Scientific Research and Game Studies

Every once in a while, someone asks me whether my Octalysis Framework was created based on a deep study of all the texts and scientific studies I’ve mentioned in this book.

In truth, Octalysis was 100% derived from my experience and study of games. I wish there was a more impressive origin, but in reality everything I needed to create the Octalysis Framework was found in my many years of playing and analyzing games. This is why I consider it a Gamification Framework, and not just mere psychological and behavioral studies that are independent of games, as viewed by others.

Once the Framework was created, I began to research behavioral economics, motivational psychology, and neurobiology to confirm (or extend) the principles behind the Core Drives. I knew that these Core Drives motivated us, but I didn’t have scientific publications to back it up until much later. Luckily for me, most people who hear about my work on Octalysis can relate...