A Call to Play.

Design lessons from video games: Building joyful, addictive, unforgettable products.

This issue was initially meant for an in-depth and rich product review of the game “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” and while it was almost completed I decided to write about the importance of playingvideo games and all the associated hidden gems.

People still ask why Zenly felt different, even though it got closed down several years ago.

Why it had that energy, that quirkiness, that sense of delight.

It’s easy to understand it but harder to really grasp it, especially in today’s era, when everything we design and use look so dull, flat, MVP-esque, and almost fully automated.

We built it like a game.

Not a game in the sense of badges or daily streaks. Not gamification for the sake of it. But games as inspiration, as a source of rhythm and emotion. We obsessed over pace, motion, discovery, feedback.

We wanted the app to feel alive. Responsive. Personal. Fun.

Fun and function don’t have to opposites. They can be partners in crime. They’re what makes the best products feel timeless, and make peopl…