Gamification is the use of game principles, design elements, and mechanics to make something that isn't a game more appealing and engaging. In Habitica's case, the game mechanics are inspired mainly by role playing games.
Gamification leverages people's natural desires for socializing, learning, mastery, competition, achievement, status, self-expression, altruism, or closure. These are applied in Habitica in the following ways:
- Socializing: By engaging players and making them feel like part of a larger community through the use of parties, guilds, the Tavern, and private messaging
- Learning: By allowing players to learn concepts when they complete tasks
- Competition: By giving players the opportunity to battle bosses by doing quests and to compete with each other in challenges
- Achievement: By allowing players to feel the fulfillment of leveling up and receiving achievements
- Status: By providing a visual display of the players' accomplishments on user profiles
- Self-expression: By allowing players to show their creativity and personality through avatar customization, backgrounds, and costumes
- Altruism: By giving players the chance to contribute or give back to the community through donating, subscribing, or contributing
- Closure: By allowing players to reach a finishing point and, if they wish, restart using options such as Orb of Rebirth or Key to the Kennels
Gamifying Your Lists has examples that can help you further gamify Habitica by renaming your tasks to make them more heroic and fun.