The game I chose to play is Blackjack. It has the target audience of people who like fun and exciting games. This is because the game can change in an instant if bad risk is taken. We cannot trace this game back to a single creator, as it was created centuries ago but it has been adopted by my casinos. One can play this game online through websites or apps but also in person through playing cards.
This game combines strong and bold decision making with random card draws. This combination follows an idea discussed in “Designing Chance”: illusion of control. This is shown through the game as players may confuse their own personal skill, when in reality they only won because of probabilistic chance. As I was playing the game, my friends would say things like “I’m definitely going to get [some number] with this card”, which represents gambler’s fallacy. Moreover, my friends would also credit their win to their own “personal intuition.” On a similar note, when they lost, now it was because of bad luck, not because of their own skill. This means that players can protect their own behavior while also reinforcing the behavior loop.
The mechanics of the game use drawing cards until a player reaches 21. This gives them an issusion of choice, as players think they have control in the game based on whether they choose to hit or stand. In actuality, the gameis very limited, as players do not have any influence on the shuffling of cards or deals. The game uses aesthetics in an emotional sense. Players go through intense highs and lows, which give them unstable and intense feelings.
As explained in “Designing Chance”, Blackjac uses variable ratio reinforcement. This is because players will win here and there. Because of this on and off win/lose ratio. players keep playing because of the chance of this playoff. This adheres to the different types of fun that we learned in class with the game honing in on maximizing engagement.
Compared to other genes, like slots, Blackjack is more interactive and based on skill. This gives player a false sense of security, as they do not know whether they won by chance or by skill. This builds fake patterns in the player’s head, which is the peak way to foster an addiction to a game.
From an ethical perspective, it is permissible to use chance in a game when it is optional and balanced. This means that the odds are very aware to the player and it doesn’t force them to take high-risk decisions all the time. Blackjack does not adhere to these standards, as often, money is on the line and players never really have a true sense of how they are doing in the game. One wrong move can cost them the entire game.
It is interesting how Blackjack causes players to completely change their view on themselves during the game. One comment that my friend made during playtesting really stood out to me. He said “Usually I have odds in life, but in this game I’m so unlucky.” While this was just a silly comment, it truly shows just how deep Blackjack can impact the stability and well being of its players If someone is addicted, they may base their own self worth on their wins and losses in the game.
