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Gaming Insights · Olha Semykina · December 2025
Why Chance-Based Mechanics Keep Us Hooked
We identify and expand on actionable, evidence-based insights to help teams refine their strategies ahead of the holiday season.
The Nature of Thrill and Excitement.
Thrill (or excitement) is not about winning.
At its core, it’s a tense mix of three emotions:
Anticipation – ‘Something good might happen’
Risk – ‘But maybe it won’t’
Hope – ‘I’ll try anyway’
Thrill lives between certainty and hopelessness – a space where outcomes feel uncertain, but still possible. Our new report, Why Chance-Based Mechanics Keep Us Hooked, dives into the player psychology around thrill that keeps players coming back — and the Live Ops strategies that facilitate it.
5 Fundamental Drivers of Thrill
Anticipation. From a psychological perspective, dopamine is released not when we receive the reward, but when we expect it. What’s interesting is that regardless of the outcome, anticipation often makes us want to keep going.
Near Miss & FUUUU-factor. When you’re just one step away – your brain doesn’t read it as failure, but as progress. Almost winning feels closer to winning than to losing!
‘It Finally Hit’ moment. When the odds were low – and suddenly luck lands on your side. These moments dramatically amplify celebration and emotional payoff.
The Chance to Win Big. People don’t think in expected value or real probabilities. They believe in the best possible outcome.
The Skinner Box Effect. You don’t know when it will happen. But you believe it can happen
MonopolyGO: One of the Best Chance-Based Systems
At first glance, Monopoly GO! looks simple. But under the surface, the game is built on probability, delayed outcomes, and emotional tension – the same forces that power slot machines, wrapped in social systems, progression, and daily goals.
This design philosophy can be seen in every layer of the game: from the Core Game Loop, to Bonus Mechanics, and all the way to LiveOps and Events.
What the Full Report Covers
[1] How Monopoly GO! creates thrill and emotional “ups and downs” through its difficulty curve
[2] A deep dive into the Core Game Loop: tile types, landing frequency, board structure, and key mechanics
[3] A breakdown of multiple Chance-Based systems – from designing an effective Wheel of Fortune to building bonus-game flows that stay exciting regardless of the outcome
[4] How each LiveOps event in Monopoly GO! fuels excitement – through both event mechanics and the way event currency is earned
