• These mechanics improve player engagement and retention as the rhythm and timing of when players see the result of their spin changes on a chance basis when random wilds trigger.

• When the random wilds trigger on the display, it always creates a near miss effect to the players as all the board positions feels like an equal and close chance from each other due to the small 3x3 display of the slot. The chance of random wilds appearing becomes the chance the player experiences the near miss effect during the gameplay, which becomes an easily controllable factor to enforce operant conditioning to players.

• Reasoning: I wanted to show the player's expected emotion as some kind of numeric value to make trends or comparison with other values easier. I showed the remaining percent of initial money in the session timeline to show how jackpots or big losses can affect the emotional state and how events could have different effects on the player's emotional state depending on their current bankroll. 
• I color coded different math events to make it easier to spot when consecutive events occur back-to-back, which would affect player emotion differently than when event happen in isolation.
  
• Compared to the traditional pay distribution histogram, this graph shifts the focus to the effect of the math events rather than just frequency of the events. By showing how each event rises or stabilizes a
  player's heart rate, it helps to demonstrate when the player is the most engaged or focused and what circumstances led to each emotional state the player went through. Rather than results, this graph
  shows the player’s emotional journey and process during the session, which would help to provide insights and trends on player engagement and retention.

•  I chose to allow multiple bet amounts, up to 3x multiplier, to give players a sense of control in a game that is totally RNG-based using illusion of control.

• Players stay engaged when they think they are controlling the game’s outcome with their power. Although many players are aware that the game is completely based on luck, in numerous slot gameplay videos I have watched, the players often had their own rituals or methods of playing the game, like switching denominators or bet amounts once every often when they have a dry spell.

• In addition to allowing players to go for greater risk and return in the gameplay, this design decision lets players have a sense of control in how they play the game.

• One alternative I considered was using a single denominator, but that made the gameplay feel too passive. I found myself simply staring at the screen, with little opportunity to take on additional risk or pursue greater rewards, especially since the game was designed to be casual.

Common Low Paying Symbol

• I changed the target demographic to be more specific in the design document, from casual low-budget players to women in her 30s, as they are the demographic with the most expendable income.  

Prototype Testing Feature

• I added a slider in the prototype that lets testers to manually change the random wilds rate to make bonus feature testing easier and faster.

Breakdown 1 & Solution

• This analogy breaks down when players do not experience slot machines as isolated spins, but as multiple consecutive spins. The resolution of the previous spin and exposition for the next spin connects and creates a longer, low tension point where players process the result and decide whether to continue. This is also the moment where engagement is most likely to drop.

• Solution 1: I solved this problem by using a visual approach, with the animated spin button that re-engages players and showing wilds right next to the display with the yellow glow that uses near-miss effects.

• Solution 2:I created a stronger system that could sustain engagement across multiple rounds with the stackable random wilds as a bonus feature.

  • In many slot games, bonus features create a “false climax” led by a “real climax.” When the player triggers the bonus feature at the end of the spin (false climax) it opens a new rising arc that builds up to the jackpot (the new real climax). By allowing random wilds to stack after every spin, the game creates multiple events with high tension without needing to rely on the inconsistent near-miss effect from the randomized wild symbol displays.

  • This effectively uses variable-ratio reinforcement to sustain anticipation across spins and reduce the tension drop between events.

• The analogy breaks down further when I consider the slot machine gameplay as a whole, looking at the session, rather than individual spins. If we define the climax of the session to be a big win, it is natural in the math that no player will consistently experience a complete narrative arc. Some sessions could be an emotional upward arc that consists only of rising action and no climax at all.

• In these cases, the falling action occurs after the sessions, when players decide if they should add on to their bankroll, move machines, or quit for the day.