Rewards

The one-sentence "definition" that should be in italics.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

Space Alert

Anti-Examples

optional

Using the pattern

Can instantiate

with Geospatial Game Widgets

Reward Widgets

with Time Limits

Optional Goals, Repeat Combos

Can Modulate

Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences, Alternative Reality, Area Control, Attention Swapping, Bidding, Challenging Gameplay, Character Development, Fudged Results, Game Items, Gameplay Mastery, Grinding, Invites, Penalties, Player Defined Goals, Player Killing, Red Queen Dilemmas, Resource Caps, Resources, Reward Widgets, Risk/Reward, Scores, Secret Areas, Trading

Can Be Instantiated By

Achievements, Arithmetic Progression, Betting, Character Development, Delayed Reciprocity, Factions, Free Gift Inventories, Handicap Achievements, Geometric Progression, Goal Achievements, Grind Achievements, Individual Rewards, Investments, Minigames, Player Killing, Repeat Combos, Shared Rewards, Testing Achievements, Unlocking

Game Time Manipulation in Single-Player Games

There is a wide variety of what Rewards actually can consist of. Five different types of categories of Rewards are Access Rewards, Facilitating Rewards, Glory Rewards, Social Rewards, and Sustenance Rewards but Rewards can of course be combined to provide several of these at the same time.

Providing Improved or New Abilities are common parts of Rewards (especially for Access Rewards and Facilitating Rewards)

In many cases these

Experience Points Money

Companions, Extra Chances, Game Items, Loot, Ownership,

Quick Returns, Quick Travel,

Can Be Modulated By

Characters, Committed Goals, Continuous Goals, Diminishing Returns, Extra-Game Broadcasting, Extra-Game Consequences, Free Gift Inventories, Identification, Increasing Rewards, Mutual Goals, Outcome Indicators, Penalties, Player-Decided Distributions, Player-Defined Goals, Randomness, Reward Widgets Unknown Goals

Cutscenes in Single-Player Games

Potentially Conflicting With

Illusionary Rewards, Thematic Consistency

Consequences

Rewards are important in many ways for players to have Emotional Engrossment in games, they can for example provide Anticipation, Surprises, and Tension depending on when they are given and how certain players can be that they will receive them. The presence of them can increase Competition and create Collecting activities, especially if the Rewards exist as many small separate parts. When players need to wait for them to be accessible they can cause Encouraged Return Visits and when they are only available for short time periods they qualify as Ephemeral Events (combined with Time Limits they can be Optional Goals).

Receiving them can indicate that players have succeeded with Gain Competence goals or Player-Planned Development, but can also provide them with Game-Based Social Statuses.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Anticipation, Collecting, Competition, Emotional Engrossment, Encouraged Return Visits, Ephemeral Events, Game-Based Social Statuses, Gain Competence, Player-Planned Development, Surprises, Tension

with Geospatial Game Widgets

Reward Widgets

with Time Limits

Optional Goals, Repeat Combos

Can Modulate

Actions Have Diegetically Social Consequences, Alternative Reality, Area Control, Attention Swapping, Bidding, Challenging Gameplay, Character Development, Fudged Results, Game Items, Gameplay Mastery, Grinding, Invites, Penalties, Player Defined Goals, Player Killing, Red Queen Dilemmas, Resource Caps, Resources, Reward Widgets, Risk/Reward, Scores, Secret Areas, Trading

Can Be Instantiated By

Access Rewards, Achievements, Arithmetic Progression, Betting, Character Development, Companions, Delayed Reciprocity, Extra Chances, Experience Points, Factions, Facilitating Rewards, Free Gift Inventories, Handicap Achievements, Game Items, Geometric Progression, Glory Rewards, Goal Achievements, Grind Achievements, Improved Abilities, Individual Rewards, Investments, Loot, Minigames, Money, New Abilities, Ownership, Player Killing, Quick Returns, Quick Travel, Repeat Combos, Shared Rewards, Social Rewards, Sustenance Rewards, Testing Achievements, Unlocking

Game Time Manipulation in Single-Player Games

Can Be Modulated By

Characters, Committed Goals, Continuous Goals, Diminishing Returns, Extra-Game Broadcasting, Extra-Game Consequences, Free Gift Inventories, Identification, Increasing Rewards, Mutual Goals, Outcome Indicators, Penalties, Player-Decided Distributions, Player-Defined Goals, Randomness, Reward Widgets Unknown Goals

Cutscenes in Single-Player Games

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

Illusionary Rewards, Thematic Consistency

History

An updated version of the pattern Rewards that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design.

Acknowledgements

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