Games are about emotions.

Games aren’t just about mechanics.

They’re about emotions.

Here’s how to design games that evoke emotions:

🎮 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬
• Systems: Mechanics, core loop, difficulty
• Emotions: Fun, curiosity, and mastery

📈 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡
• Systems: Unlocks, skill trees, rewards
• Emotions: Anticipation, joy, and the drive to push forward

🎨 𝗔𝗥𝗧 & 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡
• Systems: Cohesive style, animations, characters
• Emotions: Immersion, exploration, and game feel

🖥 𝗨𝗜 & 𝗨𝗫
• Systems: Screens, user flow, icons
• Emotions: Intuitive understanding and smooth navigation

📚 𝗧𝗨𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗦
• Systems: Soft & hard tutorials, visual hints
• Emotions: Competence and those satisfying “aha” moments

💰 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗭𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
• Systems: Offers, ads, in-game currency
• Emotions: Balancing “pain” with fairness and value

𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗢𝗣𝗦
• Systems: Events, leaderboards, challenges
• Emotions: FOMO, excitement, and social engagement

Don’t just build game systems.
Build experiences players will feel.