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What if physics could explain user behavior?
Physics of Gamification connects classic physics laws with modern gamification mechanics — to reveal how people engage, act, and stay motivated.
Hosted by Hakan Uzer, this is where science meets behavior design.
Physics of Gamification connects classic physics laws with modern gamification mechanics — to reveal how people engage, act, and stay motivated.
Hosted by Hakan Uzer, this is where science meets behavior design.
36 Episodes
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The Weak Force: Why Tiny Mechanics Drive Massive ResultsIn physics, we usually focus on the big stuff: Gravity holding planets in orbit or the Strong Force binding the nucleus. But there is a silent mediator that keeps the sun from burning out in a flash—the Weak Nuclear Force. In this episode, Hakan Uzer explores how this subatomic principle is the secret to sustainable user engagement.Most designers try to move users with "Gravity" (heavy rewards and big bonuses). But gravity is an external force. To create lasting change, you need the Weak Force—the tiny, contextual mechanics that change a user's "flavor" from a passive observer to an active contributor.
Most gamification strategies fail because they are too "smooth." We fear friction, so we reward every tiny action immediately. The result isn't motivation; it's noise.In Episode 34, Hakan Uzer explores the physics of Static Electricity (Charge Accumulation) to prove that the most powerful moment in a system isn't the reward itself—it's the tension you build before you give it.In this episode, we cover:The Leaky Faucet: Why constant micro-rewards (badges for everything) kill long-term interest.The Physics of Capacitors: How to design systems that "store" user effort for a massive release.Dopamine & Anticipation: Why the brain prefers the "near miss" over the "easy win."3 Mechanics to Build Tension: How to use Streaks, Thresholds, and Collections to create a spark."The shock is only as strong as the buildup. If you want your users to feel electric, you have to let them charge up first."
In physics, "Latent Heat" is the energy absorbed by a substance to change its state (like ice turning to water) without any rise in temperature. To an observer, it looks like nothing is happening. To the physicist, it's the most energetic phase of the process.Today, Hakan applies this concept to Gamification and UX:• The Physics of the Plateau: Why it takes 80x more energy to change a state than to raise a degree.• The "Stuck" User: How to distinguish between disengagement and "absorption."• The Lurker Effect: Why your quietest community members might be your most invested.• Designing for Silence: Strategies to reward users who are thinking, learning, and planning, rather than just clicking.• Sanctuary Zones: Why you should hide the leaderboard during deep learning phases.Key Takeaway: Don't judge a user's value solely by their visible "temperature" (points/clicks). Design for their state change.
Is your engagement strategy too predictable? In this episode, we dive into the microscopic world of Brownian Motion to discover how random collisions drive sustained movement.The Physics: What Robert Brown’s 1827 discovery teaches us about human behavior.The Trap: Why total predictability leads to "Design Equilibrium"—a system that works but no longer matters.Controlled Chaos: How to inject "jitter" to prevent users from settling into autopilot.The Jitter Factor: Why randomness must remain unpredictable to avoid becoming another ignored pattern.Listener Challenge: Audit your most linear path and find a spot for a meaningful "collision".
In this episode, we explore why adding more "gravity" to a stalled system is a physics violation. If your users are coasting, doubling the points won't make them go faster—it just makes the system more inefficient.The Law: How Terminal Velocity creates a behavioral speed limit.The Resistance: Why "Hedonic Adaptation" acts like air resistance against your incentives.The Aerodynamics: Redesigning the medium through Variable Geometry and Induced Current.Listener Challenge: Audit your "coasters" and disrupt their routine with a change in context, not a change in quota.
Most gamification strategies are batteries: they store energy, release it once, and die. To build a system that grows on its own, you need to build a reactor.In this episode, we use nuclear physics to explain why most "viral" features fail. We break down the difference between "fast neutrons" (spammy invites that bounce off users) and "thermal neutrons" (signals that actually trigger a response).We cover:The Battery vs. The Reactor: Why designing for the initial action is a mistake.The Human Neutron: How to create signals that lower the effort for the next user.Velocity: Why "Invite 10 Friends" kills engagement.Control Rods: Using friction to prevent user burnout and system meltdown.Stop trying to force the explosion. Start engineering the fuel.
Mechanical Advantage: Reward Efficiency Over EffortIn this episode, we explore lever principles and how smart design rewards efficient, high-impact actions rather than brute effort. Learn how to build systems where small, intelligent moves create big motivational lift — and why recognizing efficiency is the key to long-term engagement.
Light bends when it moves between different environments—air, water, glass.Motivation does the same.In this episode, Hakan Uzer explores how context can make simple tasks feel harder than they are, and why many engagement problems aren’t about users at all, but about the environment bending their perception. Using the physics of refraction, we look at how tiny shifts in workflow, timing, and feedback can straighten the path and restore momentum.
Quantum superposition offers a useful lens for understanding human motivation. Instead of assigning a single label—top performer, slow performer, helper, learner—systems work better when they allow these identities to coexist. In this episode, Hakan Uzer explains how rigid measurement collapses user potential, why multi-dimensional roles matter, and how organizations see better results when people can define how they contribute. Includes real gamification cases where superposition was ignored—and where it unlocked hidden strengths.
Centripetal Force: Keeping Users in the LoopIn this episode of Physics of Gamification, hosted by Hakan Uzer, co-founder of Motivacraft, we explore how systems maintain engagement through inward pull — the centripetal force of motivation. Learn how core loops, emotional gravity, and coherent design keep users orbiting your system’s purpose instead of drifting away.
In this episode of The Physics of Gamification, we explore how harmonic oscillation — the science behind pendulums — reveals the secret rhythm of engagement. Learn how to design gamified systems that swing naturally between challenge and comfort, avoiding burnout and boredom. Discover how rhythm keeps motivation alive, how team energy synchronizes, and why balance isn’t stillness — it’s motion around a meaningful center.
When teams align, motivation turns magnetic.In this episode, we explore the physics of magnetic domains — and how small shifts in alignment can transform scattered effort into unstoppable collective drive.Learn how leaders create magnetic fields of purpose, how to sustain them, and why synergy is the most powerful force in engagement.
What if motivation could flow like water? In this Season 2 opener, we explore Fluid Dynamics — and how energy moves through teams, roles, and systems. Learn how to design engagement that circulates, not stagnates.
In physics, quantum tunneling describes the improbable — particles breaking through barriers they shouldn’t be able to cross.In gamification, the same phenomenon can happen with people. Users who seem stuck, blocked, or disengaged can still find surprising ways forward if the system creates rare, meaningful moments of breakthrough.In this season finale, we explore:How to design tunneling moments that unlock progress when players plateau.Why shortcuts must feel rare to preserve fairness and meaning.Practical strategies for creating breakthrough experiences in onboarding, progression, and long-term engagement.This episode also wraps up Season One of Physics of Gamification. We’ll be back in late-October with Season Two — deeper dives, new formats, and for the first time, a video edition of the podcast.
Phase transitions aren’t just for physics — they happen in behavior too.In this episode of Physics of Gamification, we explore how systems don’t always change gradually… sometimes they reorganize all at once. Just like ice snaps into water or water flips into vapor, gamified systems can push players into new states that completely reshape how they engage.You’ll learn:Why engagement isn’t linear, but state-based.How to design thresholds that transform players from learners into leaders.Where sudden shifts can backfire — and how to prepare the system so they feel natural and exciting.Practical ways to create those “I’ll never forget when…” moments that keep motivation alive.If you’ve ever wondered how to make your system feel less like a flat ladder and more like a living, evolving experience, this one’s for you.
In physics, a black hole’s pull comes from its mass — and once that gravity becomes overwhelming, nothing escapes.Gamification systems can fall into the same trap. Add too many mechanics, too many rules, and too many layers… and you create an engagement singularity.In this episode, we explore:How overcomplexity collapses user motivationThe “event horizon” where features start to hurt, not helpPractical ways to strip away weight and restore momentumBecause the best-designed systems aren’t always the ones with the most features — they’re the ones with the clearest pull.
In physics, mechanical resonance occurs when elements vibrate at a shared frequency, amplifying energy far beyond what any one part could achieve.In gamification? It’s when every feature — missions, rewards, leaderboards, and feedback — align so perfectly that engagement flows effortlessly.This episode dives into what resonance looks like in behavior systems:Why dissonance kills momentum, how emotional rhythm matters, and what happens when mechanics sing in harmony.If you’ve ever felt like your system has all the right parts but still isn’t clicking — this one’s for you.
In physics, thermodynamic equilibrium is a perfectly balanced state — no more energy flows, no more reactions happen. It’s stable. Still. And kind of dead.In this episode, we explore what happens when gamified systems reach that same point — when everything runs “just fine,” but nothing meaningful happens anymore. From flat leaderboards to predictable feedback, we break down how challenge decay leads to disengagement… and how to reignite interest with purposeful disruption.Because when your system stops changing, it starts fading.
In physics, traveling near the speed of light leads to distortion — things blur, time stretches, and clarity breaks down. In gamified systems, the same thing can happen when we accelerate too quickly.In this episode, we explore how speed in design—rapid feedback, escalating missions, and overloaded interfaces—can overwhelm users instead of engaging them. You’ll learn how to slow things down with intentional pacing, emotional rhythm, and meaningful pauses that create flow, not fatigue.Because in gamification, clarity always beats velocity.
Some gamified systems don’t motivate users — they trap them. In this episode, we explore how common mechanics like streaks, point ladders, and status roles can slowly form behavioral gravity wells: systems that pull people in, but make it difficult to step away. Drawing from physics and behavioral theory, we examine how to design systems with graceful exits, re-entry points, and healthier engagement over time. Because true loyalty comes from freedom — not force.
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