A Masterclass in Game Design: Player Psychology and the Future of RPGs
Podcasts
•
August 19, 2025
What separates a forgettable game from a billion-dollar franchise? It's not about chasing trends; it's about understanding the deep, primal truths of human nature. In a revealing interview, Mark Otero, the founder of Azra Games and a key leader behind the launch of Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, shares the strategic frameworks that drive blockbuster success. Here are the essential lessons for any developer, designer, or studio leader.
1. Player Psychology: Why the Game Chooses You
Before a player ever installs your game, a connection has already been made. Otero opens with a powerful concept: great games tap into a player's core aspirations, offering an escape to explore fantasies of power, love, or wealth that real life may not provide. The game acts as a mirror to our primal needs.
“You think you have chosen the game. No, no, no. The game has chosen you. And you have both found each other.”
This principle reframes game design from just building features to fulfilling a fundamental human need.
2. The Hierarchy of Fun: A 5-Layer Framework for Player Engagement
To move beyond vague metrics, Otero’s studio, Azra Games, uses a five-layer framework to engineer the player journey from discovery to devotion.
Layer 1: Moment-to-Moment Experience: This is the immediate first impression—the art style, the feel of the combat, the music, and the overall theme.
Layer 2: The Core Loop: Here, the player begins to understand the rules and feels a sense of growing competence and excitement as they engage with the primary gameplay.
Layer 3: Progression Systems: The player masters the rules and becomes aware of the balance between the effort they put in and the rewards they receive.
Layer 4: Meta and Mastery: This is where players understand the game's deepest systems and nuances, allowing them to optimize their performance and achieve true mastery.
Layer 5: The Emotional Bond: The pinnacle of the experience, where a player says, "I love this game," and their behavior—like daily play sessions—proves it.
Flipping this hierarchy reveals a powerful player acquisition and retention funnel, with each layer designed to pull users deeper into the experience.
3. Primal Motivation: Designing for Love, Power, and Wealth
Otero’s most provocative framework asserts that successful RPGs are designed to ruthlessly serve one of three primal human aspirations:
love, power, or wealth. Trying to appeal to everyone dilutes the fantasy and ultimately serves no one. This is why many franchises fail when they attempt to broaden their audience at the expense of their core players—they alienate the audience that loved them for their specific fantasy fulfillment.
“There is already a version of Sims for men. It’s called Grand Theft Auto.”
4. The Generational Leap: How 4th-Gen RPGs Deliver a 60x Better User Experience
Technology and design insights create inflection points, or "generational cycles," that redefine genres. While a 3rd-gen RPG like
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes took six to nine minutes for the fun to begin, the 4th generation aims for nine seconds. This massive leap in user experience is possible because today's mobile devices have console-level power, allowing for immersive, behind-the-head camera angles that create instant engagement. Otero’s new game,
Ungodly, is built on this principle—marrying timeless, masculine dark-fantasy storytelling with a cutting-edge, instantly immersive experience.
5. AI in Game Development: A Production Lever, Not a Threat
For modern studios, AI is not a competitor; it is essential leverage. Otero argues that to create a 4th-generation RPG experience without leveraging AI would cost over $100 million. Small studios can compete with giants by fundamentally rethinking their production pipelines and culturally embracing AI as a tool that magnifies creative talent. This cultural shift is a key advantage startups have over larger, slower-moving corporations.
Conclusion: Design for Human Nature, Not Trends
To build a successful and sustainable game, especially a new IP, developers must start with primal truths. Instead of chasing the latest market trends, ask foundational questions:
Who is my core player?
What primal fantasy—love, power, or wealth—does my game serve?
How does every layer of my design framework deepen their emotional connection?
Whether you are a solo developer or leading a AAA studio, the path to success is paved with frameworks grounded in the timeless truths of human psychology.
1. Player Psychology: Why the Game Chooses You
Before a player ever installs your game, a connection has already been made. Otero opens with a powerful concept: great games tap into a player's core aspirations, offering an escape to explore fantasies of power, love, or wealth that real life may not provide. The game acts as a mirror to our primal needs.
“You think you have chosen the game. No, no, no. The game has chosen you. And you have both found each other.”
This principle reframes game design from just building features to fulfilling a fundamental human need.
2. The Hierarchy of Fun: A 5-Layer Framework for Player Engagement
To move beyond vague metrics, Otero’s studio, Azra Games, uses a five-layer framework to engineer the player journey from discovery to devotion.
Layer 1: Moment-to-Moment Experience: This is the immediate first impression—the art style, the feel of the combat, the music, and the overall theme.
Layer 2: The Core Loop: Here, the player begins to understand the rules and feels a sense of growing competence and excitement as they engage with the primary gameplay.
Layer 3: Progression Systems: The player masters the rules and becomes aware of the balance between the effort they put in and the rewards they receive.
Layer 4: Meta and Mastery: This is where players understand the game's deepest systems and nuances, allowing them to optimize their performance and achieve true mastery.
Layer 5: The Emotional Bond: The pinnacle of the experience, where a player says, "I love this game," and their behavior—like daily play sessions—proves it.
Flipping this hierarchy reveals a powerful player acquisition and retention funnel, with each layer designed to pull users deeper into the experience.
3. Primal Motivation: Designing for Love, Power, and Wealth
Otero’s most provocative framework asserts that successful RPGs are designed to ruthlessly serve one of three primal human aspirations:
love, power, or wealth. Trying to appeal to everyone dilutes the fantasy and ultimately serves no one. This is why many franchises fail when they attempt to broaden their audience at the expense of their core players—they alienate the audience that loved them for their specific fantasy fulfillment.
“There is already a version of Sims for men. It’s called Grand Theft Auto.”
4. The Generational Leap: How 4th-Gen RPGs Deliver a 60x Better User Experience
Technology and design insights create inflection points, or "generational cycles," that redefine genres. While a 3rd-gen RPG like
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes took six to nine minutes for the fun to begin, the 4th generation aims for nine seconds. This massive leap in user experience is possible because today's mobile devices have console-level power, allowing for immersive, behind-the-head camera angles that create instant engagement. Otero’s new game,
Ungodly, is built on this principle—marrying timeless, masculine dark-fantasy storytelling with a cutting-edge, instantly immersive experience.
5. AI in Game Development: A Production Lever, Not a Threat
For modern studios, AI is not a competitor; it is essential leverage. Otero argues that to create a 4th-generation RPG experience without leveraging AI would cost over $100 million. Small studios can compete with giants by fundamentally rethinking their production pipelines and culturally embracing AI as a tool that magnifies creative talent. This cultural shift is a key advantage startups have over larger, slower-moving corporations.
Conclusion: Design for Human Nature, Not Trends
To build a successful and sustainable game, especially a new IP, developers must start with primal truths. Instead of chasing the latest market trends, ask foundational questions:
Who is my core player?
What primal fantasy—love, power, or wealth—does my game serve?
How does every layer of my design framework deepen their emotional connection?
Whether you are a solo developer or leading a AAA studio, the path to success is paved with frameworks grounded in the timeless truths of human psychology.
1. Player Psychology: Why the Game Chooses You
Before a player ever installs your game, a connection has already been made. Otero opens with a powerful concept: great games tap into a player's core aspirations, offering an escape to explore fantasies of power, love, or wealth that real life may not provide. The game acts as a mirror to our primal needs.
“You think you have chosen the game. No, no, no. The game has chosen you. And you have both found each other.”
This principle reframes game design from just building features to fulfilling a fundamental human need.
2. The Hierarchy of Fun: A 5-Layer Framework for Player Engagement
To move beyond vague metrics, Otero’s studio, Azra Games, uses a five-layer framework to engineer the player journey from discovery to devotion.
Layer 1: Moment-to-Moment Experience: This is the immediate first impression—the art style, the feel of the combat, the music, and the overall theme.
Layer 2: The Core Loop: Here, the player begins to understand the rules and feels a sense of growing competence and excitement as they engage with the primary gameplay.
Layer 3: Progression Systems: The player masters the rules and becomes aware of the balance between the effort they put in and the rewards they receive.
Layer 4: Meta and Mastery: This is where players understand the game's deepest systems and nuances, allowing them to optimize their performance and achieve true mastery.
Layer 5: The Emotional Bond: The pinnacle of the experience, where a player says, "I love this game," and their behavior—like daily play sessions—proves it.
Flipping this hierarchy reveals a powerful player acquisition and retention funnel, with each layer designed to pull users deeper into the experience.
3. Primal Motivation: Designing for Love, Power, and Wealth
Otero’s most provocative framework asserts that successful RPGs are designed to ruthlessly serve one of three primal human aspirations:
love, power, or wealth. Trying to appeal to everyone dilutes the fantasy and ultimately serves no one. This is why many franchises fail when they attempt to broaden their audience at the expense of their core players—they alienate the audience that loved them for their specific fantasy fulfillment.
“There is already a version of Sims for men. It’s called Grand Theft Auto.”
4. The Generational Leap: How 4th-Gen RPGs Deliver a 60x Better User Experience
Technology and design insights create inflection points, or "generational cycles," that redefine genres. While a 3rd-gen RPG like
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes took six to nine minutes for the fun to begin, the 4th generation aims for nine seconds. This massive leap in user experience is possible because today's mobile devices have console-level power, allowing for immersive, behind-the-head camera angles that create instant engagement. Otero’s new game,
Ungodly, is built on this principle—marrying timeless, masculine dark-fantasy storytelling with a cutting-edge, instantly immersive experience.
5. AI in Game Development: A Production Lever, Not a Threat
For modern studios, AI is not a competitor; it is essential leverage. Otero argues that to create a 4th-generation RPG experience without leveraging AI would cost over $100 million. Small studios can compete with giants by fundamentally rethinking their production pipelines and culturally embracing AI as a tool that magnifies creative talent. This cultural shift is a key advantage startups have over larger, slower-moving corporations.
Conclusion: Design for Human Nature, Not Trends
To build a successful and sustainable game, especially a new IP, developers must start with primal truths. Instead of chasing the latest market trends, ask foundational questions:
Who is my core player?
What primal fantasy—love, power, or wealth—does my game serve?
How does every layer of my design framework deepen their emotional connection?
Whether you are a solo developer or leading a AAA studio, the path to success is paved with frameworks grounded in the timeless truths of human psychology.
Share
Copy link
Share
Copy link
Share
Copy link
