the physics
why this works when
advertising doesn't
Games are the only product people pay money
to make harder.
Why? Because difficulty
creates dopamine.
Your brain doesn't want the reward.
It wants the hunt.
the neuroscience of want
The brain releases more dopamine anticipating an unknown reward than receiving a known one. Slot machines. Loot boxes. "You've got mail."
Each AR object could be anything. That uncertainty is chemically compelling.
Predictable rewards lose power.
Variable rewards create sustained engagement. Different prizes. Different values. Unpredictable timing.
Every successful game uses this. Every addictive app. Every casino.
People value things more when they've worked to obtain them.
A coupon you earned is worth more than one that appeared in your inbox.
This drives conversion rates, redemption rates, and brand affinity.
Unfinished tasks stay active in the brain. "12/25 objects found" isn't decoration. It's a psychological hook.
Users return not because we remind them, but because their brain won't let them forget.
These aren't hacks.
They're how humans work.
Advertising fights human nature.
Interrupting.
Demanding.
Annoying.
Xplorify works with human nature.
Rewarding.
Surprising.
Satisfying.
That's the foundation.
But what does it actually look like in practice?