Casual games like Candy Crush Saga and Angry Birds may look simple, but underneath those bright colours, calming sounds and flashing messages, there's a lot of deep thinking going on.
In the era of omnipresent smartphones and tablets, these sacharrine treats are nigh-on inescapable, and as breakthrough hits are guaranteed millions of dollars in revenue (Candy Crush Saga alone generated $1.5bn last year), it's no wonder developers are employing increasingly clever psychological tricks to give their creations a crucial edge.
To find out some of the hidden rules of casual game design, we spoke to Steve Stopps, Nic Williams and Jonathan Evans of Lumo Developments, whose first game, Lumo Deliveries Inc, is being specifically designed for a “distracted” audience – people who want to play for short sequences during busy days. We also talk to Dr Simon Moore, a psychologist specialising in games.
Here are six of the key compulsion tactics to look out for the next time you're browsing the app stores.
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