Hello adventurer! In the first quest of 2026, we’re going to explore reasons why players might quit playing a game. This is important to understand because it gives a focus on what UX areas you should learn and pay attention to when exploring game design. It’s also important to remember that a game is nothing without the people playing it, so we need to design so they want to keep playing.
2026 NEWS:
For 2026 I’m changing up how I’m making these posts….
- Every other weeks email will be an official one that anyone can see on the Quest for UX site.
- But the others will be secret and only sent out to Subscribers: Here I want to answer your questions, share my experiences and thoughts on game UX work and share interesting links.
TOP REASONS WHY PLAYERS QUIT GAMES
1. Confusion in the First 10 Minutes (to 1 hour)
What’s happening:
Players don’t understand:
⁉️ what they are (character, role, status, power, socially, etc).
⁉️ what they should be doing.
⁉️ or how to succeed.
Why it kills games:
Confusion feels like work. Players won’t invest effort if the goal is unclear. (Not with so many other games they can play instead).
2. Cognitive Overload
What’s happening:
Too many mechanics, buttons, tutorial texts, enemies, currencies, or menus appear too early.
Why it kills games:
The player’s mental stack overflows before they form motivation to continue playing. Adding stress and confusion is not a good way to keep players.
3. Poor Feedback Loops
What’s happening:
Players take actions, but the game doesn’t clearly show:
⁉️ whether it worked.
⁉️ why it worked.
⁉️ or how it affected the game state.
Why it kills games:
Without feedback, players feel disconnected and powerless.
4. Early Punishment Without Understanding
What’s happening:
The game punishes mistakes before players understand the rules.
Why it kills games:
Punishment without learning feels unfair → not challenging.
5. Lack of Meaningful Goals
What’s happening:
Players perform actions, but don’t understand why they matter.
Why it kills games:
⁉️ Without purpose, actions feel like chores.
⁉️ If the answer is vague or mechanical → goals lack meaning.
SUMMARY
Players don’t quit because games are difficult.
They quit because they don’t understand what success looks like.
Great UX doesn’t remove challenge: it removes ambiguity. When players clearly understand their role, their goal, and the feedback loop, they’re far more willing to struggle, fail, and try again.
Thank you for reading!
Please give me any questions you want me to answer in upcoming posts through this link:
Check out the Website learngameuxdesign.com for more Game UX updates.