Gamification

Our gamification projects and what we learned from them.

United Nations Carbon Offset Platform gamificaton

We were tasked with the total redesign of the UNFCCC carbon offset platform and the carbon footprint calculatorWe suggested adding gamification on top to provide extra incentives for offsetting.

During our tests we discovered that most of the added incentives conflicted the users’ intrinsic incentives for carbon offsetting, so we left only those few subtle gamification features that enhanced the existing incentives.

  • Progression for contributions in three impact categories
  • Leaderboards per country

Result

The platform gained ×9 increase in the offset amount (equivalent to e-commerce revenue increase) in the year after the redesign launch.

MiMu: gamified museum experience

Getting kids engaged and having fun in a museum is quite a challenge these days –  many apps have tried and failed.

We tested the fundamental mechanics early with paper prints. The test results allowed us to cut the production costs in half and we continued testing through the whole design process.

  • An original reverse treasure-hunt mechanic
  • Quests with integrated educational value
  • Unique solution for user-generated content

Result

A gamified experience that is both unique and resonating. Kids stayed 5-7 times longer in our pilot museum than the average.

Games and gamified experiences

OilAndPirates

Original game mechanics and math

SliderGames

Highly innovative and successful mobile suite

BonusKing

Convert gamified engagement into brand loyalty

BallsOfFire

BWIN’s only in-house developed game

VirginBet

Gamified sports fan experience

To design and develop original game mechanics is risky but it’s the only way to get the practical understanding of why and how engaging mechanics work.

We learned that for gamification to be effective you need to test often through the process like you’d test a game.

We implemented and tested every possible mechanic – from the widely known to the obscure ones.

  • Progression systems
  • Extreme and subtle feedback
  • Contextual mechanics
  • Social engagements
  • etc.

Result

Invaluable experience and several top performing products in an extremely competitive industry.

BWIN.COM gamified sportsbetting

Back in 2001, this was our first big successful Pilot Product – bwin’s LiveBetting. 

It was also the first implementation of our models, the first deliberate balance between utility, efficiency, and engagement features.

We developed a custom session recorder and player, engagement tracker, and in-product feedback system. We got tons of data for developing the next product versions.

  • Building excitement and anticipation
  • Staying close to the action
  • Adding emotional value to numbers
  • Creating sense of urgency
  • Social engagement
  • etc.

Result

It made the company a leader in a competitive industry and defined the product category. The LiveBetting grew to over 2 million concurrent users.

Well done!

Thank you for browsing through our gamification projects and taking part in the quiz!

Digital products are like virtual environments in which users live for a while. Gamification is a powerful tool for designing interactive environments that steer user behavior in a particular direction. When done successfully, gamified interactions lead to a mutually beneficial outcome—users get desirable experiences, and businesses achieve desirable results.

Benefits of gamification

  • Users spend more time with the product (increases the chance of conversion)
  • Users are incentivised to come back (good for recurring revenue)
  • As user engagement increases, the product’s perceived value increases
  • Rewarding experiences fuel free word-of-mouth marketing
  • With increased usage, new use cases might be discovered (great for product development)
  • Usage and engagement are critical for MVPs/Pilot products to take off

Keep in mind

  • It is critical to balance the effects of different features. The optimal experience oscillates between boredom and frustration – cross these lines, and you can easily bore or burn your users.
  • Gamification mechanics rarely have universal but rather conditional effects. You need to test and find out what works in your case.
  • Adding more features doesn’t make it better. Successful products are carried by a core of a few primary engaging mechanics and multiple supporting ones.
 

The process of implementing gamification

Work with the Opportunity Matrix to discover the core Feature Mix for the product with stakeholders.

Start with concept testing, which aims to identify the core balance of features, including utility, efficiency, and engagement (gamification) features.

Analyse test results and design the next testable version. Then, test again. This step is needed to shape and balance the complete feature set.

When gamification features resonate with users and the experience is properly balanced, the effect will be impossible to miss – increased user engagement and optimised product performance.