Yo legends 🙌
Most UX designers act like they’re building brochures.
Gamers? They build worlds people never want to leave.
Here’s what your product can steal from great games:
1. 🧠 Onboarding ≠ Tutorial. It’s the First Hit.
Games drop you into the action.
No wall of text. No 3-minute explainer.
You move, you click, you learn by doing.
UX takeaway:
Let users feel smart fast. Not after 6 steps. Now.
2. 🎯 Clear Goals, Immediate Feedback
Gamers always know:
What they’re supposed to do
If they did it right
What happens next
Most products? Confusing CTAs, dead ends, or “meh” moments.
UX takeaway:
Give users micro-wins. Fast loops. Positive friction.
3. 📈 Progress = Dopamine
Games show progress bars, levels, unlocks, badges.
Even fake progress keeps you going.
UX takeaway:
Give users visible momentum.
Even “You’re 30% set up” beats silence.
4. 🕹️ Control Feels Good
Gamers love customization. Hotkeys. Loadouts. Tuning the experience.
UX takeaway:
Let users shape their flow. Give them ownership early = retention later. IKEA effect in action.
5. 🔁 Failure Is Designed In
Games expect you to fail, and keep playing.
Products act like failure = user error.
UX takeaway:
Make errors feel recoverable, not shameful.
“Try again” beats “Invalid input”.
Final Hit:
Gamers aren’t distracted.
They’re immersed, empowered, and addicted — by design.
If your product had half that pull, your retention graph would spike.
Stop building for passive users.
Start building for engaged players.
Thanks for scrolling and rolling.
/
Tom
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