Achievements involve a specific goal being set for the user to reach a badge or positive feedback. Having achievement requirements visible creates a guidepost to the user, while a hidden achievement is a secret goal that they may have to search to unlock.

Achievements have proven incredibly popular in recent years, to the extent where most major video game consoles and marketplaces have implemented achievements as the norm. This is because players have found achievements to be compelling and rewarding, where they actively seek to earn more. One motivation behind this trend is that players want to showcase a large collection of achievements to show their mastery of a game.

Effectiveness of achievements

From a review of several studies that analyzed the effectiveness of gamification in gamified applications, achievements tend to fulfil both the competence and relatedness needs that are outlined in Self Determination Theory. Achievements fulfil the competence psychological need by reinforcing an accomplishment set within the game. Relatedness is also fulfilled as achievements can provide a collection of special events that are easily shareable with others, often being a source of pride for users.

Achievements can also be used to encourage users to pursue a greater level of challenge or an alternate way to engage. This can allow users to strive for a greater challenge if they find the basic difficulty too easy. On the other hand, alternate methods of play can be not only a greater challenge, but can introduce someone to a new way to approach the challenge or a new storyline, bringing depth to a game. For example, in a role-playing game with swords and magic, an achievement may be a magic-only challenge that offers players a new gameplay experience. As players explore the game in a new perspective, this might inspire them to play again in the future using a blended approach with their new favourite spells.

How achievements are used in education games

We created a set of achievements for Invader Crusaders, a custom web game to educate youth on invasive species. In this game, we designed achievements to encourage players to beat every level and demonstrate their mastery of the gameplay. Some achievements are earned through completing varied level difficulties, and even beating a level without having any invasive species left on the map.

For a player to accomplish this, they would need to be smart about using their actions as well as choosing the best response to an encounter with invasive species. This approach was effective in motivating players to complete more of the game while enhancing their knowledge of invasive species.

Limits of achievements

Achievements are a good external reward, giving some additional motivation. However they shouldn’t be the only motivator you have for your users. If your bank gave achievements for paying off your credit card, would it change your behaviour at all? No, because it's a task you’d normally do, and it can feel frivolous in this setup. A better use for a bank having achievements would be motivating users to make better financial strategies or buying into other financial products on offer like a new credit card or a chequing account promotion.

These are stronger achievements as they give customers direction and goals to achieve. They are things that a user may not have thought of using, hold potential benefit for the customer, and can make the bank more money in some cases. In this kind of setting, it would be beneficial to have earning an achievement have either a tangible reward or a chance of one. One idea would be if you get one of these achievements in a month you get a ticket into a monthly draw for some prizes.

Raccoopack's experience in gamification can help your business

We have been working in game development and app development with a ton of clients all across Vancouver, Toronto, and the rest of Canada, and have seamlessly integrated gamification into our projects from day one. Our company actually started as a game development company!

If you’d like to learn more about gamification and how it can benefit your company, fill out our contact form and give us a shout. We'll be happy to discuss all of the avenues, from basic gameplay or interaction mechanics to the nitty gritty of achievements with you. And most importantly, we're committed to our clients. We will have your back in the long run and be a supporter of your game, and maybe even a player as well!

References

Review of several studies about gamification in the wellbeing space. Johnson, Daniel & Deterding, Sebastian & Kuhn, Kerri-Ann & Staneva, Aleksandra & Stoyanov, Stoyan & Hides, Leanne. (2016). Gamification for Health and Wellbeing:A Systematic Review of the Literature. Internet Interventions. 6. 89-106. 10.1016/j.invent.2016.10.002.

Self Determination Resource Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2021). Self Determination Theory. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/theory/

Examples Referenced

Bear in Mind - Case Study https://raccoopack.media/our-works/safecare-bc-bear-in-mind