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…
Work with Yu-kai
The Blog
Gamification Study
Articles on Gamification Study — from Yu-kai Chou, creator of the Octalysis Framework.
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…
The Hidden 9th Core Drive: Why Sensation Sits Outside Octalysis
Yu-kai Chou explains Core Drive 9: Sensation, why it sits outside the Octalysis octagon, and when sensory design…
Why Most Leaderboards Fail (And How to Fix Yours in 5 Steps)
Yu-kai Chou explains why most leaderboards demotivate users, and shows five Octalysis-based fixes that create urgency, optimism, and…
5 Psychology Books Every Gamification Designer Must Read
Most gamification fails because designers understand game mechanics but not game psychology. They add points and badges without…
Implicit vs Explicit Gamification: Serious Games, Advergames & Gameful Design Explained
What counts as “gamification”, and what doesn’t? If you’ve ever debated whether serious games, advergames, or gameful design…