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A comprehensive gamification framework organizing human motivation into eight core drives

Core Idea: The Octalysis Framework is a gamification model that identifies and organizes eight core psychological drivers that motivate human behavior, providing a structured approach to analyzing and designing engaging experiences.

Key Elements

Eight Core Drives

1. Epic Meaning & Calling: The belief that you're doing something greater than yourself or were "chosen" to take action

   • Often best communicated during Discovery and Onboarding Phases
   • Powerful when authentic but can backfire if perceived as disingenuous
   • Game techniques include Narrative (#10), Humanity Hero (#27), Elitism (#26), Beginner's Luck (#23), and Free Lunch (#24)

2. Development & Accomplishment: The internal drive for making progress, developing skills, and overcoming challenges

   • Most commonly implemented aspect of gamification (points, badges, leaderboards)
   • Requires genuine challenge to feel meaningful
   • Game techniques include Progress Bars (#4), Achievement Symbols (#2), Status Points (#1), Leaderboards (#3), and Rockstar Effect (#92)

3. Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback: Engagement in creative processes with constant feedback and adjustment

   • Example: FoldIt (protein folding game that contributes to scientific research)

4. Ownership & Possession: Motivation derived from feeling ownership or control over something

5. Social Influence & Relatedness: Motivation from social elements like mentorship, acceptance, feedback, and competition

   • Example: DragonBox (learning game for mathematics)

6. Scarcity & Impatience: Wanting something because it's rare, exclusive, or temporarily unattainable

7. Unpredictability & Curiosity: Engagement driven by not knowing what will happen next

8. Loss & Avoidance: Motivation to avoid negative outcomes or missed opportunities

   • Example: "Zombies, Run!" (fitness game that motivates running)
   • Includes "Status Quo Sloth" (#85) - avoiding changes in habits and behavior

Framework Structure

• Organized in an octagonal shape with strategic positioning of each core drive
• Left Brain Core Drives (2, 4, 6) focus on logic, calculation, and ownership
• Right Brain Core Drives (3, 5, 7) focus on creativity, social aspects, and curiosity
• White Hat Core Drives (1, 2, 3) at the top represent positive motivation
• Black Hat Core Drives (6, 7, 8) at the bottom represent more negative motivation
• Includes a hidden ninth drive (Sensation) related to physical pleasure

Implementation Levels

• Level I: Basic analysis of the 8 Core Drives for a single experience
• Level II: Analysis across the 4 Experience Phases (Discovery, Onboarding, Scaffolding, Endgame)
• Level III: Incorporates different player types with the core drives and experience phases

Implementation Approaches

• Explicit Gamification: Uses obviously game-like elements that users opt into
• Implicit Gamification: Subtly employs game design elements, sometimes invisibly

Application Fields

• Product Gamification: Making products more engaging and inspiring
• Workplace Gamification: Creating motivating work environments
• Marketing Gamification: Creating engaging marketing campaigns
• Lifestyle Gamification: Applying game principles to personal habits and activities

Additional Connections

• Broader Context: Gamification Theory (represents a structured approach to gamification design)
• Applications: Experience Analysis (used to evaluate the motivational strengths and weaknesses of products)
• See Also: Bartle's Player Types (incorporated in Level III Octalysis), Explicit vs Implicit Gamification (implementation approaches)

References

1. Chou, Yu-kai. "Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards."
2. Octalysis Tool. Retrieved from www.yukaichou.com/octalysis-tool

#gamification #motivation #behavioral_design #user_experience #engagement

Connections:

Sources:

• From: Chou-Actionable Gamification