Casual Game DesignDesigning games everyone can enjoy

This article is the first part of a series about reward in computer games and all that is related to it. In this article, I’ll explore the basics of rewards. First, I define what a reward is. Then, I talk about what rewards mean for the game as a whole and what happens if a game isn’t rewarding enough. After that, I’ll try to identify the different types of rewards a game designer can use and finally, I’ll discuss some ways in which we can make rewards more effective.

Reward

A reward is something you receive and feel positive about. There are three aspect of that definition I believe deserve some explanation: something, receive and feel positive about. And then there is an aspect that is not in the definition and that warrants some explanation because of it. I’ll get to that in a minute,

The term something is vague on purpose. It doesn’t really matter what you receive, as long as you feel positive about it, it’s a reward. It may be something very tangible, like a pouch of coins, or it might be less tangible like a pat on the back or a compliment. It doesn’t matter whether the game designer put it in the game explicitly, nor does it matter whether you are aware of the something. All that matters is that you feel positive about it when you receive it.

The word receive might lead you to believe that I mean that a reward is always given to you, but I don’t. Sure, it might be that someone hands you a healing potion; in that case you received a reward. Or it might be the game that gave you points or some extra time; again, you receive a reward. Or it might be that the developers of the game gave you a worthwhile experience and then that’s the reward you received. But sometimes you just encounter a reward, you just run into it. For example, you see a couple of children playing and it brings a smile to your face. You didn’t really receive that, it wasn’t actually given to you, but it’s still a reward. So, receive might not be the perfect word to use, but it’s the best I could come up with. And we do need a verb in there, because otherwise it isn’t enough; a reward isn’t just something you feel positive about. I feel positive about massages, but unless I actually receive one, it’s not a reward to me. (Giving one might be rewarding too, of course.)

The most important part of the definition is that you feel positive about what you received. I hope that doesn’t need explaining, because I really wouldn’t know how to explain it; it’s just what the word means. I do want to emphasize, though, that we are talking about a feeling here. In other words, what is or is not a reward is completely subjective. If you give me a whack on the head and I say ‘thanks, I really needed that’, then you just gave me a reward. If I repay you in kind, you might be less enthusiastic. The point is that only the one who receives the something can determine whether it’s a reward or not. As game designers we can make an educated guess whether something will be perceived as a reward by the player or not, but we can’t be sure. We might intend for something to be a reward, while it really is not or vice versa: only the player can determine that.

What is missing from the definition is the notion that a reward must be earned. When talking about rewards in (computer) games, I think it is correct to leave this out. Often a reward will be given because the player performed a certain action and yes, in that case the player earned the reward: action = reaction. But that isn’t strictly necessary. If the game is set up to give the player extra money every time a certain random time interval has expires, then the player didn’t really do anything to earn the money, but if she feels positive about receiving it, it’s a reward. (I’m assuming that time elapsed isn’t an important factor in a game, like when playing a turn-based strategy game). It’s likely that most rewards in a game must be earned, but some may not, so earning is not part of the definition. It does have an effect on how the reward might be perceived, though. I’ll discuss that later in this article.

A worthwhile experience

A game must offer what I call a worthwhile experience, otherwise I’m not going to play it. A game must provide an experience that I feel positive about. In other words, a game must be rewarding. The entire reason we decide to play a game, is because we expect to be rewarded for it, to feel that we are having a worthwhile experience.

What exactly that reward is, is of course subjective, but there must be something about the game you enjoy, otherwise you wouldn’t play it. Maybe you play Bejeweled because the sound of falling gems relaxes you. Or maybe you play Quake because killing monsters makes you feel powerful. Or maybe you play Civilization because you enjoy the fantasy of building an empire. Then again, you might prefer to play The Sims because you like the idea that you can take out the trash using nothing but your mouse. Or you might play System Shock because you like being scared shitless. Or maybe you play Paradoxion because it makes you feel smart. Whatever game you play, you play it because you want to get something out of it, something you feel positive about (even if others find it weird).

In order for a game to provide a rewarding experience as a whole, it must contain certain elements that are rewarding. You can’t create a game that constantly kicks me in the shin - something I find extremely annoying - but leaves me feeling that the game as a whole was quite enjoyable. There must be at least something in the game that I would consider a reward, otherwise the game won’t provide me with a worthwhile experience. Of course, that doesn’t mean everything should be a reward, or that nothing can be annoying. After all, I do enjoy a game of football (or soccer, if you prefer) on occasion and that includes a bit of shin kicking, which I’ll just take for granted. But still, for a game to be rewarding, it has to include rewards.

Chores and frustrations

Even a game that offers some rewards might not be rewarding as a whole. One of two things can go wrong. Either the game has too many annoyances or the game has too little rewards. In the first case, playing the game is frustrating and in the second case, playing the game is a chore.

A game is frustrating when it annoys you. Your soldiers keep walking the wrong way, or you’re faced with a puzzle that you just can’t solve, or you lose all the time, or the game is just not supposed to do that! Pound on the keyboard, yell at your friends, throw the controller across the room, it won’t help one bit: the rewards you receive cannot make up anymore for all those things that annoy you about the game. Strangely enough, sometimes we feel compelled to keep playing regardless of the frustration. Maybe it’s because we don’t like the thought of being beaten by a stupid computer game! or maybe we still hope for that wonderful feeling we had the last time we played this game. Whatever the case may be, there’s really only one thing you should do when a game frustrates you: stop playing it.

Sometimes a game doesn’t annoy you, but you don’t get any rewards either. Such a game is a chore, it’s boring. It’s like ironing your clothes: it isn’t really a punishment, but you don’t feel positive about it either. (No, I’m not saying ironing is a game, it’s just a comparison.) Often, a game becomes a chore when rewards are spread too far apart. You spend endless minutes (or hours, doesn’t really matter since they’re endless anyway) walking around the forest looking for that Magic Chest, but you don’t find anything: no friends, no foes, no chests. Chore, I say. It might also be that what the designer intended as a reward just doesn’t fill you with that positive feeling you are after. I actually felt this way after playing Morrowind for a while. At some point I realised that running errands for some in-game character didn’t feel particularly adventurous anymore. I just did what I did, because I was supposed to do that. I wasn’t playing a hero, I was someone’s whipping boy. (Actually, I was everybody’s whipping boy.) There was too little reward left in the game for me, so I gave it up. Chore: boring.

Types of reward

As game designers, we should be aware of the rewards our games can offer. It helps us to make an educated guess about what players will feel positive about. There are many types of rewards in a game. I’m sure the following list is incomplete, but an incomplete list is better than no list at all, so here goes.

• Resource rewards. In games where resources play a role, receiving those resources is often a reward. Resources can be anything: money, food, soldiers, weapons. Including resource rewards in a game is usually not hard to do, because the game requires those resources.
• Skill rewards. Some games have explicit systems for letting the player improve. One example is the various skills in role-playing games like strength, stamina and speed. Another example is the technologies in Civilization. Skill rewards give the player a feeling of improvement.
• Extension rewards. If a game can end because the player runs out of health or time, then there is room for extension rewards. By giving the player extra health, extra lives or extra time, you extend the time the player can spend on her current game. She’ll consider this a reward, unless of course she already considers your game a chore or a frustration; extension rewards can’t help you out of that one.
• Visceral rewards. Graphics, music and sound, when well done, can be very rewarding to the player. Many people enjoy the blood and gore in games like Doom and Carmageddon or the naked ladies in a game of strip poker. A visceral reward doesn’t offer the player anything in terms of the gameplay, but it does enhance the experience.
• Accomplishment rewards. When a player accomplishes something in the game that can be a reward by itself: beating an opponent, finishing a level, matching three pink bananas. Accomplishment rewards are tricky, because everyone feels differently about them and what may be an accomplishment to the player in the beginning of the game may just be routine at the end of it.
• Motivational rewards. The points a player receives during a game usually have no effect on the gameplay whatsoever, but they do help to motivate the player, to encourage her to score more points. The same goes with that shiny, gold cup with the number one on it you get after winning a race. Cut scenes also fall into this category, although they might offer more than just motivation. An encouraging word from an in-game character might also do the trick.

Of the types of rewards listed above only resource rewards, skill rewards and extension rewards offer the player something in terms of the game itself. Visceral rewards, accomplishment rewards and motivational rewards have no influence on the game itself, but they can add to the experience and thus have an effect on the game as far as the player is concerned. I’ll call the first group gameplay rewards and the second group experience rewards.

Reward intensifiers

Just as important to the game designer as rewards, are the various methods you can use to increase the effectiveness of your rewards. I call these methods reward intensifiers. They don’t add new rewards to the game, but they do make the rewards you receive taste even sweeter, they make you feel more positive about them. Again, the following list is not complete, but it’s better then no list.

• Increased benefits. A simple way to intensify a reward is to increase the benefits the player receives from the reward. For gameplay related rewards, this can mean things like more money, more strength or more time. For experience rewards it might mean more blood and gore or more points. (I don’t think you can apply increased benefits to accomplishment rewards.) Increased benefits have only limited effectiveness; there is a point beyond which the player just won’t feel more positive for receiving more benefits. Also, with gameplay rewards increased benefits can upset the balance of the game, so be careful.
• Anticipation. If all the characters a player meets during her quest keep talking about that beautiful Magic Gemstone, then it’s likely she wants to find that much sought after item. When she finally does find it, she’s probably going to be very thrilled and tell everyone she is now the owner of the Magic Gemstone. Without the anticipation, she might just pick up the gemstone, put it in her backpack and never give it another thought. Anticipation can also come from outside the game, for example, when all your friends keep talking about that cool cut scene that’s coming up after you beat the Big Annoying Boss.
• Accomplishment. Accomplishment can be a reward in itself, but it can also serve to intensify other rewards. When the player just walks into the forest, walks around a bit and then finds the Magic Gemstone, it might not feel very special to her, despite the anticipation. On the other hand, if she has to beat a lot of monster for it, or if she went through great trouble to discover the location of the Magic Gemstone, then she’ll feel a lot better about herself for finding it.
• Prize. If you offer a reward as a prize, then that implies that the player has earned the reward. Picking up health packs that are scattered throughout the level often doesn’t feel like receiving a prize, but getting an extra life for finishing the level might. Prizes and accomplishments complement each other nicely. The player already feels rewarded because of her accomplishment and by offering her another reward, making that reward the prize, she’ll surely be left with a positive feeling.

Conclusion

A reward is something you feel positive about. Rewards are essential to a game, if you don’t have enough of them your game may become a chore or even frustrating. If you use rewards just right, though, you create a worthwhile experience. There are many kinds of rewards you can use for your game. Just as important, there are ways to intensify those rewards.

And this was just the beginning. In the next part of this series, I’ll talk about the opposite of rewards: punishment.

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