Aviator: Going beyond points and leaderboards 

Giorgi Tsutskiridze, CCO at SPRIBE, on how gamification in online casino games has evolved and how today it’s all about delivering entertaining and engaging experiences responsibly.  

The evolution of the gamification of online slots and casino games has been as remarkable as it has been rapid. 

It’s quickly gone from narrative-driven bonus rounds and themed storytelling to complex systems providing persistent progression layers, unlockable content and bonuses, missions, tasks and tons of social interaction. 

The most pioneering studios continue to push boundaries, with things like microtransactions and randomised rewards combined with deep personalisation. 

It’s a fascinating aspect of online slot and casino game development, and one where SPRIBE has led the charge with Aviator, the number one crash game in the world with more than 66 million players per month placing more than 400,000 bets a minute. 

A big driver of Aviator’s success has been the gamification built into the gameplay – and I’m not just talking about leaderboards here. I’m talking about things like progression hooks, variable rewards, social proof and giving players control.

This helps to foster genuine engagement through a combination of psychology and mechanics. 

Tapping into the psyche of players 

To keep players engaged with a game, they need to remain motivated and the best way to do that is through things like levels, XP, visible progress bars, Multipliers, etc. 

Why? Because this helps to create near-term goals and offer small wins that satisfy competence and drive continued play as the player chases down the next milestone. 

In Aviator, this is achieved through the Win Multiplier which keeps climbing throughout the game round, as well as the real-time leaderboard so players can see where they have ranked. 

Players also get to watch the rest of the game round once they have cashed out, so they can see what they could have won if they’d held out a little longer – this is a strong motivator to take flight in the next game round. 

The variable nature of the gameplay, and delivering unpredictable and intermittent rewards, also drives engagement and sustains attention.

This, combined with social proof and competition, especially seeing the achievements of others or, in the case of Aviator, the max Multiplier from the game round, drives repeat play while building a community.   

Finally, being able to make meaningful choices, such as deciding when to cash out, creates intrinsic value through ownership of the outcome. 

When gamification gives players real strategy, like being able to pick their risk/reward path, engagement is more about fun and skill than pure compulsion – and that’s the definition of true engagement.

Smart gamification, smooth UX

Gamification systems and mechanics can be pretty complex, but it’s important to ensure they are deployed through a smooth and seamless UX as this is key to engagement. 

Aviator, for example, is all about simplicity – the game format is really easy to understand, with new players able to pick it up within a game round or two. 

The design of the game interface is clear and easy to explore, with only the most important information and key gamification elements on display. 

This ultimately means there’s a low barrier to entry, and this, along with smart gamification and sleek design, ensures a complete package that’s highly entertaining and engaging for both new and experienced players. 

Gamification with a strong dose of responsibility

Of course, the very nature of gamification is to encourage deeper engagement and repeat play, but this is something operators and suppliers need to approach with caution. 

Responsible gambling is rightly the number one priority, so while we are seeing innovation within gamification systems and mechanics, we are also seeing it in the way studios and operators combine advancements with responsible play. 

So how can this be achieved? 

The first is to ensure that progression systems are designed for fun, not just to increase spend. 

At SPRIBE, we think about ways to add meaningful entertainment, such as sharing bonuses and wins with other players, so they can get greater enjoyment without constant monetisation prompts. 

Control is important, too. The very nature of Aviator gives players a high degree of control over the gameplay, and it’s a core aspect of why players love it so much as they can essentially set their own risk level. 

If they want to cash out when the Win Multiplier is small, they can, or if they want to ride it out and fly towards the biggest wins, they can do that too. 

Social systems, such as in-game chat, should be fun and community, not pressure. It’s important to encourage players to share strategies and promote friendly competition, rather than encouraging bigger stakes. 

Finally, it’s important to ensure that games are transparent, and that players understand how gamification mechanics work as well as things like RTPs, RNGs and general transparency and fairness. 

Achieving sustainable engagement

Aviator is the blueprint for gamification meets casino. It’s all about real-time decision taking and risk management, but wrapped up in a simple and easy to understand gambling game. 

This simplicity, combined with gamification elements and social interaction, make it compelling to play in ways that standard slots often aren’t. 

This in turn turbo charges engagement, delivers unprecedented value and ultimately sets a new standard for repeat play KPIs, but in a way that’s sustainable and responsible. 

This is a really interesting and important space where our rivals are pushing to innovate just as hard as we are. 

And when you look at where gamification is today, and how far it has come, it’s this high degree of competition that is moving things forward at such a rapid pace. Where will it be in a few year’s time? You’ll have to strap in and hold tight in order to find out.