Reward Schedule

What Does Reward Schedule Mean?

A reward schedule is an element of game design where the designer arranges for players to receive some type of payoff for playing the game. The rewards vary according to the game genre, but some common examples include:

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  • An increased ranking
  • New abilities
  • Narrative cut-scenes
  • New weapons
  • Access to new areas

The rewards can be paid out at random, as a ratio of completion or at set time intervals.

Techopedia Explains Reward Schedule

Reward schedules are central to keeping players engaged in a game. Rewards work on several levels. With progression games, there are often multiple rewards per level and throughout the game.

For example, defeating an opponent in a beat-’em-up might yield a special weapon that help the gamer defeat multiple opponents, which may further yield more items or a similar bonus. Then, when the player beats a level boss, that player is rewarded twice – once with the satisfaction of victory and again by being able to access a higher level (usually with a new cut-scene to boot).

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…