Clever Ways Developers Manipulate Their Video Game Players

Finally we come to an aspect that you might not first think of when loading up a single player game: the illusion of socialization. Humans, at their core, are social creatures, and we reflect that desire in our gaming. MMORPGs, online shooters and multiplayer games in general often top the most sold list. However, just because you’ve got a single player game doesn’t mean you can’t adhere to this yearning for interaction. In games like Stardew Valley and Fire Emblem, NPCs pick up the role of other players and offer a sense that even though you’re gaming solo, you’re actually immersed into a living world.

This might not seem important, but creating a welcoming and interactive experience really does make all the difference when looking to keep people playing your game. If you can make a world, even a bleak and dreary one, feel lived in, then you’re immediately making the player feel like they too can exist in this fantasy, and if you do it well enough, it can trick them for a long old while.