A playtester told us our game was terrible.
Not "this mechanic needs work" — terrible. Those were the exact words.
For 48 hours after that session, we paniced.
Here's what we did with that feedback, what we kept, what we changed, and the filtering process every designer needs when brutal feedback hits.
00:00 The verdict that floored us
01:34 The 48 hours of panic
02:00 Separating the three things she actually told us
03:41 What we fixed — and what we're keeping
04:11 Filtering is key
What's the hardest playtest feedback you've ever sat through?
Tell me in the comments — I genuinely want to know how you handled it.
You're attached to your starting pieces before you've even taken a turn.
And by the end of the game, you'll defend your engine like it's a masterpiece — even if your opponent's is objectively better.
That's not ego. That's two psychological mechanisms working together. And the best game designers trigger both on purpose.
Today we're breaking down the Endowment Effect and the IKEA Effect — what they are, why engine-building games exploit them so perfectly, and what it means for how we design at Pektis.
00:00 Intro
01:05 The Endowment Effect — ownership before effort
02:15 The IKEA Effect — why you love what you built
03:15 The design principle behind both
04:20 Two questions every designer should ask themselves
04:35 Outro
This is part of the Game Psychology series — breaking down the mechanisms behind the games we can't stop playing.
↓ Missed the earlier episodes?
→ The Near-Miss Effect
→ The Zeigarnik Effect
#boardgame #gamedesign #psychology #boardgamedesign #tabletop
Ever wonder why you can't stop playing your favorite game?
This video explores how unfinished task acts as a strong psychological trigger, driving player engagement and encouraging continuous play through a unique mindset in game design. We dive into the game development choices that leverage this aspect for ultimate player retention, offering valuable insights for anyone interested in game design basics and the psychology behind good games.
00:00 Intro
01:07 WHAT IS THE ZEIGARNIK EFFECT?
02:01 WHY GAMES ARE THE PERFECT VEHICLE FOR THIS
02:51 WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN GAME DESIGN
04:10 HOW WE THINK ABOUT THIS AT PEKTIS
05:00 Outro
Ever wonder why you can't stop playing your favorite game? 🤔 It might not be because you're good at it, but rather the powerful role losing plays in game psychology. This video explores how gambling acts as a strong psychological trigger, driving player engagement and encouraging continuous play through a unique mindset. We dive into the game development choices that leverage this aspect for ultimate player retention, looking at the science behind dopamine addiction and behavioral psychology.
00:00 Intro
01:07 TWO KINDS OF LOSING
01:43 WHAT IS THE NEAR-MISS EFFECT?
02:32 WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN GAME DESIGN
04:00 THE DESIGN PRINCIPLE
04:34 Outro
Die meisten Anfänger scheitern nicht an fehlenden Ideen, sondern weil sie alles auf einmal bauen wollen, was das Spielgefühl zerstören kann. In diesem Video besprechen wir 4 Fehler, den fast jeder im Bereich "game design" macht und zeigen, wie man "game dev" effizienter gestaltet. Es geht darum, ein "spiel entwickeln" zu können, ohne sich zu überfordern, und dabei die besten "game development" Praktiken anzuwenden.
00:00 INTRO
00:32 ZU VIEL IM KOPF VOR DEM ERSTEN ZUG
02:00 KEINE KLARHEIT, WAS DU TUN SOLLST
02:40 DAS SPIEL BESTRAFT DICH ZU FRÜH
Almost every first-time designer makes at least two of these. We made all of them.
00:00 Intro
00:30 Mistake 1: Designing “cool ideas” instead of player experience
01:14 Mistake 2: Overcomplicating the first version
02:07 Mistake 3: Listening to playtest feedback literally
02:50 Mistake 4: Not sharing your game because you’re afraid of idea theft
03:35 Outro
Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes! https://www.instagram.com/pektis.studio/
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BGM Credit: https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/dive https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/lombok
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#Pektis #Essen #Spiel #Boardgame #Brettspiel #Games #Bgg #Boardgamegeek #Developer #Convention #fun #cool #tabletop #table #game #art #creative #relaxing #dice #chill #study #funny #card #tcg #pokemon #monopoly #chess #risk #warhammer #stream #video #geek #board #tabletop #top10 #gaming #review #lets #play #letsplay #react #unbox #unboxing #drawing #germany #german #china #design #vine #everdell #music #edit #yt #twitch #insta #instagram #messe #board #top5 #youtube #collection #travel #gallery #artsy #kickstarter #tiktok #funart #cascadia #everdell #mtg #yugioh
Ever wonder why you can't stop playing your favorite game? 🤔 It might not be because you're good at it, but rather the powerful role losing plays in game psychology. This video explores how losing acts as a strong psychological trigger, driving player engagement and encouraging continuous play through a unique mindset. We dive into the game development choices that leverage this aspect for ultimate player retention.
Folge uns auf Instagram für Einblicke hinter die Kulissen! https://www.instagram.com/pektis.studio/
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BGM Credit: https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/dive https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/lombok
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#Pektis #Essen #Spiel #Boardgame #Brettspiel #Games #Bgg #Boardgamegeek #Developer #Convention #fun #cool #tabletop #table #game #art #creative #relaxing #dice #chill #study #funny #card #tcg #pokemon #monopoly #chess #risk #warhammer #stream #video #geek #board #tabletop #top10 #gaming #review #lets #play #letsplay #react #unbox #unboxing #drawing #germany #german #china #design #vine #everdell #music #edit #yt #twitch #insta #instagram #messe #board #top5 #youtube #collection #travel #artsy #kickstarter #tiktok #funart #cascadia #everdell #mtg #yugioh
Ever wonder why you can't stop playing your favorite game? 🤔 It might not be because you're good at it, but rather the powerful role losing plays in game psychology. This video explores how losing acts as a strong psychological trigger, driving player engagement and encouraging continuous play through a unique mindset. We dive into the game development choices that leverage this aspect for ultimate player retention.
You're not bad at board games. The game is badly designed.
3 specific reasons games feel impossible to learn — and what the best designers do differently. We've made these mistakes ourselves. Here's what we learned.
00:00 Why so many games feel impossible
00:27 Reason 1: Too much in your head before turn one
02:14 Reason 2: Nothing tells you what to do next
03:26 Reason 3: The game punishes you before it teaches you
Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes! https://www.instagram.com/pektis.studio/
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BGM Credit: https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/dive https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/lombok
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#Pektis #Essen #Spiel #Boardgame #Brettspiel #Games #Bgg #Boardgamegeek #Developer #Convention #fun #cool #tabletop #table #game #art #creative #relaxing #dice #chill #study #funny #card #tcg #pokemon #monopoly #chess #risk #warhammer #stream #video #geek #board #tabletop #top10 #gaming #review #lets #play #letsplay #react #unbox #unboxing #drawing #germany #german #china #design #vine #everdell #music #edit #yt #twitch #insta #instagram #messe #board #top5 #youtube #collection #travel #gallery #artsy #kickstarter #tiktok #funart #cascadia #everdell #mtg #yugioh
Ever wonder why you can't stop playing your favorite game? 🤔 It might not be because you're good at it, but rather the powerful role losing plays in game psychology. This video explores how losing acts as a strong psychological trigger, driving player engagement and encouraging continuous play through a unique mindset. We dive into the game development choices that leverage this aspect for ultimate player retention.
Perfekte Balance klingt nach dem Ziel. Ist es aber nicht.
Die unvergesslichsten Momente in Brettspielen entstehen durch Spannung – und Spannung braucht gut gehandhabtes Ungleichgewicht.
00:00 Der Balance-Mythos
00:36 Was ist perfekte Balance?
01:10 Ungewissheit erzeugt Spannung
02:13 Risiko fördert Anspannung und Entdeckungsfreude
02:46 Kontrolliertes Ungleichgewicht
#boardgame #gamedesign #psychology #boardgamedesign #tabletop
Folge uns auf Instagram für Einblicke hinter die Kulissen! https://www.instagram.com/pektis.studio/
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BGM Credit: https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/dive https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/lombok
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#Pektis #Essen #Spiel #Boardgame #Brettspiel #Games #Bgg #Boardgamegeek #Developer #Convention #fun #cool #tabletop #table #game #art #creative #relaxing #dice #chill #study #funny #card #tcg #pokemon #monopoly #chess #risk #warhammer #stream #video #geek #board #tabletop #top10 #gaming #review #lets #play #letsplay #react #unbox #unboxing #drawing #germany #german #china #design #vine #everdell #music #edit #yt #twitch #insta #instagram #messe #board #top5 #youtube #collection #travel #artsy #kickstarter #tiktok #funart #cascadia #everdell #mtg #yugioh
Ever wonder why you can't stop playing your favorite game? 🤔 It might not be because you're good at it, but rather the powerful role losing plays in game psychology. This video explores how losing acts as a strong psychological trigger, driving player engagement and encouraging continuous play through a unique mindset. We dive into the game development choices that leverage this aspect for ultimate player retention.
Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes! https://www.instagram.com/pektis.studio/
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BGM Credit: https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/dive https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/lombok
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#Pektis #Essen #Spiel #Boardgame #Brettspiel #Games #Bgg #Boardgamegeek #Developer #Convention #fun #cool #tabletop #table #game #art #creative #relaxing #dice #chill #study #funny #card #tcg #pokemon #monopoly #chess #risk #warhammer #stream #video #geek #board #tabletop #top10 #gaming #review #lets #play #letsplay #react #unbox #unboxing #drawing #germany #german #china #design #vine #everdell #music #edit #yt #twitch #insta #instagram #messe #board #top5 #youtube #collection #travel #gallery #artsy #kickstarter #tiktok #funart #cascadia #everdell #mtg #yugioh
Ever wonder why you can't stop playing your favorite game? 🤔 It might not be because you're good at it, but rather the powerful role losing plays in game psychology. This video explores how losing acts as a strong psychological trigger, driving player engagement and encouraging continuous play through a unique mindset. We dive into the game development choices that leverage this aspect for ultimate player retention.
The most memorable moments in board games come from tension — and tension requires imbalance handled well.
00:00 The balance myth
00:26 What is a perfect balance
01:24 Uncertainty creates Excitement
01:58 Risk helps Tension and Exploration
03:00 What this means for how we design at Pektis
#boardgame #gamedesign #psychology #boardgamedesign #tabletop
Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes! https://www.instagram.com/pektis.studio/
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BGM Credit: https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/dive https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/lombok
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#Pektis #Essen #Spiel #Boardgame #Brettspiel #Games #Bgg #Boardgamegeek #Developer #Convention #fun #cool #tabletop #table #game #art #creative #relaxing #dice #chill #study #funny #card #tcg #pokemon #monopoly #chess #risk #warhammer #stream #video #geek #board #tabletop #top10 #gaming #review #lets #play #letsplay #react #unbox #unboxing #drawing #germany #german #china #design #vine #everdell #music #edit #yt #twitch #insta #instagram #messe #board #top5 #youtube #collection #travel #gallery #artsy #kickstarter #tiktok #funart #cascadia #everdell #mtg #yugioh
Ever wonder why you can't stop playing your favorite game? 🤔 It might not be because you're good at it, but rather the powerful role losing plays in game psychology. This video explores how losing acts as a strong psychological trigger, driving player engagement and encouraging continuous play through a unique mindset. We dive into the game development choices that leverage this aspect for ultimate player retention.
Unpopular opinion: losing is one of the most powerful design tools a board game can have.
Here's the psychology behind why losing makes you want to play again — and how great games use it deliberately.
00:00 The counterintuitive truth about losing
00:43 The near-miss effect
01:27 Variable scoring and Tension
01:40 Why winning is less sticky than losing
01:54 How great designers use this intentionally
02:59 What this means for Players and Designers
Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes! https://www.instagram.com/pektis.studio/
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BGM Credit: https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/dive https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial/lombok
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#Pektis #Essen #Spiel #Boardgame #Brettspiel #Games #Bgg #Boardgamegeek #Developer #Convention #fun #cool #tabletop #table #game #art #creative #relaxing #dice #chill #study #funny #card #tcg #pokemon #monopoly #chess #risk #warhammer #stream #video #geek #board #tabletop #top10 #gaming #review #lets #play #letsplay #react #unbox #unboxing #drawing #germany #german #china #design #vine #everdell #music #edit #yt #twitch #insta #instagram #messe #board #top5 #youtube #collection #travel #gallery #artsy #kickstarter #tiktok #funart #cascadia #everdell #mtg #yugioh
Ever wonder why you can't stop playing your favorite game? 🤔 It might not be because you're good at it, but rather the powerful role losing plays in game psychology. This video explores how losing acts as a strong psychological trigger, driving player engagement and encouraging continuous play through a unique mindset. We dive into the game development choices that leverage this aspect for ultimate player retention.