The Legitimate Humdinger

The Hook Brings You Back

Every game needs a “legitimate humdinger” according to the legendary late casino game designer Dan Lubin.

The concept of a humdinger is simple: it’s the standout gameplay feature that delights players whenever it comes up. A legitimate humdinger doesn’t exploit a gimmick. It’s not cute or campy. It’s an honest-to-goodness can’t-live-without feature that players can’t get enough of.

Lubin writes:

…the humdinger offers some sort of concrete service or option that’s sensed and experienced as pleasurable, useful, or beneficial by [players in] a game, even if they can’t describe it or know exactly what it is.

Humdingers stand out more in casino games than they do in video or tabletop games because casino games are less interactive and thus feature fewer decision points than their highly interactive cousins. You can’t fool players, though, because no matter how deep your game, they can smell a counterfeit and will reject with impunity.

Lubin agrees:

…without that juice, you’ve got nothing, no matter what you put on top of it.

Humdingers in Games You Might Have Played

Dungeons and Dragons 5e - Advantage/Disadvantage

Every time you get to roll two d20s you know it’s a serious event. The designers could have introduced a mess of situational modifiers like in the 3rd edition, but they found this elegant tweak that juices the math just enough on the spot to be extra exciting without all the fiddly numbers. It’s easy to learn for dungeon masters and players and gives a unique lever to pull when the situation warrants it.

ShadowDark - Real-time Torch Timers

Torches are a currency in ShadowDark. No light, no safety. The turn-based timers of old school DnD clones peg your lights to initiative rounds, but creator Kelsey Dionne discovered that making your players sweat in real-life seconds ratchets up the tension and makes for decisive play.

Rocket League - Aerials

You’d think rocket-powered car soccer would be juicy enough, but the main premise isn’t the humdinger. It’s when your car flies. Watch any stream or YouTube video and you’ll realize that the thing everybody wants to do is score a goal from the top of the arena. It’s not easy, but that’s the point. Once you figure it out, you can’t stop doing it.

You may not believe it, but not every game has a humdinger. They’re not bad games, per se, but they are lacking that special buzz. The unforgettable masterpieces pull together a compelling play experience and a piece of gaming brilliance. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.