Goals and rewards can be a great way to motivate players to learn, try out features, and play longer - but in certain circumstances, they can actually backfire on you. To find out more, let's jump into the psychology of motivation.

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Sources

[1] Undermining children's intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1974-10497-001

[2] Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic rewards in Klei’s latest game: Don’t Starve | The Penny Arcade Report
http://web.archive.org/web/20130117075748/http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/intrinsic-vs.-extrinsic-rewards-in-kleis-latest-game-dont-starve

[3] Outer Wilds: a game of curiosity-driven space exploration | USC Digital Library
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15799coll3/id/248860

[4] The Machinations Behind Infinifactory | Game Wisdom
https://game-wisdom.com/podcast/infinifactory…