Game Design Techniques: the Onboarding Bundle

If users don’t know what to do within four seconds of landing on your interface, they start feeling stupid. And people who feel stupid leave.

Three game design techniques solve this problem at the onboarding level: the Glowing Choice (GT #28), Desert Oasis (GT #38), and the Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial (GT #6). Together, they form what I call the Onboarding Bundle.

About the Creator of the Octalysis Framework

Yu-kai Chou created the Octalysis Framework after studying gamification since 2003 — years before the term entered mainstream vocabulary. As a Human-Systems Architect & Behavioral Designer, his framework has been applied by LEGO, Microsoft, Porsche, Coca-Cola, Salesforce, and MrBeast, impacting over 1.5 Billion Users.

Chou has taught the Octalysis methodology at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Tesla, Google, BCG, and IDEO.

His work has been cited by Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Wired, US Department of Energy, NIST, NSF, NCBI, US Department of Education, ClinicalTrials.gov, and 3,700+ more academic publications. Explore his books here.

The Core Principle

Based on Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment, people want to feel smart and capable.

They don’t want to feel lost or confused. If they don’t know what to do in an interface for about four seconds, they start feeling stupid.

When designing your user experience, keep these two principles in mind:

1. Never let users accidentally stumble upon a bad experience. Everything they can choose should be a good experience.
2. Think about the First Major Win-State: the moment where the user first says, “Wow, this experience is great!” Guide them towards that moment as quickly as possible.

Glowing Choice (Game Technique #28)

The Glowing Choice is a design technique where something on the interface stands out: a pointy arrow, a light bulb, or a jiggly button.

This eye-catching element attracts the user’s attention and encourages them to interact with it.

In a virtual world, imagine a character with a big exclamation mark on their head. That signals to the player: talk to this person to get your first quest. That’s Glowing Choice in action.

In software, it works the same way. By highlighting a specific action or feature, you guide users and make them feel smarter.

Desert Oasis (Game Technique #38)

The Desert Oasis design is when the rest of the interface is plain, but the desired action stands out with bold colors, impossible to miss.

Think of a stop sign on the road. The red octagon is a strong visual cue that’s hard to miss, and it effectively communicates the desired action.

The key difference between Glowing Choice and Desert Oasis: Glowing Choice is an overlay that disappears after interaction, while Desert Oasis is a permanent part of the interface.

Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial (Game Technique #6)

When users first join an app or game, they want guidance. They don’t want to feel lost or overwhelmed.

The Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorial is a series of Glowing Choices that guide users through a complete onboarding flow.

Sometimes the tutorial takes place in a simulated scenario. Other times, it’s in the actual app itself.

Imagine a mobile app for getting gas delivered to your car. When users download the app, they might not need gas immediately.

But a simulated tutorial guides them through the process of scheduling a delivery, so they understand how the system works when they actually need it.

The onboarding shouldn’t end after users set up their profiles. Instead, guide them through desired actions at least once so they feel confident using your platform.

Applying These Techniques to the 8 Core Drives

Core Drive 1: Epic Meaning & Calling
Highlight a mission or cause users can be part of. Use Glowing Choice or Desert Oasis designs to draw them towards actions that contribute to a larger narrative.

Core Drive 2: Development & Accomplishment
Help users experience progress by using Glowing Choice to highlight milestones and levels. Desert Oasis designs make these achievements more visible. Step-by-Step Overlay Tutorials guide users through tasks and create that First Major Win-State moment.

Core Drive 3: Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback
Encourage experimentation by emphasizing tools and customization options through Glowing Choice or Desert Oasis designs. Tutorials can guide users through creative features and showcase what’s possible.

Core Drive 4: Ownership & Possession
Use Glowing Choice or Desert Oasis designs to emphasize rewards or virtual goods. Showcasing their value deepens engagement.

Core Drive 5: Social Influence & Relatedness
Make social features prominent: connecting with friends, joining groups, collaborative activities. Tutorials help users understand social dynamics and form connections.

Core Drive 6: Scarcity & Impatience
Highlight limited-time offers and exclusive items using Glowing Choice or Desert Oasis designs. Making scarce resources stand out increases urgency.

Core Drive 7: Unpredictability & Curiosity
Use Glowing Choice to draw attention to hidden features. A well-crafted tutorial can introduce surprise elements and tease upcoming challenges.

Core Drive 8: Loss & Avoidance
Use Glowing Choice or Desert Oasis designs to emphasize actions that help users avoid negative consequences. Tutorials teach users how to prevent setbacks.

Putting It All Together

An effective onboarding process is crucial for user retention and engagement.

With these game design techniques, you can create a smooth experience that helps users feel confident and accomplished.

By incorporating these strategies within the Octalysis Framework, you design an experience that keeps users engaged well beyond their first session.

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Related Reading

• The Octalysis Framework for Gamification & Behavioral Design
• Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges & Leaderboards
• The Power of Milestone Unlocks
• The Avatar: Gamification Design Technique
• High-Fives and Crowning
• Using Octalysis to Determine the Right Game Design Techniques

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