Ever heard stories of people spending thousands of dollars on in-game purchases or hundreds of hours on famously addicting games like Candy Crush? Maybe you’ve found yourself burning hours away on a game and thought to yourself “wait… am I addicted?” It might not be a self‑control problem so much as a design one. The addicting nature of games is intricately created from immersive UI designs, clever use of haptics, and subtly tapping into your mind with a number of clever psychological mechanisms.
Based on survey data collected in 2024 from 1,200 adult gamers globally
From First Player Shooter (FPS), strategy, casual mobile, Role Player Games (RPGs), even non-game apps and platforms like Duolingo are “gamifying” their interfaces to increase user engagement and retention. So what about “gamification” makes it so appealing and even as far as addicting to us?
Think of it like the UI is whispering, “You’re really here!” It should feel like a natural part of the game world, not something tacked on. — Sarah Shaar, content writer at JustInMind (UX & UI Design Company)
Meticulous UI designs creates an immersive experience with their visuals, sounds, and also animation without hindering usability, keeping the user hooked into their carefully fabricated world of gameplay. By echoing the environment and atmosphere of the game through thematic consistency, matching color palettes, and visual motifs, the UI transport users into the game world.
Call of Duty (CoD), a FPS military game, creates a battle-ridden war zone where players compete in battles and death matches to complete objectives. To transport players into this world, CoD displays a more “gritty” and realistic design with earthy colors that intensifies the gameplay experience. The icons on the interface are meant to subtly blend in with the gameplay to not hinder the experience - hence the transparency of their design. A more minimalistic and muted design reduces any possible noise and keep the user focused on the gameplay experience - keeping them immersed and playing for as long as possible.
UI Design of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
In contrast, Balatro (a poker-themed deck-building game) employs a “wonderfully retro VCR-style visuals, lo-fi music and irreverent sound effects, which evoke a strange mix of space and spiritualism,” that keeps user chasing the rush of a high score. The design aesthetic features a “silky "lava lamp" background that gets more involved and flowy when in the middle of a round but relaxes and spreads out once you're ‘safe’ and “plonky sound effects that play as the game cycles through your scoring” - all meticulously built to keep users obsessed and dopamine induced.
Balatro gameplay
Haptics refers to the technology of simulating tactile sensations through vibrations and feedback. This tactile layer enhances an user’s immersion, increasing the responsiveness and engagement of the gameplay, triggering the release of dopamine. By helping to create a "game feel" — the intangible, tactile sensation we experience when interacting with a game – this combination of responsiveness, intuitiveness, and viscerality is what makes gameplay satisfying and keeps users “addicted.”
Even small feedback like the simple vibrations of hitting high scores in Balatro becomes an addictive indicator for a incoming dopamine rush. Sony takes it to the next level through Playstation 5’s new “DualSensor” controller that “offers immersive haptic feedback, dynamic adaptive triggers, and a built-in microphone, all integrated into an iconic design.”
PS5’s DualSense Wireless Controller
PS5’s DualSense Wireless Controller