There’s nothing quite as exciting as starting a new game. Games are fun—or at least they are meant to be. However, some games try too hard, becoming overly complex or too different and burying players under countless reward systems that leave them confused and disengaged.
Different in-game currencies, status meters, skill trees, and character loadouts create a layer of uncertainty around how the game rewards successful play. Instead of having a good time, players are pausing, reading the rules, checking online explanations, and generally feeling detached from the gaming experience. It’s at this point that many players are likely to put down their controllers and walk away, never to return.
Reward systems are meant to engage players, giving them a hit of satisfaction or a clear sense of progress. But all too often, new games stack reward mechanics on top of one another, confusing better with more until the game collapses under the weight of its own imbalances.
When More Systems Mean Less Fun
There is nothing wrong with having a complex game. Deep game systems provide a foundation for rich world-building and immersive player experiences. Complexity gives developers the room they need to make it clear why players are doing what they do. However, when they get it wrong, it becomes unclear what players should care about.
A recent example of where the devs got it wrong is Destiny 2. At various points in its life cycle, Destiny 2 has offered overlapping currencies, tiered loot offerings, multiple progression tracks for different content sources, and rotating vendors that needed to be checked on a schedule. While long-term players understood the systems, new players found them convoluted, which proved to be a major point of disconnect. The thing was that, individually, the systems were solid; however, they created friction when implemented simultaneously.
Diablo Immortal was another title that suffered similar complexity woes, albeit from a different perspective, as it introduced a monetised gear-upgrade system that was complex and confusing. Players were spending real money without a clear understanding of what they were getting. This resulted in complaints that the lack of clarity was deliberate to earn money rather than optimise the player experience.
The Psychology of Confusion
Many gamers walk away from a game thinking it is too hard when, in reality, they just don’t understand what they are supposed to do. They are mentally overloaded by an excessively complicated system. But not all difficult games are complicated to understand.
Take Dark Souls as an example—the series is notoriously difficult, but the feedback loop is incredibly simple. You play, you die, you learn why and adjust. Eventually, you win and get rewarded. Compare this to a game like Path of Exile, which offers a passive skill tree with over 1,300 passive skills for players to choose from. Alongside this, there are ascendancy classes and a crafting system that is often described as a game within the game and can be very overwhelming for new players. Things are further compounded by the lack of clear tutorials. As a result, players go into the skill tree without a clear overview, leaving them feeling more detached than any difficulty spike ever could.
Difficulty and game design are two different things that are often confused. A difficult game with a good design is challenging and rewarding. A badly designed game will turn players away regardless of skill level.
Other Industries Have the Same Problem
It is not only gaming that struggles to implement complexity properly. Sites that offer subscription tiers and loyalty rewards based on different areas of involvement, even online casino bonuses, run the risk of falling into the same trap. A player browsing for the best bonus options could quickly find themselves swamped with offers, wagering requirements, time limits, and a range of potential exclusion clauses that ultimately make the bonus’s true value almost impossible to calculate.
Regardless of the medium, the psychological impact of unnecessary complexity is the same. Users lose trust in the product and walk away, as there are plenty of other options for them to try.
What Good Reward Design Actually Looks Like
Games that see the most player retention keep things simple. They give players one clear thing to do at any given moment. Hades is a great example of this. The objective is always simple: escape from the Underworld. Everything else that happens—every power-up, every resource—sits under that one banner: escape. That way, nothing feels like a distraction because everything has a clear purpose.
Non-complicated reward systems provide immediate feedback to the player. You perform a task, such as solving a puzzle or defeating a boss, and you are directly rewarded for it. Additionally, the level of reward is fitting to the difficulty and game stage.
Finally, reward systems are clear and easy to understand. New players know what they are working towards and how to get it within minutes. This earns player loyalty and keeps them invested over the long term.
The Takeaway for Designers
The takeaway for designers is that if you feel like there is too much going on in the game, take things away. Having a lot of content and overlapping reward systems can be tempting. They sound good on paper, make your game seem deep, and help tell a killer story. But when nobody understands what rewards they are working towards, they won’t play the game long enough to appreciate the benefits the developer intended.
Clarity does not mean casual and does not indicate a lack of complexity. When balanced right, a solid reward system can elevate a good game and keep players engaged and talking about it long after the initial buzz should have died down.
