COREMECHANICS Eight recurring human games. Not categories of people, but durable reasons a product can begin to matter.
01 Get it done Turn a difficult job into progress I can make. NEED / VALUE Functional value, reduced friction and reliable progress.
PRODUCT QUESTION Can this help me complete something important with less effort, uncertainty or delay?
TYPICAL MECHANICS Shortcuts, defaults, checklists, automation, search, reminders, delivery, templates.
EXAMPLES Google Maps, a dishwasher, Todoist, Stripe, a meal kit.
Many products win because they remove steps between intention and outcome. The deeper question is whether convenience gives people more agency or simply creates a dependency on the product’s particular way of working.
02 Become better Make improvement visible, achievable and worth returning for. 03 Belong Make participation feel shared and socially meaningful. 04 Be somebody Give identity a public surface and a way to signal it. 05 Own and collect Turn access into a personal world that feels like mine. 06 Discover and surprise me Turn uncertainty into curiosity and the next possibility. 07 Escape and feel Change a person’s emotional state, not only their task list. 08 Don’t let me lose Protect a position, investment, streak, access or advantage. 