Psych Behavioral

Design defaults that lead to learning:

• Default paths should be educational (not skip-to-fun)
• Make the learning path the easiest path
• Don't hide educational content behind extra clicks

Habit Formation

• Session rituals: Consistent start/end patterns
• Return motivation: Give players a reason to come back
• Completion hooks: End sessions at a compelling moment
• Progress visibility: Show how far they've come

Session Design

Age-appropriate play durations:

• Ages 6-8: ~12-18 minutes per session
• Natural pause points every 3-5 minutes
• Clear session boundaries (start → middle → end)
• Save progress automatically

Validation Checklist

• Next action is always clear and easy (high ability)
• Default paths are educational (nudge)
• Session length respects attention span (~12-18 min for ages 6-8)
• Return motivation exists without dark patterns
• Natural pause points every 3-5 minutes
• Progress is automatically saved
• Trigger → Action → Reward cycle serves learning goals
• No attention-extracting mechanics