Economy Design: Sources, Sinks & the Confidence Framework
Virtual Economy Design: The Sources, Sinks & Confidence Framework By Yu-kai Chou | April 2026 Most game designers…
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Deep dives on the psychology behind why people do what they do — from Yu-kai Chou, creator of the Octalysis Framework. Pick the topic that matters to you.
Leading Without Authority: The Octalysis Influence Framework
When Authority Isn’t Enough The best leaders I’ve worked with rarely had the title to enforce compliance. They…
The Desired Action Audit: Screen-by-Screen UX Mastery
I’ve sat with hundreds of product teams over the years. They show me their app, excited to walk…
The Happiness Equation: Why We’re Unhappy and How to Fix It
We chase happiness like it’s a trophy we misplaced. We buy things, hit milestones, check boxes, and then…
Self-Gamification Paradox: Why You Can’t Motivate Yourself
You’ve probably heard that gamification works. Points, leaderboards, achievements, status. You’ve probably also heard that you can gamify…
First Major Win State: Onboarding’s Key Metric
I spent the last decade watching good products with smart teams fail for the same reason: they were…
Life as RPG: How to Convert Your Life Into a Game
In 2002, I quit Diablo II and watched my character vanish. Three months of inactivity, and thousands of…