Social casino games have emerged in recent years. Casino games like slots can be enjoyed in a social setting without gambling risks. One of the key features that sets social casino games apart is their use of leaderboards and levels to drive engagement.

What are leaderboards?

Leaderboards rank players by criteria like number of wins, amount of virtual currency earned, etc. Comparing performance to others taps into people’s natural competitiveness. As leaderboards update in real time, players can constantly monitor their ranking. Leaderboards create an ongoing motivation to keep playing in hopes of reaching the top spot or surpassing friends. They also provide recognition of players’ accomplishments. Many social games highlight the top players on leaderboards and give them status, satisfying people’s desire for achievement. Even for players who don’t reach the highest ranks, leaderboards give them targets to reach for.

Types of leaderboards

Social slot games employ different types of leaderboards to drive various forms of competition. Here are some popular varieties:

• Global leaderboards – These display the best players across the entire game. Landing on a global leaderboard generates prestige and satisfaction from being ranked among the game’s top scorers. Games will often provide special rewards and recognition to those who reach the peak of global leaderboards.
• Friend or group leaderboards – Here, players only compete against their online friends or members of groups they join within the game. Friend leaderboards inspire friendly competition, while group leaderboards encourage teamwork to elevate the group against rivals. Games will let players form alliances and guilds to compete as a unit.
• Event-based leaderboards – For certain competitions or in-game events, games will generate a special limited-time leaderboard. It resets after the event is over. Time-limited events create a sense of urgency to play during the allotted period in hopes of achieving a top spot on the event leaderboard.
• Customized and personalized leaderboards – Some games allow players to generate custom leaderboards among their friends or themselves. Players compete against their high score or see how they stack against a select group of others. Custom leaderboards let players tailor the competition to their liking.

Power of levels

Social slot games use levels to increase engagement and loyalty. Leveling up gives players a constant stream of short-term goals to reach for. Like leaderboards explanation, the level system taps into people’s drive for achievement. Games start players at level one and let them progress upward by gaining enough experience points. Moving up each level requires more points than the previous one, keeping advancement challenging. Leveling up earns players rewards like virtual currency, badges, customization options, and sometimes access to new game features. Players also gain status and satisfaction from reaching higher tiers.

Some games display players’ levels publicly, enabling them to show off their progress. Getting passed up by friends motivates players to play more to catch up. Some games allow players to compare their level against the average to see how they’re stacking up. Leveling up gives players a personalized journey of growth and achievement. It provides milestones for players to work towards in the long run. Coupled with leaderboards for short-term competition, levels form an engaging progression system in social casino games.