What are core loops and design a core loop
- gbaloria333
- Aug 8, 2024
- 4 min read
Core loops are a series of repeated patterns central to the user's engagement with a game. These loops consist of three key stages that repeat:
Action: What the user does, such as climbing a wall.
Reward: The immediate feedback or benefit from the action, like the wall turning green.
Expansion: The effect of the reward on the user’s progress, such as leveling up.
Investment: The improvement in the user's abilities or character, which increases their commitment to the game.
Types of core loops
Here’s a concise overview of the three basic types of core loops:
Linear Core Loop:
Description: This type of core loop follows a sequential progression, typically seen in narrative-driven games.
Characteristics:
Action: The user progresses through a predetermined sequence of levels or events.
Reward: Each step in the sequence reveals more of the story or unlocks new content.
Expansion: The narrative unfolds in a linear fashion, with each new level or chapter building on the previous one.
Investment: Players stay engaged by progressing through the story and experiencing new plot developments.
Psychology: The sequential progression satisfies players’ desire for structured experiences and clear goals. Players are driven by the need to complete each level to uncover the next part of the story.
Strategic Core Loop:
Description: This core loop emphasizes strategic decision-making, where choices have significant impacts on both short-term and long-term outcomes. Common in strategy games and some action games.
Characteristics:
Action: Players make decisions that affect their current situation and future scenarios (e.g., resource management, tactical moves).
Reward: Success in making strategic choices results in immediate and long-term benefits.
Expansion: The strategic choices lead to new challenges and opportunities, altering the game’s dynamics.
Investment: Players invest time in mastering strategies and optimizing decisions for better outcomes.
Psychology: Strategic decision-making appeals to players’ desire for challenge and mastery. The complexity of choices and their impact on outcomes engages players' problem-solving skills and desire for control.
Replayable Core Loop:
Description: Designed for games that encourage repeated play, such as endless runners or collectible card games.
Characteristics:
Action: Players engage in activities that can be repeated indefinitely or in various ways (e.g., running endlessly, drawing cards).
Reward: Frequent rewards or variations in each playthrough keep the experience fresh.
Expansion: New content, challenges, or updates are often introduced to maintain interest.
Investment: Players return to the game to improve performance, collect more items, or experience new content.
Psychology: The repetitive nature of activities, combined with frequent rewards, caters to players’ enjoyment of routine and incremental improvement. The desire for continuous engagement and variation drives repeated play.
Each type of core loop caters to different player motivations and game designs, helping to keep players engaged through various mechanisms and experiences.
Designing a Core Gameplay Loop
A gameplay loop is a cycle of actions and rewards that players repeatedly engage in to drive continued interaction and progression within a game. The core gameplay loop is the foundational loop upon which all other loops are built.
All games have a core gameplay loop. For eg.
let’s design a core loop for Clash of Clans, a game I’ve enjoyed since my college days. The core loop for Clash of Clans can be simplified into three key stages:
Attack
Build and Upgrade
Defend
Attack:
Players send their troops to raid other players’ bases or complete single-player missions to gather resources and earn rewards.
Build and Upgrade:
Players use the resources collected from attacks to construct and enhance their base structures, such as defenses, barracks, and resource collectors.
Defend:
Players protect their base from incoming attacks by other players, utilizing the upgraded defenses and strategic improvements made during the Build and Upgrade stage.
Clash of Clans primarily uses a Strategic Core Loop with elements of a Replayable Core Loop:
Strategic Core Loop:
Description: This type of loop emphasizes strategic decision-making, where choices in base development, troop deployment, and resource management significantly impact both short-term and long-term outcomes.
Characteristics:
Action: Players make strategic decisions about how to attack other bases, which structures to build or upgrade, and how to manage their resources.
Reward: Successful strategies lead to resource gains, improved base defenses, and the ability to progress to higher levels.
Expansion: Strategic choices lead to new challenges and opportunities, including stronger opponents and more advanced game features.
Investment: Players invest time and effort in mastering strategies, optimizing their base, and participating in clan activities.
Replayable Core Loop:
Description: This loop involves engaging in activities that can be repeated or varied to keep the gameplay experience fresh and engaging.
Characteristics:
Action: Players continuously attack other bases, upgrade their own base, and defend against attacks.
Reward: Frequent rewards from attacks, upgrades, and defenses keep players motivated to return and repeat these actions.
Expansion: New content, events, and features are regularly introduced to maintain interest and provide new challenges.
Investment: Players return to the game to improve performance, collect more items, and experience new content.
Clash of Clans effectively blends strategic decision-making with replayable elements to maintain player engagement and satisfaction, ensuring a compelling and addictive experience that keeps players motivated and invested over time.
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