A Preliminary Taxonomy of Gamification

Elements for Varying Anticipated Commitment

David Robinson Victoria Bellotti access health plan offerings, 401K, career guidance and
Gamepsych Palo Alto Research Center so on. But employees do not always use the benefits
101 McLellan Dr, #2067, South 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo they are entitled to, to best advantage. In a preliminary
San Francisco, CA 94080 Alto, CA 94304 interview study of 13 informants, we discovered that
[email protected] Jack Baskin School of Computer interviewees cared about the issues their benefits
Engineering, UC Santa Cruz tackle, but were unfamiliar with their portal and its
[email protected] offerings. When they were asked to walk through their
Abstract benefits portal, they always had trouble finding it,
We present a preliminary taxonomy of gamification remembering login information and finding services,
elements for designing ways to engage users of a demonstrating a historical lack of engagement and
computer-based service, given different levels of commitment to its use. This resonates with findings
expected engagement and willingness to commit time from a recent online survey [1] which found that
to interaction. employees made poor choices at benefits enrollment
and were “on autopilot” when making their selections.
Author Keywords
Gamification elements, taxonomy To help improve matters, we plan to use gamification,
as defined in [3]. We seek to address the needs of
ACM Classification Keywords people who are necessarily committed to engaging with
H.5.m. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g. our content for more than a few seconds and to draw
HCI): Miscellaneous. them into higher levels of interest, more frequent and
extensive exploration and more and better use of their
benefits resources.
Introduction
A benefits portal is a website where employees can

Copyright is held by the author/owner(s).

CHI’13, April 27 – May 2, 2013, Paris, France.
ACM 978-1-XXXX-XXXX-X/XX/XX.
 Preliminary research did not uncover a straightforward argues make up a “behavioral game” (a gamified
Element Code Rationale
General Framing summary of characteristic (as defined by [3]) activity) and presents specific examples of “building
Context is always gamification mechanics elements that are suitable for blocks” of gamified experiences, which are exactly what
salient for whether
Context
L someone is likely to low-commitment (seconds) as opposed to medium- we seek, but not organized concisely nor within an
invest time and effort.
Time taken to absorb (minutes) or high-commitment (hours; MMOGs may taxonomic structure with guidance on what level of
background may be
Background too high to bother in
entail up to 20 hours or more of play per week [12]). commitment they are best suited to. Huotari and
M/H
low commitment Our contribution in this paper, therefore, is to propose Hamari [7] provide a definition of gamification from a
context.
Narrative See above. a basic taxonomy of common gamification elements in service marketing perspective, in other words
M/H
General Rules and Performance Framing a framework that suggests the degree to which each explaining how gamification can be applied to enhance
Lightweight guidance element is likely to be exploitable at different levels of the perceived value of a service to a user and provide
Guidance L/M can be carefully
designed. anticipated user commitment. We present this as an some good examples of gamification elements, but not
Simple objective /
Internal target can be explained artifact for refinement through discussion and further a systematic collection.
Objectives L by an image or short
sentence.
research, rather than as a conclusive summary of the
Puzzles need some usefulness of gamification mechanics in different Whilst providing helpful reference material, these works
Ambiguous commitment to be
Path to M/H effective. Good puzzles commitment contexts. do not provide a concise, timesaving but reasonably
Objective may require a lot of
engagement. comprehensive presentation of common gamification
Renewal/
Requires some
commitment to return.
Related Work elements in terms of the various aspects of the user
Regeneration M Wouldn’t work for one- There do exist articles that provide systematic accounts experience that they support. Nor do they differentiate
off or rare visits.

Set for
Even a small set can or frameworks that are helpful, but not exactly what we the value of different types of element with respect to
be effective, so OK for
Completion L were looking for. Hunicke et al [6] present a Mechanics, the level of user commitment required. In response we
low commitment.

Notable
Easy to read things like
“High Score=1035” so
Dynamics, and Aesthetics framework, which is designed have drawn from these and other works and surveyed
Records of
L OK for low to assist designers of games in understanding how to online resources such as the gamification wiki [5],
Achievements
commitment settings.
Social Features create an engaging experience by typing mechanics to relevant articles such as [8,9,10,11] to inform a simple
Usually requires higher the dynamics that afford the appropriate aesthetics for taxonomy of gamification mechanism features that can
commitment. Possible
Relationships L/M to apply with the game. However the mechanics are not itemized and be explicitly designed into or fostered by an experience.
preexisting social
vectors. classified. Yee [13] offers a framework for game play The lead author has also drawn upon 7 years of making
Interaction
Modes L/M See above. motivation, based on a factor analysis of a large survey and analyzing games and experiencing the success of
Visibility/
See above. of player motivations. However, this does not extend to their gamification elements. The taxonomy
Accountability L/M
Social the gamification features that satisfy the motivations. comprehensively covers all of the elements mentioned
See above.
Performance L/M
Deterding et al [3] provide a sophisticated definition of in works we have reviewed thus far and some
Table 1. Taxonomy of Gamification gamification, which places gamification elements in a additional ones based on the first author’s experience
Elements coded for Low (L), Medium model of multiple levels of design abstraction, but their as a game-design, development and analytics
(H), High (H) or Variable (V) minimal
objective is not to provide concrete examples of consultant. Note that although all of these elements
commitment requirements, based on
the rationales.
gamification elements themselves. Dignan [4] presents can be chosen, designed or be designed for, some,
a ‘game frame,’ which is a conceptual framework or such as entertainment, may correspond to phenomena
template comprising ten building blocks which he that can also occur without any explicit design intent.
 Also note that some of these mechanics, at least (perhaps to compare experiences), but often within
Element Code Rationale
Intrinsic Incentives defined abstractly as they are here, are more the gamified experience itself.
Curiosity can be frequently used without the intention to gamify but are • Incentives: These may be intrinsic (such as
triggered quickly and
Curiosity L leads to higher nonetheless very useful as gamification elements. experiencing flow [2], extrinsic and, practical,
engagement/commitm
ent. material or, in the case of extrinsic incentives, purely
Simple challenges can
be effective even in a
We sum up the main categories of the taxonomy in the virtual, having value only to players.
Challenge L low commitment following sections but a more comprehensive breakout • Resources and Constraints: Are the bounds within
setting.
Simple elements can of the individual items is provided in Table 1, where which the user must operate to participate.
Entertainm- work very quickly in
ent L low commitment each is coded for the minimum user time commitment • Feedback and Status Information: Allow the user
settings.
Social In low commitment
required for it to work. Even more detailed distinctions to understand what is going on, what they must do
Reward /
V
setting you depend on and explanation can be found in the Appendix to this next, what they have done recently and perhaps
Peer the context to create a
Pressure social vector. paper. Unfortunately it is too large to compress into an over the entire course of their engagement.
Without context,
Personal significant explaining extended abstract format. Gamification elements may also provide information
Returns V may be necessary for
some returns.
about the actions of others.
Societal
See above. We were able to establish six major categories of
Returns V
Extrinsic Incentives gamification element, which may be designed into the
In order to determine the appropriate level of minimal
Deals /
Easily understood. Can experience, designed for in the experience, or which
Discounts L be designed with commitment for each category we need to dig deeper
complete control. may provide context for an experience. All of the
into the taxonomy. Table 1 shows the taxonomy in
Financial L See above. gamification elements that we were able to identify
Goods / terms of the minimum level of engagement required for
Services L See above. from related work or from articles online were able to
gamification elements (defined at the first subcategory
Time L See above. be placed into the following set of top level categories
level) to be effective; High=H, Medium=M, Low=L and
Lottery /
See above. at a first subcategory or second subcategory level.
Draw / Bet L Various=V; “Various” means depending on the specifics
Virtual Only works if user is
Currency / committed enough to of the sub-sub category, which space precludes us from
Goods
H
use it. • General Framing: Provides context and motivation
exploring in this extended abstract (but see Appendix
Virtual
H See above. for participation, for example, who is offering the
Abilities for an overview of sub-sub category items and
Add to Can work as long as gamified content and why, such as a good cause, or
Record of the user can be made definitions of all items).
Achieveme- M to value personal or to generate revenue. May provide a real or fantasy
nts public record.
back-story and other information.
Validation M See above. As mentioned, this taxonomy draws upon personal
• General Rules and Performance Framing:
professional experience of game design and evaluation
Table 1 Continued Explains in general what is expected such as
as well as existing academic literature, trade articles
operating an avatar in combat or scoring as high as
and other publications by game-design experts, it
possible on a test of health knowledge. In so doing,
therefore condenses a lot of experience into one
this orients the user towards what constitutes ‘good’
succinct summary. However, we believe its value would
performance in the gamified context.
be much enhanced by the inclusion of scientific studies
• Social Features: Permit the user to interact with
of these mechanics and their effectiveness and
others, at the very least outside the experience
 examples of games where each element has been used, Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future
Element Code Rationale
ideally with success (in place of the simple rationales, Media Environments (MindTrek '11). ACM, New York,
Resources and Constraints
NY, 9-15.
Available All gameful based on practical experience and overview articles, as
Game experiences require
Accomplish- L something to do or cited here). This might be an outcome of collaborative [4] Dignan, A. Game Frame: Using Games as a
ments accomplish. Strategy for Success. Free Press, NY, 2011.
All gameful
effort at a workshop or obtained through an extensive
Control experiences involve a literature survey for a journal article. [5] Gamification Wiki, Game Mechanics.
Repertoire L means to control
actions.
http://gamification.org/wiki/Game_Mechanics
Easy to implement
Choice
even in the simplest We believe that further refinement and extensions, [6] Hunicke, R., LeBlanc, M., and Zubek, R. MDA: A
Architecture L
experience.
based upon past and future studies, could make this a Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research.
Gamified experiences
Proc. AAAI workshop on Challenges in Game, AAAI
Specific all require specific highly useful resource for those who wish to design
Rules L rules, otherwise they Press (2004).
are just play. gamified experiences. The reason for this is that in our
Scarcity of
Perhaps possible to
experience such individuals are often not game [7] Huotari, K. & Hamari, J. [2011] “Gamification” from
L/M design into low
Resources
commitment games. the perspective of service marketing. Proc. CHI 2011
designers and lack the expertise to know what
Time-based elements Workshop Gamification. http://goo.gl/JUIpa
Temporal are easily gamification elements there are to choose from and to
Aspects L incorporated in low [8] Hemley, D. [2012] 26 Elements of a Gamification
commitment settings. judge accurately which might work best for their
Any gamified Marketing Strategy. Social Media Examiner, April 5,
Perceptual experience requires particular context and expected level of user 2012: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/26-
Aspects L perceptual elements
even if only sound
commitment. elements-of-a-gamification-marketing-strategy/
Possible but difficult
Topological
to design good [9] Kelly, Y. [2012a] Everything You’ll Ever Need To
Aspects L/M topological elements Further useful elaboration of this taxonomy might also Know About Gamification. TechCrunch Nov.17th:
for low commitment
situations. address appropriateness of gamification elements in http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/17/everything-youll-
Ability,
Requires commitment
terms of other dimensions, apart from the user ever-need-to-know-about-gamification/
Difficulty
and M to confer a sense of commitment required, such as application domain [10] Kelly, Y. [2012b] Real Gamification Mechanics
Advanceme- increasing ability.
nt (e.g., dull tasks, wellness, education, commerce) and Require Simplicity And, Yes, Game Designers Can Do
Difficult to design
Change / novel experiences in platform (e.g., desktop, mobile, tablet, web). It. TechCrunch, Dec. 8th:
Novelty M low commitment http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/08/real-vs-fake-
experiences.
gamification-mechanics/
Feedback and Status Information References
Graphical
Easy to design, and [1] Aflac: Summary of 2012 Aflac WorkForces Report, [11] Schonfield, E. [2010]. SCVNGR's Secret Game
L in fact critical for all
Indicators
gamification. a study conducted by Research Now on behalf of Aflac, Mechanics Playdeck. TechCrunch, Aug. 25th, 2010:
Audio
Easy to design and January 24-February 23, 2012. http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/25/scvngr-game-
often helpful for
Signals L
gamification. http://www.aflac.com/aboutaflac/pressroom/pressrelea mechanics/
Records of Easy to design and sestory.aspx?rid=1727183 [12] Yee, N. (2006). The Demographics, Motivations and
Achievement possibly essential in
L
s gamification.
[2] Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology Derived Experiences of Users of Massively-Multiuser
Simple context
Updated devices can be used of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper & Row Online Graphical Environments. PRESENCE:
Context L even in low Publishers. Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 15, 309-329.
commitment settings.
[3] Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R. & Nacke, L. [13] Yee, N. (2007). Motivations of Play in Online
Table 1 Continued Games. Journal of CyberPsychology and Behavior, 9,
2011. From game design elements to gamefulness:
defining "gamification". Proc. 15th International 772-775.
Appendix: Framework Details o Correct answers: e.g. “Which of these is the odd one out?”
The taxonomy in our framework consists of three tiers “Which animal runs fastest?
o Choices: e.g. pick subject matter for quiz, forks in roads, fight or
of categories of more or less purely gamification
flight
elements (i.e., some often can be found in other kinds o Task executions: e.g. fill in the blanks, find the treasure, go
of user experiences, but we argue these are still useful through the maze, fight the monster.
to include as types of gamification elements) that may o Missions or quests: complex task or series of tasks framed by a
or may not work well in low-commitment contexts. narrative
Definitions are provided in this appendix and Table 1 o Beat other players
maps each top-tier and middle-tier item to minimal • Non-obvious but discoverable means to accomplish
user time commitment requirements (L=seconds/low, objectives/targets: e.g. puzzles, mazes, mysteries, riddles,
M=minutes/medium or H=hours/high) for it to have a clues, locks
chance of being effective. • Renewal/regeneration: the chance to play again, given many
failed attempts end in “death”
Note that our lowest level elements are still category • Template/set for completion: e.g. “your profile is only 35%
abstractions not members. Consequently, the fact that complete,” or “answer all the questions”
members of the category can be gaming elements, • Normative or “best” records of achievements: e.g. average
rather than other types of user experience, may not be score [157], high score [10964]
fully clear. For this reason, concrete examples of the Social Features
gamification elements they refer to are usually given. • Relationships
o Bonds: e.g. partner, friend, contact
General Framing o Teaming: e.g. guild in WoW, company weight loss team (typically
Provides motivation for participation: cooperating)
• Context: arguably not designed but chosen, e.g. setting such o Cohorts: e.g. class or race in WoW mainly sharing characteristics
but may foster teaming or bonding
as workplace or SNS, dot com service
• Interaction Modes
• Background provides objectives and motivational information
o Communication & interaction channels
such as education about a topic of interest and persuasive o Commerce; ability to trade with, sell to and/or buy from other
argumentation for ‘playing’ players
• Narrative: information that sets the scene, e.g. “You’re o Gift giving
stranded on a desert island …” o Commendations, voting: e.g. “Like,” props, connect, follow
o Collaboration/helping: acting together or on one another offers
General Rules and Performance Framing performance benefit: e.g. form a team, or “heal” another
Orients action, explains how to achieve the objectives or how to o Competition/rivalry/conflict; acting against opponents or
evaluate one’s own performance: adversaries offers performance benefit: e.g. be first, “steal,” “kill”
• Guidance: instructions, explanations for how to use feature or • Visibility/accountability/reputation: e.g. of profile or records
play; e.g. “find the lost magic scroll” of achievement or leaderboard
• Internal Objectives/targets: • Information affording performance comparisons: e.g.
scores, ranking with friends, other players or with norms
Incentives • Choice architecture: brings together other gamification
• Intrinsic: psychologically motivated anticipated real world elements to structure available options at any given point for
outcomes, e.g.: user/player to choose to make progress
o Curiosity: e.g. what is hidden behind the door? • Specific Rules: required actions to accomplish objectives, e.g.
o Challenge oneself/experience flow [2]: e.g. can I match this turns, forbidden actions, penalties, handicaps Randomness:
score? unpredictability adds interest
o Entertainment (escapism, absorption)
o Social reward/peer pressure: e.g. status, membership,
• Scarcity of resources: e.g. limited power or seeds
connection, intimacy, relationship building, avoidance of negative • Temporal aspects can add excitement or draw user back: e.g.
social consequence withering of crops in Farmville or a countdown in many games
o Personal returns from gamified behaviors: e.g. wealth, health, • Perceptual: e.g. views, concealment, text, hearing, feel; such
longevity, achievements, avoidance of negative personal as via joystick or vibration
consequence • Topological: e.g. containers, openings, barriers, locks, paths,
o Societal returns from gamified behaviors: e.g. save the
environment, educate politicians
mazes, borders, different servers
• Extrinsic: awarded by some entity such as game maker. • Capability, difficulty and advancement: over time, play and
Generally tied to intrinsic motivations e.g.: achievement changes settings of any of the above to maintain
o Material/Practical: engagement and flow [2]
 Deals or discounts: similar to loyalty program • Change/Novelty; new components or alterations are added
 Financial: e.g. cash prize, voucher over time to avoid stale experience
 Goods/services: e.g. tote bag, free massage
 Time: time saved, vacation or time off; could be in day chunks Feedback and Status Information
or hour or minute chunks • Graphical indicators: e.g. to precisely reinforce a correct
 Lottery/draw/bet for any of the above: as opposed to earning action or alert user to failure, sometimes called click-zen
points to attain them • Audio signals: on their own or adding salience to the visuals
o Virtual:
• Records of Achievements:
 Currency
o Historical information: e.g. checklist, performance gauge
 Resources/property: Virtual Goods
o Progress towards objective: e.g. 14/20 questions answered, 67%
 Powers or abilities: Increasing as the player progresses
complete
 Add to record of achievements: See below
o Badges or trophies: e.g. scout badges
 Validation: Marks of approval from others, especially with
o Points, scores or ratings: e.g. Space Invaders highest scorer
visibility to others
o Levels or grades
Resources and Constraints • Updated Context:
• Available game accomplishments: e.g. score, learn, find, o Resource indicator: e.g. time left or dwindling power
o Indications of upcoming action, opportunities, challenges or
collect, create, grow, combine, etc.
threats: e.g. approaching object, “daybreak,” “nightfall”
o Locomotion: A special type of action that changes surrounding in-
game context, e.g. move piece, rotate, turn, block, “fly,” “ride”
• Control repertoire: e.g. click to cast die, select radio button,
press arrow key, speak, gesture