Rewards that work
Choose what to reward and when, see why random rewards are so gripping, and keep rewards from replacing the fun.
WHAT TO GIVE
Seven kinds of reward
Points (a score), power (a new ability or a stronger tool), access (a new area or level), resources (gold, wood, ammo), cosmetics (looks only, like an outfit), knowledge (a secret, the next piece of the story) and mastery, the feeling that you've got better. The best rewards feed back into the core loop: they change what you can do next, instead of only raising a number.
In a mining game, a better pickaxe that can break a new kind of rock opens new places to dig. That makes the next minute of mining more interesting. Five hundred extra points don't.
Check yourself
Arash is designing a mining game whose core loop is dig, collect, upgrade, dig deeper. Which reward for finishing a cave supports that loop best?
- 500 extra points on the scoreboard
- A pickaxe that can break a kind of rock you couldn't break before
- A gold frame around the player's name
- A pop-up that says "Great job"
Show the answer
A pickaxe that can break a kind of rock you couldn't break before
Yes. The new pickaxe changes what you can do next: new rock means new places to dig. That feeds straight back into the loop.
When to give it: two schedules
Fixed schedule
The reward comes at a known point: a key every 5th level, a chest after every 10 enemies. Clear and fair. Players often slow down right after a reward, because the next one is far away.
Variable schedule
The reward comes on average every so often, but you can't predict when: an enemy sometimes drops a rare gem. Behaviour becomes steady and persistent, because the next try might be the one.
Rewards over 30 enemies, one mark per enemy.
Fixed (every 10th):
.........R.........R.........R
Variable (about 1 in 10):
....R...............R.R.......Both give 3 rewards.
Fixed: you always know how far the next one is.
Variable: the next one could be right now.Same number of rewards, very different feeling. With the variable schedule, every single enemy carries a small chance, so none of them feels skippable.
Check yourself
Fixed or variable schedule?
- Every 5th level you get a key
- Enemies sometimes drop rare gems
- A chest opens after every 10 enemies
- Fishing: most casts catch nothing, now and then a big fish
- Log in on day 7 and get a bonus
- A treasure card turns up at random in the deck
Show the answer
Fixed: you know when: Every 5th level you get a key, A chest opens after every 10 enemies, Log in on day 7 and get a bonus
Variable: you can't predict: Enemies sometimes drop rare gems, Fishing: most casts catch nothing, now and then a big fish, A treasure card turns up at random in the deck
Check yourself
Why are paid loot boxes a problem, when random loot drops in play usually aren't?
- Random items are always bad design
- They pair a gambling-like random pull with real money
- Players don't like surprises
- Loot boxes make the game too easy
Show the answer
They pair a gambling-like random pull with real money
Right. The randomness alone is fine; that's a variable schedule. Adding real money to it is what makes it work like a slot machine, and why some countries treat it as gambling.
Overjustification effect
When a big outside reward is attached to something people already enjoy, they can start doing it for the reward instead of for itself, and enjoy it less once the reward is gone. Heavy points, badges and prizes can shrink the fun they were meant to add.
A classic 1973 study by Lepper, Greene and Nisbett: preschoolers who liked drawing were promised a certificate for drawing. Later, with no reward on offer, they spent less free time drawing than children who hadn't been promised anything.
Check yourself
- Group A: children are told beforehand, "Draw and you'll get a certificate." They draw and get it. A week or two later, they draw less in free time.
- Group B: children draw with no promise. Afterwards, as a surprise, they get the same certificate. A week or two later, they draw about as much as before.
Both groups got the same reward. What made the difference?
- Group B's certificate was nicer
- Group A was told in advance, so drawing became a job done for pay
- Group A got bored of drawing after a week or two anyway
- Group B was older and better at drawing
Show the answer
Group A was told in advance, so drawing became a job done for pay
Exactly. The promise turned drawing into something done for the certificate. A surprise reward after the fact didn't change why the children drew, so their interest held.
Pace your rewards
- Small and often early, so a new player quickly sees that effort pays off.
- Bigger and rarer later, like the difficulty curve in lesson 4.
- Mix surprise (an unexpected gem feels great) with anticipation ("300 more XP to the next level" gives a reason to keep going).
- Reward skill and good decisions more than time spent repeating the same thing.
Check yourself
Adding a daily login reward that you lose if you miss a day will always make a game more fun.
Show the answer
False
False. It can bring people back, but pressure to log in every day can turn play into a chore, and it rewards showing up rather than playing well. A reward should point players at the fun, not replace it.
Lesson recap
- Rewards come as points, power, access, resources, cosmetics, knowledge and mastery. The best ones feed back into the core loop.
- Fixed schedules are predictable; variable ones keep people going steadily, which is the pull of loot drops and slot machines.
- Never make players pay for a random chance; some countries treat paid loot boxes as gambling.
- The overjustification effect: a promised reward can shrink the fun of something people already enjoyed.
- Pace rewards small and often early, bigger and rarer later, and mix surprise with a visible goal.