Press Play, Part 2: What Games Get Wrong About Retention, and How to Fix It

If you think retention is about mechanics and monetization—you’re missing the point.

In Part 2 of this special PocketGamer.biz podcast, Bastian Bergmann, CEO of Solsten and author of the new book Press Play: Designing Games That Understand Us, joins Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow to explore the biggest blind spots in today’s game design—and how behavioral science can fix them.

Bastian digs into:

• Why fun is a byproduct, not a goal

• How many studios misuse the word “player-centric”

• What happens when we design games based on who people are, not just what they do

He also shares examples of games that inspire behavioral transformation—not just dopamine loops—and offers a vision of an industry where creative teams include psychologists, not just analysts.

🎧 This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation.

Bastian Bergmann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bergmannbastian/

Solsten:  https://solsten.io/

Elaris: https://elaris.new