Glossary term Retention
Sunk Cost Fallacy
The tendency to continue investing in something because of prior investment, regardless of future prospects. Long streaks and accumulated XP exploit sunk cost psychology: the longer a user has played, the more costly abandonment feels.
Where you see this in practice
The mechanics that lean on it
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Streak / Streak Bonus
A counter that increments each time a user completes a defined action within a set time window, typically once per day.
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XP / Leveling
An experience point system where users accumulate points through actions, eventually reaching level thresholds that unlock rewards or status.