Psychology of Video Games Podcast
Episode 97 - Why We Like Really Hard (and Really Easy) Games
Sep 1, 2024
Dive into the fascinating psychology behind why we love both incredibly difficult games, like Dark Souls, and delightfully easy ones, such as Cookie Clicker. Explore how emotional engagement and player motivation influence our gaming choices. Delve into concepts like predictive processing, and discover how maintaining a balance between challenge and feedback enhances enjoyment. Uncover the significance of incremental progress and the emotional responses associated with mastering complex gameplay. It's a thrilling exploration of our gaming preferences!
46:09
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Quick takeaways
- Difficult games foster intense joy by allowing players to appreciate victories against low expectations, creating a rewarding emotional experience.
- Easy games engage players through steady progression and unlocking features, reducing uncertainty and enhancing enjoyment even without skill challenges.
Deep dives
The Appeal of Challenging Games
Challenging games, such as those within the 'Maso-core' genre like Dark Souls, attract players by providing a unique experience of low expectations and high rewards. Players enter these games anticipating frequent failures, which helps them to appreciate victories when they occur, resulting in intense joy and satisfaction. This sense of achievement comes from the dramatic reduction in prediction error when they succeed against their expectations, fostering a thrilling emotional experience. Additionally, these games offer opportunities for learning through failure, as players analyze mistakes and adapt their strategies for future attempts.
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