Level II and III Octalysis: The Advanced Framework Most Practitioners Never Learn
Level II and III Octalysis reveal how motivation changes across Discovery, Onboarding, Scaffolding, and Endgame, and why different…
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The Blog
Ideas on motivation, behavior & design.
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.
The Four Life Outcomes: Why Your Brain Chemistry Decides If You End Up Happy or Bitter
Everyone tells you to “follow your passion” or “find your purpose.” But nobody explains what actually happens chemically…
The Economy Framework That Explains Axie Infinity’s Collapse (And Prevents Yours)
In 2021, Axie Infinity scholarship players in the Philippines were earning the equivalent of several times their country’s…
Apollo Neuro Onboarding Audit: Why the Best Feature Gets Buried
Apollo Neuro built a product backed by real science: over a dozen clinical studies, peer-reviewed publications, and university…
Brave Browser Onboarding UX Audit: Genius Marketing, Clunky First Experience
Yu-kai Chou audits Brave Browser through Octalysis, showing why its privacy marketing wins the Discovery phase while the…
What a Neuroscientist Learned From Games: Barbara Oakley on Why Gamification Works
Yu-kai Chou explores Barbara Oakley’s insights on neuroscience, games, and learning design, showing why relatedness, scaffolding, and visible…
Why Games Turn Toxic: The Hidden Variable in Game Design
Yu-kai Chou explains why League of Legends feels far more toxic than Brawl Stars, showing how time-cost, blame…
Self-Determination Theory: Deci & Ryan’s 6 Mini-Theories
Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a macro theory of human motivation, developed by psychologists Edward L. Deci and Richard…
Masquerade (Rogue): How Identity Roleplaying Transforms Who You Become
This is an excerpt from Yu-kai Chou’s book, 10,000 Hours of Play — exploring the game skills that…