Kids looking at the entrance to a casino

Casino unroyal — damaging UX, in 4kids “rated” products in 2024.

I’m exploring the idea of gameplay loops, dopamine farming and mechanics used to hook-up young and vulnerable gamers.

Adam Jedrzejewski
Published in
8 min readApr 30, 2024

--

It was an ordinary day, and I was working on a task given to me by one company, while analyzing the top 50 mobile games, I discovered a pattern that dropped my jaw to the ground and left me stunned. As I played through the highest-grossing games, I noticed similarities to my time in the igaming industry. Many of those products use mechanics developed to entertain adults in casinos and are restricted by the wall of laws and regulations (18+). But it wasn’t a casino! It was the AppStore

What is going on here?”. I asked myself.

At first, I thought that it was coincidental. But, as I went deeper, checking the gameplay mechanics, my “revelation” became clear “It wasn’t just one or two or even 5 games, but the majority of them!”. The majority of mobile games today use gambling techniques by design to monetise on neural pathways that elicit rewards, drive certain behaviours, and get users hooked.

It’s not all bad, but it’s not for everyone, especially not for kids

But as always, let’s start from the beginning

Time is money… (obvi)

The first 20 minutes are crucial, companies have about 20 minutes to show a product to the player, if they aren’t able to hook up a player during these 20 minutes they most likely won’t see him/her again. The first attempt of the sale in most games occurs within the initial 20 minutes. For example: in Coin Master, you will run out of spins, In Monopoly GO you will get out of rolls.

Forming a first impression and capturing interest are the most important in those 20 minutes. Games use this time to introduce core mechanics, showcase visuals and sounds, and establish the general gameplay loop. By placing an offer within this window, games capitalise on the player’s:

  • Peak engagement: a player will most likely invest in a game during the initial minutes, after learning the basics and while being eager to progress further.
  • Positive reinforcement: The game has already triggered dopamine releases through gameplay mechanics like achievements, level-ups, or positive feedback loops. Introducing a sale at this point builds on these positive feelings, associating them with spending money in the game.
  • Fear of missing out (FOMO): The Limited-time offers and discounts presented early to create a sense of urgency and exclusivity.

Aesthetics (very briefly).

Visual aesthetics especially motion plays probably the most important role in terms of visuals, why?

Motion enhances players’ overall experience by adding dynamism, clarity, and emotional depth to static visuals. Who doesn’t like falling jackpot-like coins, confetti or other things, right? You get the idea.

“Our brains are designed to always focus on motion, as in the past it could be a matter of life and death (Saber-toothed tiger, anyone?).”

Here’s a breakdown of its importance and the psychology behind the impact of movement:

  • Grabs players’ attention, improves understanding, evokes emotions, boosts engagement, and enhances the storytelling.
  • Movement and animation: affect the Reticular Activating System (RAS): This part of the brain filters sensory information, grabbing attention, and making players focus on specific elements.
  • Dopamine Release: Anticipation and reward associated with dynamic events and animations trigger dopamine release, creating a pleasurable experience.
  • Flow State: Smooth, responsive animations contribute to a flow state, where players lose track of time and become fully immersed in the game.
I can bet that you’ve spent a bit too long than you should looking at this gif :) image by: Maksim Romashkin

Visual aesthetics, and motion design, play an important role in captivating players and enhancing their gaming experience. This is also important from a product quality point of view.

A story. Emotions and characters (Briefly) 😿

Well defined characters will boost every story.

A good story can create emotional connections with characters, making players invested in their successes and failures. This emotional engagement can significantly enhance the overall enjoyment of the game.

Cool-downs, big and small game loops. ⏰

In Gardenscapes(game), the ordinary time in the game will be spent on building things in the garden. A game uses this time for a cool-down period.

Players can do some strategic planning, and enjoy calming music and the atmosphere of the game, many games use very contrasted music in cooling down VS action moments almost like: (Minecraft music VS Metallica).

Cool-down timers can vary depending on the game’s target audience and intensity of a game:

Target audience:

  • Casual players: appreciate longer breaks (>30 seconds) for relaxation and story integration.
  • Competitive players: prefer minimal breaks (<15 seconds) to maintain momentum and focus.

Intensity:

  • High-intensity short mini-games:
    Short breaks (around 10–30 seconds).
    It might suffice for quick mental resets before jumping into the next challenge.
  • Longer complex mini-games:
    Longer breaks (30–60 seconds or even up to 2 minutes max).
    It could be beneficial for providing a more substantial cool-down, strategic planning, or narrative immersion.

“Cool-downs are very interesting, and I will explore the idea in the future. They also exist in nature, in the animal world”

Mini-games/Game modes

It’s not about mini-games really.., but about variety. Popular games have at least 2 types of mini-games. This gives players something to look forward to. Also, some game modes are more attractive for certain groups of players(gamification personas), and these games could be more beneficial or interesting than the rest. This means that these players will be waiting for them to occur or will even spend real money to get instant access to them (when/if) possible. Importantly, variety means change and change stimulates the brain.

Time and Progression

“A game will become harder and harder to play and most likely at the end you will be forced to spend “coins” or other in-game currency to make any progress”

This is very obvious, a user needs to play more to get as many things as in the past when played less.

Time
The ideal length for a mini-game/game mode can vary depending on several factors, and as mentioned earlier Gardenscapes’ match-3 levels falling around the 2–3 minute mark is a good example. The majority of PC games will be looking for 5–10 minutes max per small loop session. PC PvP competitive games are in this 5–10 min range. If the game is too long eg. 20 minutes per loop it might not be most successful. I know some very big AAA F2P companies that have been trying to modify the game to make small loops shorter to make dopamine up and down more often.

Examples:

  • 1–3 minutes — This is a sweet spot for many casual mini-games, especially match-3 puzzles like Gardenscapes. It provides a quick challenge and reward without overstaying its welcome.
  • 3–5 minutes — Slightly longer games can work well for more complex mechanics or strategic challenges.
  • 5+ minutes — Longer mini-games should be reserved for specific purposes, like boss battles or narrative-driven segments. They should be perceived as distinct events within the game, providing a substantial payoff.
  • 10–15min — generic competitive PC game

Loot boxes, free spin, bonuses and treasures!

These 🎆special events are rare and players are waiting for them.

It can be a bank heist, treasure chest, free spins or any other significant boost to the player’s treasure room. But these events must be introduced in the first 10 minutes to make the payer aware of how fantastic they are and to make a player look forward to them.

They can be interactive or passive doesn’t matter. A very simple puzzle to solve or just a visually pleasing confetti, particles, coins or gold bars falling from the sky. In normal casino games, this event is not interactive.

They are retention-building and habit-forming mechanics, for eg. daily chest and so on. They could be both: in-game and in-store, so if I don’t want to wait for them in-game you can buy them now.

The end of the loop — big one — Let’s do this again, and again.. and again 🔁

At the end of each big loop, a player should experience a new chapter and/or a change of settings.

It could be a different garden or a game that now takes part in ancient Egypt, or we are not in New York anymore.

Brains crave novelty and are naturally drawn to new visual stimuli. Shifting backgrounds and levels introduce fresh environments, preventing visual fatigue, maintaining player interest, and providing a sense of progression and achievement. “Finally, I did something meaningful”

Changes of scenery can be less frequent as the player progresses through a game, as he/she is getting less attached to it and more focused on progression itself — this is also true when it comes to visuals, at some point players don’t care how a game looks that much anymore.

The Loop

Why it works? Our brains can become deeply immersed in the gaming experience, leading to similar chemical responses as real-life experiences to some extent.

Below, is just a basic example of a “loop” timeline.

A simple loop example.

End words

As a professional, I think that every great game should be somehow addictive.

“If I don’t want to play it again, it’s probably not that great”.

There are types of products where habit forming and “addiction” is beneficial eg.

  • To do apps — checking them daily and updating them will push individuals to achieve more.
  • Health and fitness apps — for eg. calorie diaries, gym progress trackers, pedometers etc…
  • Pomodoro timer with gamification features
  • and so on.

Habit forming is a topic for another article… so, watch this space.

It’s important to note that while the mechanics and psychology principles discussed in this document can be incredibly effective for boosting engagement and retention, they must be implemented responsibly and ethically. Games and apps targeted at impressionable young audiences or those without proper age ratings/restrictions have a higher risk of promoting unhealthy behaviour patterns or can lead to addictions later in life if these habit-forming techniques are employed carelessly.

“Dopamine farming can cause depression and addiction or other mental health issues” — It its not that simple but it’s worth starting here.

By sharing this knowledge I want to raise awareness and start a dialogue around the ethics involved. Only by sharing knowledge of behavioural science, we can benefit from it as a society.

As such, I believe these powerful engagement tactics should only be implemented in games flagged as intended for mature audiences of 18 years or older. Regulatory bodies, Google and Apple’s App Store have a responsibility to parents and society to rigorously age-rate games appropriately.

Please, let me know if you found this article interesting and what you think. Don’t be shy to message me on LinkedIn I’d love to hear from you!

--

--

Bootcamp
Bootcamp

Published in Bootcamp

From idea to product, one lesson at a time. Bootcamp is a collection of resources and opinion pieces about UX, UI, and Product. To submit your story: https://tinyurl.com/bootspub1

Adam Jedrzejewski
Adam Jedrzejewski

Written by Adam Jedrzejewski

Multidisciplinary designer, 20+ yrs exp. Freelance product and UX/UI consultant. Specializes in product, research, behavioural science & user engagement.

No responses yet