Psychological Drives - Driving Player Engagement

As video games continue to evolve and become more immersive, narrative designers are constantly searching for ways to engage players on a deeper level. The approach I use is to tap into the eight psychological core drives of a player to encourage them to keep playing and be engaged. When crafting a story around these psychological core drives, players can't help but keep playing.

Let's take a little look at what each of the core drives are and how they can be implemented into your game.

What are the 8 Psychological Core Drives?

1. Meaning - The drive to find purpose or significance in our actions.

2. Empowerment - The drive to feel capable and in control of our actions and environment.

3. Social Influence - The drive to connect with and influence others.

4. Unpredictability - The drive for novelty and uncertainty.

5. Avoidance - The drive to avoid negative outcomes and pain.

6. Scarcity - The drive to obtain rare or exclusive resources.

7. Ownership - The drive to possess and control things.

8. Accomplishment - The drive to achieve goals and overcome challenges.

How can they be implemented into Narrative Design for video games?

1. Meaning - The narrative can be crafted in a way that imbues players' actions with a sense of purpose or significance, such as saving the world or uncovering a mystery.

2. Empowerment - Players can be given the ability to make meaningful choices that impact the game world, or feel more powerful through character progression and customization.

3. Social Influence - Multiplayer games can tap into this drive by allowing players to interact and collaborate with others, or by creating a sense of competition.

4. Unpredictability - Adding unexpected plot twists or randomly generated events can create a sense of novelty and excitement.

5. Avoidance - By creating consequences for failure or loss, players can be motivated to avoid negative outcomes and strive for success.

6. Scarcity - Rare or exclusive items or rewards can drive players to seek out and achieve specific goals.

7. Ownership - Players can be given a sense of control over the game world through choices or customization, or through building and managing their own in-game assets.

8. Accomplishment - Setting challenging goals or creating difficult obstacles that players must overcome can satisfy the drive for accomplishment.

One example of a game that successfully implements these core drives is "World of Warcraft." The game offers a sense of meaning by having players complete quests to save the world, a sense of empowerment through character progression and customization, and social influence through cooperative play and guilds. Unpredictability is introduced through randomly generated loot drops, while scarcity is created through rare mounts and other rewards. Ownership is satisfied through player housing and customization options, while accomplishment is achieved through difficult raids and other challenges.

By understanding the eight psychological core drives and how they can be implemented into games, narrative designer can create more engaging and satisfying experiences for players. By tapping into these core drives, players are motivated to engage with the game world, invest time and effort into their progress, and ultimately enjoy a more rewarding experience.

This is the first in a series of posts that will explore these psychological core drives. We're just scratching the surface! So strap in and get ready to know how to take your game to a whole new level.

If you want help to implement these psychological core drives into your game right now, then just send me an email: olivernarrativedesign@outlook.com