Jamie Madigan
@jamiemadigan.bsky.social
My book about the psychology of Dungeons & Dragons is out! See www.psychologyofdnd.com. I'm also the author of Getting Gamers: The Psychology of Video Games. I write and podcast at www.psychologyofgames.com
Okay then It doesn’t sound like a very good pick, does it?
November 14, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Okay then It doesn’t sound like a very good pick, does it?
#1 downside of working at home is that there’s nobody around to laugh when I do stuff like this.
August 22, 2025 at 9:24 PM
#1 downside of working at home is that there’s nobody around to laugh when I do stuff like this.
I went to change my profile pic on my doctor's office website and accidentally clicked on the wrong file, resulting in this. I laughed for a solid minute, which is supposedly the best medicine so I guess we're all right. Also, I'm leaving it.
August 1, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I went to change my profile pic on my doctor's office website and accidentally clicked on the wrong file, resulting in this. I laughed for a solid minute, which is supposedly the best medicine so I guess we're all right. Also, I'm leaving it.
So this is kind of cool. Just received my copies of the Chinese and Russian translations of my first book Getting Gamers:The Psychology of Video Games! Two more foreign language translations are also in the works. Can’t read a word of these myself, but it’s neat!
May 22, 2025 at 2:21 PM
So this is kind of cool. Just received my copies of the Chinese and Russian translations of my first book Getting Gamers:The Psychology of Video Games! Two more foreign language translations are also in the works. Can’t read a word of these myself, but it’s neat!
In the spirit of a belated April Fool's joke, here's the entirety of chapter 15 from my book The Psychology of Dungeons & Dragons. It's entitled, "Does Playing Dungeons & Dragons Turn Kids into Devil Worshipers?" Possibly the most conclusive chapter in the whole book. I'm very proud of it.
April 2, 2025 at 12:47 PM
In the spirit of a belated April Fool's joke, here's the entirety of chapter 15 from my book The Psychology of Dungeons & Dragons. It's entitled, "Does Playing Dungeons & Dragons Turn Kids into Devil Worshipers?" Possibly the most conclusive chapter in the whole book. I'm very proud of it.
Who has a good knowledge of 90s songs and just won this round of Rock n Roll Bingo? This guy.
March 23, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Who has a good knowledge of 90s songs and just won this round of Rock n Roll Bingo? This guy.
Once again, it is time for this:
February 5, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Once again, it is time for this:
A new episode of the Psychology of Games Podcast is up! It's the 100th episode. Neat! I talk with my guest expert about a study to see if playing Dungeons & Dragons can help reduce social anxiety and improve self-image. www.psychologyofgames.com/2025/02/podc...
February 2, 2025 at 6:51 PM
A new episode of the Psychology of Games Podcast is up! It's the 100th episode. Neat! I talk with my guest expert about a study to see if playing Dungeons & Dragons can help reduce social anxiety and improve self-image. www.psychologyofgames.com/2025/02/podc...
I love seeing this kind of stuff minutes after reporting a toxic player. Thanks @marvelrival.bsky.social !
January 31, 2025 at 9:58 PM
I love seeing this kind of stuff minutes after reporting a toxic player. Thanks @marvelrival.bsky.social !
I could probably come up with more, and will do so if this thread gets enough reposts! Please repost this thread!
But what about you? Anything I didn't touch on that this or other games do that you want explored?
But what about you? Anything I didn't touch on that this or other games do that you want explored?
January 11, 2025 at 6:54 PM
I could probably come up with more, and will do so if this thread gets enough reposts! Please repost this thread!
But what about you? Anything I didn't touch on that this or other games do that you want explored?
But what about you? Anything I didn't touch on that this or other games do that you want explored?
Many super cool costumes and other items are only available for real-money purchase in the store. Why buy them and show them off, besides the aforementioned envy? A concept called "conspicuous consumption" suggests it's to show off via expensive purchases. www.psychologyofgames.com/2010/11/conc...
January 11, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Many super cool costumes and other items are only available for real-money purchase in the store. Why buy them and show them off, besides the aforementioned envy? A concept called "conspicuous consumption" suggests it's to show off via expensive purchases. www.psychologyofgames.com/2010/11/conc...
The store in Rivals uses many pricing tricks. One is using "price anchoring" by putting a price next to an item, crossing it out, and showing you a sale price. Bigger non-sale price anchors you on a higher value and makes the discount look better. www.psychologyofgames.com/2010/05/thre...
January 11, 2025 at 6:52 PM
The store in Rivals uses many pricing tricks. One is using "price anchoring" by putting a price next to an item, crossing it out, and showing you a sale price. Bigger non-sale price anchors you on a higher value and makes the discount look better. www.psychologyofgames.com/2010/05/thre...
Purchased battle passes never expire (you can go back and keep earning unlocks forever) but free ones do. This leverages loss aversion, our desire to avoid losses more than we want equivalent gains. Buy the paid BP to avoid losing your opportunity to unlock. www.psychologyofgames.com/2020/09/podc...
January 11, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Purchased battle passes never expire (you can go back and keep earning unlocks forever) but free ones do. This leverages loss aversion, our desire to avoid losses more than we want equivalent gains. Buy the paid BP to avoid losing your opportunity to unlock. www.psychologyofgames.com/2020/09/podc...
But once you complete the battle pass and stop getting rewards, you may become less motivated to play than you'd have been without any rewards thanks to the overjustification effect. www.psychologyofgames.com/2016/10/the-...
January 11, 2025 at 6:52 PM
But once you complete the battle pass and stop getting rewards, you may become less motivated to play than you'd have been without any rewards thanks to the overjustification effect. www.psychologyofgames.com/2016/10/the-...
The game also does this with hero progression, offering rewards like titles and other UI customization options.
January 11, 2025 at 6:51 PM
The game also does this with hero progression, offering rewards like titles and other UI customization options.
You unlock stuff with a different currency (chrono tokens) earned by completing missions that you get underway just by playing. Which triggers the endowed progress effect --wanting to complete something because you feel you've started it. www.psychologyofgames.com/2010/11/endo...
January 11, 2025 at 6:51 PM
You unlock stuff with a different currency (chrono tokens) earned by completing missions that you get underway just by playing. Which triggers the endowed progress effect --wanting to complete something because you feel you've started it. www.psychologyofgames.com/2010/11/endo...
But again to the game's credit, all BP and shop purchases are cosmetic only, which avoids perceptions of "pay to win." Which otherwise might backfire on them. www.psychologyofgames.com/2015/08/when...
January 11, 2025 at 6:51 PM
But again to the game's credit, all BP and shop purchases are cosmetic only, which avoids perceptions of "pay to win." Which otherwise might backfire on them. www.psychologyofgames.com/2015/08/when...
Of course, one reason we equip all those BP rewards is to maybe trigger a bit of envy in other players. www.psychologyofgames.com/2015/10/podc...
January 11, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Of course, one reason we equip all those BP rewards is to maybe trigger a bit of envy in other players. www.psychologyofgames.com/2015/10/podc...
But the BP price is weird: 980 lattice. Since you can only buy lattice in set amounts (e.g, 1,000) and you earn a bit through the season, you'll have leftover lattice. This can feel wasteful thanks to "waste aversion" and encourage us to spend it down. www.psychologyofgames.com/2011/05/the-...
January 11, 2025 at 6:49 PM
But the BP price is weird: 980 lattice. Since you can only buy lattice in set amounts (e.g, 1,000) and you earn a bit through the season, you'll have leftover lattice. This can feel wasteful thanks to "waste aversion" and encourage us to spend it down. www.psychologyofgames.com/2011/05/the-...
To get the best stuff, you have to buy the premium pass with the in-game currency "lattice." Using these kinds of currencies often gets us to lose track of spending, but MR does us the favor of having an easy conversation rate of 1 lattice = 1 cent. www.psychologyofgames.com/2020/01/the-...
January 11, 2025 at 6:49 PM
To get the best stuff, you have to buy the premium pass with the in-game currency "lattice." Using these kinds of currencies often gets us to lose track of spending, but MR does us the favor of having an easy conversation rate of 1 lattice = 1 cent. www.psychologyofgames.com/2020/01/the-...
The new season for Marvel Rivals just started and I'm enjoying it a lot! As with many battle passes, it reminds me of psychology-based game design decisions and effects that I've written about at www.psychologyofgames.com. In this thread, I'll point them out and link to articles. 🧵
January 11, 2025 at 6:48 PM
The new season for Marvel Rivals just started and I'm enjoying it a lot! As with many battle passes, it reminds me of psychology-based game design decisions and effects that I've written about at www.psychologyofgames.com. In this thread, I'll point them out and link to articles. 🧵
Hey all, if you've read my book about the Psychology of Dungeons & Dragons and enjoyed it, please do me a favor and leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever. (Preferably a positive review, but up to you.) It helps get the word out. And tell people about it! Tell your library to get a copy!
January 7, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Hey all, if you've read my book about the Psychology of Dungeons & Dragons and enjoyed it, please do me a favor and leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever. (Preferably a positive review, but up to you.) It helps get the word out. And tell people about it! Tell your library to get a copy!
I've posted a new Psychology of Games article, including an audio version for paid supporters! It's about why players choose options that complete a set of objectives even if it means fewer rewards. And how game designers can use this.
www.patreon.com/posts/119445... or substack.com/home/post/p-...
www.patreon.com/posts/119445... or substack.com/home/post/p-...
January 6, 2025 at 9:08 PM
I've posted a new Psychology of Games article, including an audio version for paid supporters! It's about why players choose options that complete a set of objectives even if it means fewer rewards. And how game designers can use this.
www.patreon.com/posts/119445... or substack.com/home/post/p-...
www.patreon.com/posts/119445... or substack.com/home/post/p-...
My “read” pile of physical books for 2024. Also got through a handful of other audiobooks and ebooks.
December 26, 2024 at 8:17 PM
My “read” pile of physical books for 2024. Also got through a handful of other audiobooks and ebooks.
New Psychology of Games post is up on my Substack! Why do game prices usually end in ".99" and not an even dollar amount? substack.com/home/post/p-...
December 16, 2024 at 5:00 PM
New Psychology of Games post is up on my Substack! Why do game prices usually end in ".99" and not an even dollar amount? substack.com/home/post/p-...