Book excerpt: This is the hugely updated second edition of Even Ninja Monkeys Like To Play. A guide to using gamification and game thinking to create engaging experiences for people. This book takes you on a journey through the theories on which gamification is built, onto practical advice for building gamified solutions. "A book that dances in the space where psychology and game design meet, offering practical guidance to gamification - all tied together with Andrzej's best-in-class categorisation of what works most appropriately for whom." -- Dr Richard Bartle, Professor of Game Design at the University of Essex, Author of "Designing Virtual Worlds" Andrzej Marczewski's book "Even Ninja Monkeys Like To Play" gives extraordinary and important knowledge upon the topic of gamification and game thinking strategies. It is a must read for anyone having a beginning interest or even for veterans of the topic. It provides more than a base of information for anyone to pick it up and understand the topic more deeply. -- Dr. Anthony Bean, Ph.D., Video Game Expert and Researcher Contents The Theory of Games, Play and Gamification What is Gamification? What Are Games and Play? What Are Game Mechanics? What is Fun? What is Game Thinking? Gamification and Game Thinking in Practice Ethical Considerations of Gamification The Science of Gamification What Motivates Us? The Intrinsic Motivation RAMP What is Flow and Why is it Important? User Types in Gamification (The HEXAD) The Neuroscience of Gamification Building Gamified Solutions How to Start with The User Journey How to Use Points, Badges and Leaderboards How to Set Clear Goals How to Design Good Feedback and Reward Systems How to Design a Simple Gamified System How to Understand Emotions in Gamification Design How to Use Narrative to Create Deeper Experiences How to Create Playful Experiences How to Handle Cheating How to See it From the User's Perspective Gamification Mechanics and Elements Planning and Implementing your Gamification Design The Gamification Design Framework How to Keep the User Engaged How to Balance a Gamified System Keeping it Simple Tying Loyalty into Gamification Modelling Gamified Systems Final Thoughts Five Steps to a Happier Life with Gamification Other Design Tips