Why Are Mobile Games So Addictive?

September 10, 2022
Article No. 208

Four days ago. A few minutes after I woke up, I thought of not playing the game "Last Day on Earth". However, my will was not strong enough to resist the temptation. I thought I will just grab a freebie that comes every 25 minutes then stop playing.

Big mistake! I ended up playing for about three hours this morning!

Greetings my dear readers! Have you played a mobile game that you can't resist playing? If not, then good for you! But I know some people are hooked on playing video games. The game may be on a PC or a mobile device. If you're a parent, probably you have heard often the response:

"Just a few more minutes!"

or

"Wait! I will just finish that game!"

or

"After this last game!"

However, the few minutes extend to a few hours. The "last game" is followed by several last games.

That leads to the question of why are mobile games so addictive.

Disclaimer

I would like to emphasize that I am not an expert on this matter. I am not a behavioral scientist or whatever it is related to this subject. What I will share with you here is all based on my observation and understanding from what I have read and other various resources.

Why Are Mobile Games So Addictive?

Were you ever hooked on playing games even a simple but addictive e like the game Flappy Bird, which became popular almost overnight?

High-Quality Graphics

Perhaps the obvious eye-catcher is the high-quality and sometimes real-like graphics. I guess this is one of the factors that make games like Mobile Legends, PUBG, or Call of Duty attractive.

But some games doe not need to be as sophisticated as Mobile Legends, PUBG, or Call of Duty to be addictive. As I have mentioned, simple games with simple gameplay like Flappy Bird, and other games like Angry Birds, Bubble Shooter, Candy Crush can be addictive. And I'm not even talking about the mobile gambling apps like Tong-its Go, or any of those mobile poker games where the players can win (or lose) real money.

Image by besteonlinecasinos from Pixabay 

So what makes a game so addictive? Here are some of the characteristics that I have observed.

Competition

Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games or MMORPG type of games are massively popular. Why? Players are not just playing against the computer, but they are competing with other players.

They even test their "strengths" through PVP combats.

However, even in non-multiplayer games, players can still compete with each other by trying to beat the top score.

Quests, and Tasks

Different quests and tasks can make almost any game more interesting. Some quests and tasks require solving puzzles.

Some simply require a higher level of character or better equipment to accomplish. This means you have to pay more to complete the quest or task.

Points and Rewards System.

Perhaps this is the main culprit... I mean ... the main reason why a game can be so addictive. Players feel excited whenever they see their "points" increase. It could be their experience points that will take their character to the next level. It can be in the form of "gold" or "coins" collected. But in games that are not under the play-to-earn category, these coins are just currencies within the game. But you can use these in-game currencies to buy in-game items and equipment.

Image by Darwin Laganzon from Pixabay 

Gradually Increasing Difficulty

As players progress in the game, the difficulty gradually increases. This makes the game challenging. Challenges with just the right difficulty make a game interesting. If it's too easy, the game will become boring. If it's too difficult, the game becomes frustrating.

What Causes Game Addiction?

According to studies, each time a player accomplishes a task finishes a level, or a quest, our body releases a chemical called dopamine. Each time dopamine is released into our system we get a feeling of pleasure. And the more dopamine is released the more we want. This is the same reason why people get addicted to social media. Each time we receive a like or a good comment, we get dopamine into our system.

The scary part is, that social media and these games are designed to trigger the release of dopamine into our system.

In Closing.

Unless we have not used a smartphone ever since it is more likely that we are hooked to social media or mobile games. If not, then most probably our body is getting a dose of dopamine from somewhere else, like gambling...

The question is, can we have a daily dose of dopamine in our system that will make us more productive?

Thanks for reading.

Image Credits:

Lead Image: by SAIYED IRFAN A from Pixabay  (With modification)

Interesting Read: https://gamequitters.com/how-dopamine-impacts-gaming/