Gamification of Elections

The last chapter introduced us to different ways to encourage player behaviour, by exploiting their desire for gratification. These techniques are short cycle loops, that repeat often and foreseeably, to reinforce the player’s desire to engage with the game mechanics. They do not, however, drive the player’s desire to play the game! Feedback loops (to be detailed in a later chapter) are not the reason why someone will pick up the game again and again.

Gratification is one of the most powerful experiences of the psyche. It is often said, that patience is a virtue. Seeking gratification is the direct opposite: it is the satisfaction gained by successful short-term tactics and emotional impulses, rather than planned, deferred gratification which is obtained by achieving long-term goals. While the latter is a cornerstone in Strategy games – creating a game winning strategy from the very beginning, often times foregoing short-term gains – most other game genres pander to short-term achievements and instant rewards.

So, what are those “features and concepts from games”? How do they work and with what purpose? While these features are present in basically every game there is (after all, they are what makes them a game) there are variations in their use. Some games focus on one or two specific game mechanics, other games go all out and take advantage of the whole catalogue of game design features. The mix, however, is important. Game mechanics have to be used with purpose, not just for the sake of it.