Finding someone who does not love video games is extremely difficult. What is easier is to find someone who just cannot get enough of the video games, no matter how many games they play or the countless hours they spend on them. Finding people who have spent days playing a single game over and over again is significantly easier.
But what is it about video gamers that people are hooked on? And this is something that is not only limited to younger kids. People of all age groups, even folks that should know better, spend the limited hours playing games and searching for SideGamer cheats and tricks. This is because game developers apply several psychological tricks to keep you playing non-stop. We have listed five of the most common psychological tricks that you can find in every addictive video game.
A Sense of Liberation for The Player
Many video games are highly addictive because they offer an unprecedented level of freedom to the gamer. In video games, a player can be whomever they want, which is one of the reasons why many games not only offer different avatars for one to choose from but also allow customization as well. There is also a sense of exploration in the video game world. Every day there are new games on offer, new worlds to be discovered that, in a way, force one to invest more of their precious time in this exploration and investigation.
One can also do such a thing in the real world, but there are real risks involved in doing that, which could be scary for some gamers. Video games attract anxious and confused individuals who find it challenging to engage in meaningful real-life experiences. The sense of liberation in the gaming world can be too much to just move away from.
Finding a Sense of Purpose in The Game
Video games also have clear goals and targets that one can achieve in a set time. One can follow a predetermined path and get the ending your hope for. In addition, video games also allow players to level up during the game. All these, in combination, give players a sense of purpose in their lives and fill them with a feeling of progress not just in their game but in real life as well.
These games have a goal-oriented nature, which only fuels the sense of accomplishment in the gamer, making them more addicted.
Games With No end Goals Encourage Players to Keep Playing Until They are Bored
Many video games do not have an ending. In fact, gamers widely accept that games that do not have a clear ending are played for longer than games that do. Games that do not have a clear end, or at least have an open ending, facilitates longer gaming sessions. One could compare this experience to binge-watching Netflix. You aim to only play for a couple of hours, and suddenly you find yourself way past your bedtime.
Achieving a State of Flow
When you play video games, especially the ones that are addicted to and have immersive gameplay, you would often find yourself ‘in the zone.’ It is not just a coincidence, but by design. It is a human psychological trait that once we find ourselves immersed in a challenging and enjoyable task, we would entirely focus on it and zone out of everything else around us. You would forget what’s the time, ignore the need to feed yourself, or even the need to relieve yourself. But the task does not have to be too challenging for the gamer to enjoy the game. A fine balance has to be found, and the best video game developers have done that.
A Sense of Community
In online video games, one would find like-minded people, or at least folks that are interested in the same things as they are. So, they would ignore their friends and family and look for companionship in these games, which is never a good sign. It allows them to feel a sense of comradeship that many gamers often lack in the real world. Additionally, interactive games will enable one to fulfill their needs for interaction for many players; their games are enough for them.
Video games are without a doubt an addiction. So, these are the psychological tricks that video games use to keep you playing.