Engagement What’s the role of gamification in building member engagement?

[fdk]

Referring to "gamification", I mean adding extra things to your forum beyond just the discussions - things like interactive games, plugins that encourage interaction (I'm thinking points plugins that allow stealing/gambling/investments), or, in my own case with an old community I used to run, an extension to the points plugin that allowed for gambling on sports events using forum currency.

What part do these sorts of "game" features play in building a community and building a loyal memberbase that has incentives and reasons to keep returning to your community? Are they even suitable for the type of forum you run?

Have you had experience of introducing such features, and if so, did they work well for you? What do you think you could've done better in their rollout?

 

[InMyOpinion]

I think gamification can definitely play a big role in building an engaged and loyal community, but it really depends on the type of forum and the audience. Features like points, gambling, and interactive games add an extra layer of fun and keep people coming back, especially if they create friendly competition or give users a sense of achievement.

That being said, I think the key is balance. If the gamification features feel too forced or take away from the core discussions, they might not have the intended effect. For my own forum, I’d want to make sure that any added features genuinely enhance interaction rather than just being a novelty. I have seen gamifications work really well and get great feedback from members however, I have seen it were the gamification was overwhelming and didn't really make any sense for the type of forum I was on. Sometimes it felt almost like I was bombarded by it and there was more game playing than posts/threads on the forum which I would think would be the opposite of what the forum owner would want.

Either way, if done correctly it can add a lot to the forum and make people want to stay on the forum longer.

 

[CTS]

I am uncertain if gaming up a website is always beneficial. I have tried it on a couple forums, and in my case, it wasn't hardly used by many.

Currently I have added to my new website some things that are maybe entertaining, a couple of hidden in plain sight Easter eggs just for fun as well as making sure their is room for fun or entertainment.

But those are just for those that are inclined to not be so serious from time to time.