Glossary
The vocabulary the field uses — defined narrowly so the same word means the same thing across academia, industry, and policy.
- Choice architecture(choice architect, choice environment)
- The structured context in which a player perceives options and makes decisions.
- Coercion(coercive design)
- Removing, withholding, or penalising acceptable alternatives.
- Consent(informed consent)
- Valid agreement requires the player to perceive the mechanism, be competent, and have a real exit.
- Dark patterns(deceptive patterns)
- Interface and system choices that benefit the provider by steering, deceiving, or coercing users against their own interest.
- Deceptive design(deceptive patterns)
- The contemporary umbrella term for asymmetric, user-adverse design — broader than literal deception.
- Diegetic vs non-diegetic deception(diegetic, magic circle)
- Deception inside the consented fiction (fair play) versus deception on the player-as-consumer.
- Digital vulnerability
- Vulnerability as a universal, situational property of the choice architecture — not just a few 'vulnerable groups'.
- Exploitation(exploitative design)
- Taking unfair advantage of an asymmetry or vulnerability — even when the user is not deceived.
- Fair patterns(bright patterns)
- Designs that actively protect the user's interest — the constructive counterpart to dark patterns.
- FOMO(fear of missing out, fading opportunities)
- Manufactured fear of missing out, used to shortcut deliberation through scarcity and urgency.
- Friction(design friction)
- Any deliberate impediment to action; harmful or protective depending on whose interest it serves.
- Gamblification(gamblification of games)
- The migration of gambling structures and aesthetics into mainstream digital games.
- Loot box(gacha, surprise mechanic)
- A paid, randomised reward container with unknown contents at the point of purchase.
- Manipulation
- Influencing behaviour by bypassing or subverting rational agency.
- Persuasive design(persuasion)
- Influence that appeals to rational agency; the legitimate sibling of manipulation.
- Retention mechanics(engagement mechanics)
- Systems designed to bring players back and keep them playing; benign or harmful by dose and intent.
- Sludge(administrative friction)
- Excessive friction deliberately placed in the user's protective path — the opposite of a helpful nudge.
- Variable-ratio reinforcement(variable ratio schedule)
- Rewarding on an unpredictable schedule — the most persistent form of behavioural reinforcement.
- Whales(high-spenders)
- The small share of players who generate most monetization revenue, often through randomised mechanics.