. Plot
Most successful games have an intriguing storyline.

75. Metaplot
An overarching story that may span many games.

76. Epic Meaning

When players feel that they are achieving something truly significant
in the game (e.g. saving the universe).

77. Shared Universe

When different games take place in the same fictional universe.

78. Alternate Reality Game

Games that mimic the real world (e.g. life simulation).

79. Symbolism
Games that use symbols to represent ideas.

80. Culture
Games that draw on myth, arts, humanities and popular culture.

81. Humor
Humor is a very common element of games.

Technology
82. Massively Multiplayer Online Game
Allowing millions of players to engage in the same game
concurrently.

83. Dynamic Music

Music that matches events in the game.

84. Emergent Gameplay

Games that define relatively simple game mechanics and let the game
evolve.

Economics
Game economics are of particular interest to businesses looking to
gamify social media and enterprise software.

85. Currency
Game currency that can be used to buy and sell virtual goods and
services. Game currency may be earned for game performance or
purchased with real money.

86. Pay to Achieve

Allowing players to pay real money in exchange for benefits in a
game.

87. Virtual Labour

Players perform game tasks in exchange for virtual currency.

88. Virtual Land

Virtual real estate that can be owned and controlled by players.

89. Virtual Goods

Virtual goods that can be created, bought and sold.

90. Collectables
Virtual goods produced in limited supply that can be collected by
players.

91. Virtual Fashion

Virtual fashion is emerging as a popular virtual good in many games.

92. Scarcity
Imposing scarcity on virtual goods in order to drive up their value.
93. Influence
Simulating influence and political capital in the game environment.

94. Markets
In-game markets that facilitate the game economy.

95. Gold Sink

In many games a player's money goes down with time.

Visuals
96. Analytics
Game analytics and dashboards that provide players with up-to-date
game statistics.

97. Progress Bar

Progress bars that visually represent the status of game-task
completion.

98. Dazzle
Visually stunning user interfaces are a big attraction for many games.

99. Cuteness
Cute games sell.

100. Darkness
Dark, dystopian games sell.

101. Themes
The same game may be released in different themed versions (e.g.
hello kitty monopoly)