Intro
Party Bonus is a slot machine simulator created by FreeSlots and is available to play on freeslots.com. Despite being free to play and merely a simulation, I would say this game is intended for audiences 18+ due to the potential for addiction and its role as a pipeline to real, paid slot machines.
Central Argument
Party Bonus can put people at risk for addiction by getting them hooked on the act of mindless spinning, which is accomplished through three key mechanisms: sensory stimulation when players spin/win, random reward schedules creating a sense of anticipation in players, and indications of near-hits (i.e. the player almost wins big but is perhaps just one slot short).
Analysis
Slot machines are generally designed to be visually and aurally stimulating, and Party Bonus is no exception. The overall party theme naturally invites the use of bright, flashy colors and celebratory effects when winning. When playing Party Bonus, I would feel a dopamine rush whenever I profited from a successful spin, as congratulatory audio instantly filled my ears and confetti effects filled my screen. This sensory stimulation not only made the experience more enjoyable but also reinforced the act of spinning. As illustrated in Figure 1, landing on a special combination triggered special visual effects such as the highlighting of the successful pattern and the appearance of dynamic confetti effects around the icons that made up the winning combination. This positive feedback loop of sensory reward kept me hooked, as I was eager to land on my next big win even when I was on a losing streak. In addition, bigger wins corresponded with even more elaborate audiovisual effects, making the hunt for the “next big win” even more addicting. Furthermore, the game’s audio effects would come to a full pause when the player was not in the act of spinning, encouraging players to mindlessly spin to keep the sensory stimulus going.
Because the outcomes of slot machines such as Party Bonus are rooted in randomness, wins are unpredictable and become spaced out in a way that creates a strong sense of anticipation and excitement. Even in the face of a losing streak, players believe that a successful spin is bound to occur sometime soon, fueling the act of mindless spinning until that event occurs. This is despite the fact that there is nothing a player can do to influence the odds that they land a successful spin. This represents the so-called “illusion of control” mentioned in the Addiction by Design reading, as slot machines are designed to give the false impression that players can influence the outcome of their spins even though outcomes are determined at the instant the lever is pulled. Considering this, it is apparent that slot machines are entirely based on luck with no element of strategy. In comparison, although other games of chance like poker are also susceptible to addiction, they involve some skill and strategy, leading to a slower pace of play and reducing the likelihood of mindless play. Given that the “100% luck, 0% skill” nature of Party Bonus encourages mindless spinning and potential addiction, I suggest incorporating mini puzzle games into the gameplay. These puzzles could be triggered when players land on specific combinations, offering an opportunity to engage their cognitive skills for additional credits.
Another feature of Party Bonus that fuels addiction through mindless spinning is the indication of near-hits. One of the biggest “wins” in Party Bonus occurs when a player rolls three “Party Bonus” items in one spin, where they are then transferred to a special screen filled with poppable balloons containing bonus credits and spins (see Figure 2). For each spin in Party Bonus, each of the five columns is revealed one at a time, which proved to be a strategic decision by the designers. Each time a player lands on a “Party Bonus” item, a distinct audio chime plays. If a second “Party Bonus” item is landed in the same spin, a higher-pitched chime is triggered, and landing on a third “Party Bonus” item prompts an even more emphatic chime. This progression of audiovisual cues not only elicits dopamine rushes but also fosters a deep sense of longing and dissatisfaction when players manage to only land on one or two out of the three necessary “Party Bonus” items. Thus, this indication of near-hits creates the illusion that players are close to hitting the jackpot, motivating them to continue spinning in the hope of achieving the elusive big win, thereby perpetuating the cycle of addictive behavior.
