10 Best Examples of the Rewards Feature in Gamification

This post is part of a series on how gamification mechanics are used effectively in various types of consumer apps. You may find these gamification examples helpful if you are looking to incorporate gamification into your product strategy.

The Rewards Feature and Its Role in Gamification

In gamification, "Rewards" are the tangible or intangible benefits users receive for completing desired actions or reaching milestones. They make the experience more engaging by providing positive reinforcement and a sense of accomplishment. Apps use rewards to motivate users, encourage consistent interaction, and make the product more valuable by associating its use with personal gain. This drives engagement and long-term retention. Now, without further ado, here are 10 apps that use the rewards mechanic to delight and retain users.

10 Best Examples of the Rewards Feature in Gamification

Headspace

Headspace uses a progress system, badges and streaks to help users learn and practice meditation techniques to improve mindfulness.

Headspace uses a Rewards system to encourage consistent app usage and keep users engaged. The core of this system is awarding "days" for consecutive meditation sessions. Users earn badges and milestones as they accumulate these days, visually showcasing their progress and building a sense of accomplishment. This gamification element taps into the psychology of habit formation, incentivizing users to return daily to maintain their streaks and unlock new rewards. Beyond badges, Headspace often introduces time-limited challenges and events that offer exclusive content or achievements upon completion. These challenges add variety and a sense of urgency, motivating users to explore different aspects of the app and preventing stagnation. The personalized nature of the rewards, reflecting individual progress and preferences, further enhances the perceived value. Ultimately, the Headspace Rewards system isn't just about virtual trophies. It connects daily practice with tangible feedback, making the process feel more rewarding and less like a chore. This reinforces positive behavior, increases user investment in the app, and contributes to long-term retention by demonstrating the impact of consistent mindfulness practice.

Yousician

Yousician is a music education platform that offers interactive lessons for guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, and singing. It uses gamification to track progress and motivate users.

Yousician utilizes a robust rewards system to keep users engaged and coming back. By completing lessons, practicing songs, and achieving milestones, players earn points, badges, and virtual items. These rewards provide a tangible sense of progress and accomplishment, motivating users to continue learning and practicing. The reward system is strategically designed to encourage regular use. Daily streak bonuses reward consistent practice, while challenges and quests offer specific goals to work towards. Earning rewards also unlocks new content, such as songs and lessons, providing users with a clear incentive to improve and expand their musical skills. Ultimately, Yousician's reward system adds value by making the learning process more fun and rewarding. It transforms practice into a game, making it easier for users to stay motivated and stick with their musical journey. By providing regular feedback and a sense of accomplishment, the rewards system fosters a positive learning environment and contributes to user retention.

Habitica

Habitica is a habit-tracking app that turns real-life tasks into a role-playing game, where users earn rewards and level up by completing habits and tasks.

Habitica's Rewards system is a core component for driving user engagement and retention. Players earn in-game gold by completing tasks, whether they're habits, dailies, or to-dos. This gold then unlocks the ability to purchase tangible and virtual rewards. Tangible rewards are custom-defined by the user, encouraging them to connect in-game progress with real-life benefits, like watching an episode of their favorite show or buying a small treat. Virtual rewards include equipment, pets, and mounts to customize their avatar, creating a sense of progression and personalization. This dual reward system adds value to the user experience by linking productivity with immediate gratification. The prospect of earning gold motivates users to consistently manage their tasks and maintain positive habits. The ability to spend that gold on personalized, desirable rewards, both real and virtual, creates a powerful feedback loop. Users become invested in their Habitica character and their real-life goals, leading to increased app usage and long-term retention. Ultimately, Habitica's Rewards function transforms a simple task management app into a gamified experience that provides concrete benefits. It goes beyond simple task tracking by offering a compelling reason to complete tasks, build habits, and stay engaged with the app long-term, creating a valuable and personalized productivity system.

ClassDojo

ClassDojo connects teachers, students, and parents through a classroom management platform with points and rewards for positive behavior and participation.

ClassDojo leverages its Rewards feature to boost student engagement and encourage positive behaviors. Teachers can award points to students for specific skills or actions, like participation or teamwork. These points accumulate and can be redeemed for small, customizable rewards that the teacher defines. This instant positive reinforcement motivates students to repeat desired behaviors, creating a more positive classroom environment. For teachers, the Rewards feature provides a simple and effective way to acknowledge and encourage good conduct without significant preparation. It allows them to tailor rewards to their specific classroom needs and student interests. It streamlines behavior management, freeing up more time for instruction. Ultimately, the Rewards system adds value to the ClassDojo experience for both students and teachers. It makes learning more fun and engaging for students, encouraging participation and positive interactions. For teachers, it simplifies classroom management and builds a positive learning environment, making ClassDojo a more valuable tool for educators.

DoorDash

DoorDash is a delivery service. They allow users to receive points and other achievements by ordering food often.

DoorDash uses its Rewards program to keep users ordering through their app. By offering discounts, free items, or reduced fees on future orders, DoorDash incentivizes customers to return. The rewards are often tailored to individual ordering habits, making them feel personalized and relevant. This system drives engagement. Users are motivated to order more frequently to unlock or maximize their rewards. The program encourages them to explore different restaurants and try new items to meet specific reward requirements. Ultimately, the Rewards program aims to add value for users. It offers savings and a sense of appreciation for their loyalty. This enhanced customer experience leads to greater satisfaction and increases the likelihood of users choosing DoorDash over competing delivery services, therefore improving user retention.

Forest

Forest is a productivity app that helps users stay focused by planting virtual trees that grow while they avoid using their phones.

The Forest app utilizes a Rewards system, primarily virtual coins earned for successfully completing focused work sessions. These coins serve as an incentive to stay on task and avoid distractions. Users can then spend these coins within the app to "plant real trees" in partnership with Trees for the Future. This connects focused work with a tangible, positive environmental impact, adding significant value. This Rewards system boosts engagement by providing a direct link between users' productivity and a worthwhile cause. The feeling of contributing to reforestation acts as a powerful motivator. Moreover, the ability to visually track coin accumulation and the progress towards planting a real tree creates a sense of accomplishment and encourages users to return to the app regularly. Ultimately, the Rewards feature in Forest enhances retention by offering a unique value proposition: focus and productivity linked to real-world environmental change. The combination of personal benefit (improved focus) and social impact (tree planting) makes the app more compelling and worthwhile than a simple timer, driving long-term usage and loyalty.

Fortune City

Fortune City is a budgeting app that turns personal finance management into a city-building simulation game.

Fortune City leverages its Rewards feature to drive user engagement and retention by providing tangible benefits for consistent gameplay. Players earn rewards, such as in-game currency and unique decorations, simply by logging in daily and completing designated tasks related to city-building and income tracking. This gamified approach incentivizes users to return to the app regularly, transforming financial tracking into a more engaging experience. These rewards directly add value to users' Fortune City experience. In-game currency allows players to expand their cities, unlock new building types, and ultimately increase their virtual income. The unique decorations offer personalization and visual flair, fostering a sense of ownership and pride in their virtual creations. By tying rewards to consistent usage and achievement, Fortune City reinforces positive habits related to financial awareness while providing a continuous stream of gratification. This system not only encourages users to track their finances more diligently, but also fosters a stronger connection to the app, increasing their likelihood of long-term retention.

MyPanera

MyPanera rewards members with personalized challenges and surprise rewards based on their purchase history. Points are earned on all purchases

The MyPanera app leverages its Rewards program to keep users engaged and coming back. By tracking purchases, the app automatically awards personalized offers and free items based on individual spending habits and favorite menu items. This creates a sense of value and encourages repeat visits to earn more rewards. These targeted promotions incentivize users to choose Panera over competitors, as they know they are working towards something valuable. Furthermore, the app's easy-to-understand points system and clear reward tiers make the program accessible and motivating. Users can easily see their progress towards unlocking the next reward, fostering a sense of anticipation and accomplishment. By regularly providing relevant and desirable rewards, MyPanera keeps the brand top-of-mind and strengthens customer loyalty. Finally, the rewards program integrates seamlessly into the ordering process. Users can effortlessly apply available rewards during online or in-app orders, making redemption convenient and rewarding. This streamlined experience contributes to increased app usage and ultimately drives sales, demonstrating the effective use of the rewards feature to add value and retain customers.

Walkr

Walkr turns walking into an interstellar adventure where your steps power a spaceship exploring the galaxy.

Walkr's Rewards feature is central to keeping players engaged and coming back to the app. By completing tasks, exploring new planets, and interacting with the game regularly, users earn rewards like coins, food, and energy. These rewards are directly tied to progression, allowing players to build stronger planets, discover new ones, and ultimately expand their in-game empire. This creates a positive feedback loop; consistent play leads to more rewards, which in turn fuels further exploration and advancement. The reward system isn't just about simple accumulation; it also adds value by introducing variety and a sense of accomplishment. The types of rewards fluctuate, and some are more valuable or rarer than others. This encourages players to strategize their gameplay and prioritize tasks to maximize their reward potential. Furthermore, seeing their efforts translate into tangible progress in the game provides a feeling of satisfaction that strengthens their connection to the Walkr universe. Ultimately, the Rewards feature fosters a continuous sense of accomplishment and forward momentum. It provides players with concrete goals, immediate gratification, and a compelling reason to continue playing and exploring the Walkr universe. This carefully designed system is a key driver of both user engagement and long-term retention.

McDonald's App

McDonald's Rewards allows users to earn points on purchases and redeem them for free menu items. It uses challenges and bonus point events to encourage frequent visits.

The McDonald's app leverages its Rewards program to boost customer engagement and keep users coming back. Each purchase made through the app earns points, which can be redeemed for free menu items. This simple point-based system incentivizes users to order through the app rather than at the counter or drive-thru, directly increasing app usage. Beyond earning points, the app frequently offers personalized deals and promotions tailored to individual users' past orders and preferences. This creates a sense of value and encourages repeat visits, as customers feel like they're getting special treatment. The targeted offers also introduce users to new menu items, potentially expanding their regular orders and boosting overall sales. Ultimately, the McDonald's Rewards program in the app adds value by providing users with tangible benefits like free food and exclusive deals. By making it easy to earn and redeem rewards, and by personalizing the experience with targeted offers, the app fosters loyalty and encourages frequent interaction, leading to increased customer retention.

Conclusion

These are just a few examples of how rewards can be used as a gamification mechanic to improve consumer apps and platforms. We hope you found these examples inspiring and that they help you think about how you can incorporate gamification into your own product strategy.

If you're looking to build gamification into your app or platform, we encourage you to check out Trophy, a set of APIs and tools that make it easy.