# Gamification Catalog of Conversion Ideas

30 short lessons on why people act, 40 patterns that turn them into web interfaces, and 197 playable demos. Research findings are kept separate from this site's applications.

Working previews and demos are not evidence of conversion or revenue gains. Measure on your own page.

- Machine-readable catalog: https://sakimyto.com/cvr-data/catalog.json

## Connect the dots

To avoid the generic tactics an AI converges on, combine one theory, one playable demo, and one stage. The demo is one no pattern has tied to that theory yet. The page lets you redraw. Here is an example request.

```text
Help me generate conversion ideas. The goal is to avoid the generic tactics every site uses and to build something new by connecting three distant dots.

The three dots
- Theory: Variable reward (When rewards arrive unpredictably, people repeat the behavior more.) https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/variable-reward
- Playable demo: Whack-a-Mole https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/arcade/whackAMole
- Stage: Start (Make the first step light.)

Target page: describe the page goal, audience, current journey, and constraints here.

Steps
1. Write the most obvious idea this combination suggests, then explain why you will not use it.
2. Propose three ideas that use the demo’s motion as a concrete interaction on the page. For each, explain how the theory works there, the main metric, a guardrail metric, and when it would backfire.
3. Pick the idea least like existing tactics and describe the smallest test that would check it.

Check the theory against the sources on its page and do not claim effects you cannot verify. Exclude deceptive designs (dark patterns).
```

## Fundamentals (30)

### The big picture

When do people act, and how do games create those conditions?

- [Fogg Behavior Model (B=MAP)](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/fogg-behavior-model): A behavior happens when motivation, ability, and a prompt meet at the same moment.
- [Self-Determination Theory](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/self-determination-theory): People keep going on their own when they feel autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
- [Flow](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/flow): People become absorbed when challenge matches skill and goals and feedback are clear.
- [MDA Framework](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/mda-framework): Think of a game as three layers: mechanics the designer sets, dynamics that emerge in play, and aesthetics the player feels.
- [Octalysis (8 Core Drives)](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/octalysis): A framework that splits what drives people into eight forces, so you can see which ones a design relies on.
- [Hook Model](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/hook-model): A product model where cycling through trigger, action, variable reward, and investment turns use into habit.
- [Does gamification work?](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/gamification-evidence): Gamification is using game design elements outside games. Average effects are small to moderate and depend heavily on context and design.

### Rewards and curiosity

When do rewards and curiosity move people, and when do they backfire?

- [Variable reward](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/variable-reward): When rewards arrive unpredictably, people repeat the behavior more.
- [Overjustification effect](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/overjustification): Adding contingent rewards to something people already enjoy can make them stop doing it once rewards end.
- [Information gap theory](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/curiosity-gap): A small gap between what people know and want to know makes them want to close it.
- [Goal-setting theory](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/goal-setting): Specific, challenging goals lead to better performance than "do your best."
- [IKEA effect](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/ikea-effect): Things people build themselves feel more valuable than the same things made by others.
- [Loss aversion](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/loss-aversion): A loss tends to feel bigger than a gain of the same size.

### Progress and momentum

Why do people who start keep going to the end?

- [Goal-gradient effect](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/goal-gradient): People speed up as they get closer to a goal.
- [Endowed progress effect](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/endowed-progress): Starting people partway along makes more of them finish.
- [Unfinished tasks (Zeigarnik and Ovsiankina)](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/zeigarnik-ovsiankina): People tend to return to interrupted tasks. The famous claim that unfinished tasks are remembered better did not hold up in a meta-analysis.
- [Peak-end rule](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/peak-end-rule): People judge an experience mostly by its most intense moment and its end, not its average.

### Less effort, clear feedback

How much do effort and response speed shape behavior?

- [Fitts’s law](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/fitts-law): The farther and smaller a target is, the longer it takes to hit.
- [Response-time limits](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/response-time): Under 0.1 seconds feels instant, under 1 second keeps the flow of thought, and over 10 seconds loses attention.
- [Choice overload](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/choice-overload): Too many options can stall decisions or lower satisfaction, but whether it happens depends heavily on conditions.
- [Default effect](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/default-effect): Options that are preselected tend to stay selected.
- [Labor illusion](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/labor-illusion): Seeing the work behind a result makes it feel more valuable, even with a wait.
- [Game feel](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/game-feel): When motion, sound, and light answer an input instantly and pleasantly, touching becomes fun in itself.

### Other people

How do other people, commitments, and gifts change decisions?

- [Social proof](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/social-proof): When unsure, people look at what others do to decide.
- [Social comparison and leaderboards](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/social-comparison): People judge their abilities against others. Leaderboards can draw out effort and can also deflate motivation.
- [Commitment and consistency (foot in the door)](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/commitment-consistency): People who agree to a small request are more likely to agree to a larger one later.
- [Reciprocity](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/reciprocity): Receiving something makes people want to give back.
- [Scarcity](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/scarcity): Things that are scarce or about to expire look more valuable.

### Ethics and law

Where does design become deception, and which rules apply?

- [Dark patterns](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/dark-patterns): Interface designs that deceive users or steer them into choices they did not intend.
- [Japan’s premium regulations](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/learn/premium-regulation): In Japan, prizes tied to a purchase are capped by the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations.

## Pattern library (40)

### Attract

Make people want to touch it in seconds.

- [Tactile CTA](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/tactile-cta): The button sinks the instant it is pressed and springs back on release, showing both that it can be pressed and that it was.
- [Blurred answer](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/blurred-answer): Only the headline of the result is readable and the rest is blurred, so people know an answer is waiting.
- [Live estimate](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/instant-estimate): Moving a slider rewrites the price or savings on the spot.
- [Scratch to reveal](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/scratch-reveal): Rubbing a silver panel gradually uncovers the offer underneath.
- [Ten-second challenge](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/ten-second-challenge): A short timed mini-game is playable the moment the page opens.
- [Real usage counter](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/real-counter): A figure such as "1,240 teams this month" appears with its counting period.
- [Tiny first choice](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/tiny-first-choice): Answering a two-option question at the top opens content that fits the answer.

### Start

Make the first step light.

- [Head-start progress bar](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/head-start-progress): A new profile starts at "2 of 6 done" and the remaining steps fill in one by one.
- [Easy first question](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/easy-first-question): The first form question is a set of buttons for choosing a goal, not a name or email field.
- [Explained default](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/recommended-default): One of three plans is preselected with a reason: "Most teams choose this."
- [Three to start](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/three-options): The first screen shows only three options, with "see all" for the rest.
- [Setup checklist](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/setup-checklist): A five-item checklist on the first screen ticks off as items are done.
- [Try before sign-up](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/try-before-signup): People can use the real feature once before the sign-up button.
- [Thumb-zone CTA](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/thumb-zone-cta): A comfortably large button stays fixed at the bottom of a phone screen.

### Progress

Carry people through to completion.

- [Steps and time left](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/step-indicator): A "3 of 4, about 1 minute left" indicator updates with every step.
- [Lighter toward the end](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/light-finish): Each step asks for less, until the last one is a single confirm button.
- [Inline validation](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/inline-validation): Leaving a field shows a check for valid input or a fix for errors, right away.
- [Progressive unlock](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/level-unlock): Finishing one basic task unlocks and reveals the next feature.
- [Visible work](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/visible-work): While computing, real steps such as "matching criteria" and "checking stock" appear in order.
- [Build your plan](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/build-your-plan): Each choice adds a piece to a preview of the finished plan.
- [Resume where you left off](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/resume-draft): Returning visitors see their unfinished work first, labeled "continue."

### Decide

Help people commit with confidence.

- [Explained match](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/explained-match): A "Plan B fits you" result comes with three reasons.
- [Before-and-after slider](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/before-after-slider): Dragging a divider swaps between before and after.
- [Honest stock and deadline](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/honest-stock): "3 left" and "until Oct 31, 23:59" track real inventory and the real cutoff.
- [Earned perk](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/earned-perk): Finishing a short task flips over a card with a perk.
- [Risk reversal](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/risk-reversal): "Full refund within 30 days" and "cancel anytime" sit right under the sign-up button.
- [Celebrated finish](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/celebration-finish): Completing sign-up brings a burst of confetti and exactly one next step.
- [Reviews at the decision point](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/reviews-at-decision): One review from a customer in the same industry sits right under the pricing table.

### Return

Create reasons to come back.

- [Forgiving streak](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/forgiving-streak): The streak grows day by day, and a rest day is marked without breaking it.
- [Badge collection](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/badge-collection): A collection grid shows how close the next badge is.
- [Daily discovery](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/daily-discovery): Each visit flips a card to reveal today’s tip.
- [Gentle reminder](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/gentle-reminder): A reminder about a draft quote says "2 fields to go."
- [Personal best](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/personal-best): The result appears next to the previous score and the improvement.
- [Stored value](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/stored-value): As saved filters and favorites grow, the recommendation quality meter rises.

### Share

Make referrals and sharing natural.

- [Shareable result card](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/result-card): A quiz result becomes a single card with a share button.
- [Referral meter](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/referral-meter): A meter fills toward the next reward as referrals come in.
- [Shared goal](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/team-goal): Everyone’s contributions add up toward a common goal.
- [Nearby leaderboard](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/nearby-leaderboard): Only your rank and your neighbors appear, with the gap to the next place.
- [Gift invite](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/gift-invite): The invite link is framed as a gift: "Give a friend one month free."
- [Showcase gallery](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/patterns/showcase-gallery): A gallery of user creations, with a button to add your own.

## Playable demos (197)

- [Arcade](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/arcade): Classic mini-games to test your reflexes and high scores
- [Playground](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/playground): Puzzles, strategy games, and brain teasers
- [Toys & Fidgets](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/toys): Satisfying physics toys and fidget widgets
- [Creative & Visual](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/creative): Generative art, simulations, and visual experiments
- [Music & Sound](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/music): Instruments, sequencers, and audio visualizers
- [Utilities & Tools](https://sakimyto.com/en/lab/cvr/tools): Useful gadgets, timers, and educational tools