At Gamification Europe, we often hear about frameworks, mechanics, and metrics. But every so often, a talk cuts through all of that and brings us back to the core of what we actually do.
Think of the Players, delivered live on stage by Andrzej Marczewski, is one of those talks.
Rather than introducing a new shiny model or debating whether leaderboards are “good or bad,” Andrzej challenges us to rethink how we design gamification altogether — by focusing relentlessly on people, motivation, and behavior over time.
If you design, implement, or advise on gamification systems, this talk is essential viewing. Here’s why — and what you’ll learn from it.
1. A Grounding Opening: Gamification Is for the Disengaged
Right from the start, Andrzej reframes a core misunderstanding that still haunts many gamification projects:
Gamification is not for people who are already engaged.
In a live conference setting — surrounded by people who genuinely love games and design — this is a powerful reminder. Most real‑world gamification is applied to:
- enterprise tools
- learning platforms
- compliance systems
- CRMs and internal processes
In other words, systems people often don’t want to use.
This talk helps you recalibrate your design mindset by:
- Challenging the assumption that users are enthusiastic participants
- Explaining why “making it more like a game” is often the wrong instinct
- Showing why disengagement should be your design baseline, not an exception
2. A Candid, Experienced Critique of Player Types
Player types are familiar territory at Gamification Europe — but Andrzej offers one of the clearest and most honest critiques you’ll hear on stage.
He revisits Bartle’s Player Types, not to dismiss them, but to explain:
- What they were actually designed for
- Why they work in games but struggle in business contexts
- How they’ve been misunderstood — especially the infamous “Killers”
Delivered live, this section lands with humor and sharp clarity, especially when Andrzej explains why describing users as people who “want to kill others” is not a great way to sell gamification to executives.
If you’ve ever:
- Felt uncomfortable using classic player type language with stakeholders
- Struggled to translate game theory into business reality
- Wondered why these models sometimes feel forced
…this part of the talk will feel uncomfortably familiar — in a good way.
3. Motivation as the Foundation: Beyond Mechanics
One of the strongest through‑lines of the talk is Andrzej’s insistence that motivation must come before mechanics.
Drawing on Self‑Determination Theory, he explains how:
- Relatedness
- Autonomy
- Mastery
form the psychological backbone of engagement — and why purpose deserves special treatment when designing meaningful systems.
In a conference full of tactical ideas, this talk stands out by:
- Connecting academic theory to lived design experience
- Explaining why people behave differently in the same system
- Reinforcing that personalization is no longer optional (with most users expecting it)
This section is especially valuable for teams trying to move from “engagement tricks” to sustainable behaviour change.
4. The Hexad Model — Explained as It’s Meant to Be Used
Many attendees will already know Andrzej’s Hexad User Types. What makes this talk different is how clearly he explains what the Hexad is not:
- It is not a personality test
- It is not a way to label people permanently
- It is not something you design for once and forget
Instead Andrzej emphasizes that user types are best understood as behavioural lenses — patterns that emerge, fade, and reappear depending on context.
5. Designing for User Journeys, Not Snapshots
One of the most valuable moments in the talk comes when Andrzej walks through how user motivation changes over time.
Using practical examples (like learning platforms and certifications), he shows how someone might:
- Enter a system motivated by rewards
- Shift toward mastery and achievement
- Later seek meaning through helping others — or disengage entirely if the system doesn’t support that transition
For gamification professionals, this has huge implications:
- Onboarding is not the same as long‑term engagement
- Mastery without purpose often leads to drop‑off or disruption
- Systems must support what comes after competence
6. Practical Design Advice, Not Just Theory
Despite the depth of thinking, this is not an abstract or academic talk.
Andrzej repeatedly brings the discussion back to what designers and product teams should actually do, including:
- Using user types as personas, not diagnostic labels
- Designing mechanics around desired behaviours, not personal preferences
- Working backwards from outcomes and KPIs instead of starting with features
His advice is refreshingly honest about constraints:
- You can’t personalize everything
- You can’t constantly retest users
- You can design start–middle–end experiences that guide different motivations toward the same goal
This makes the talk especially valuable for practitioners working in complex, real‑world environments.
Final Thoughts: A Standout Talk at Gamification Europe
Think of the Players is a talk that feels perfectly at home at Gamification Europe — not because it celebrates gamification, but because it challenges us to do it better.
If you are:
- Designing gamified systems that must deliver real outcomes
- Working with skeptical stakeholders
- Trying to move beyond surface‑level engagement
- Interested in motivation, behavior, and ethical design
…this talk will sharpen your thinking and likely change how you approach your next project.
It’s thoughtful, experienced, and grounded in years of real‑world work — and it’s a reminder that the most important design decision is still the simplest one:
Think of the players.
