Gamification and the Octalysis Model
The last few gamification articles were heavily focused on Player Centered Design. Gamification has different frameworks, which this next articles will be looking at Octalysis by Yu-kai Chou
The Octalysis model was created by Yu-Kai Chou which is named from its 8 sides which each represent the core drives that motivate people to engage in an activity. It then identifies certain game mechanisms and design strategies to be used for each core drive. The core drives are as follow:
Core 1: Epic Meaning and Calling
The Player believes they are doing something greater than themselves and answering a higher calling. Some examples of this include Quora and Wikipedia where users contribute information and are in a sense on an ‘epic journey’ in spreading knowledge.
Core 2: Development and Accomplishment
The player is driven to overcome a challenge, along with developing skills and feeling a sense of accomplishment.
The driver is often used in learning platforms, such as Udemy, where the player has a task list and each task is checked off after completion. A progress bar shows how much the player has progressed and how much more they have to complete until they are finished and rewarded with a certificate.
Core 3: Empowerment of Creativity and Feedback
The player uses creative methods to figure something out as well as express themselves and receive feedback to determine the results of their creativity.
The app SoloLearn teaches players how to code. Players are able to code their own creations and upload them to a section called the playground for other players to provide feedback, encouraging them to continuously interact.
Core 4: Ownership and Possession
The player is driven by feeling a sense of ownership and wants to improve what they own as well as increase their supply.
In the Plant Nanny app, the more water the player drinks, the more the plant will grow. They will feel more ownership for their plant once it keeps growing and will be motivated to continue to drink water and water it.
Core 5: Social Influence and Relatedness
The player’s drive comes from all social aspects including companionship, mentorship, competition, and envy.
An example of this would be Fitocracy, a fitness social platform in which players join groups and encourage each other to engage in fitness and healthier habits.
Core 6: Scarcity and Impatience
The player wants something that they are unable to obtain right away or will not be able to obtain in the future.
Advertising low supplies is a popular sales technique in e-commerce stores, as it creates a sense of urgency in the user. On Nordstrom’s site, because this is the last sweater, the player will be more inclined to take action before it sells out.
Core 7: Unpredictability and Curiosity
Players are driven by their curiosity and wanting to find out what they don’t know. eBay auctions are fueled by unpredictability as the player is never sure if they will win the auction until it is over.
Core 8: Loss and Avoidance
The player wants to avoid losing something or something negative happening.
In Todoist, the player completes their tasks and earns karma. They become more to complete tasks going forward because an incomplete task will result in losing their earned karma.
Octalysis is a gamification framework created by Yu-kai Chou. You can learn more about him and Octalysis here
Sources:
https://yukaichou.com/gamification-examples/octalysis-complete-gamification-framework/
