Make Risk the Default

We want players to take risks in games because it leads to more exciting and emotional moments. The problem is that people are naturally risk-averse and prefer the safe option when possible. But people also tend to take whichever option is the default. If you frame decisions so that the risky option is the default and the safe option requires extra effort, you can increase the risks players take in your games.

Roll For The Galaxy uses this approach to encourage gambling by making it the default. Every round, you roll the dice and assign them to the action rolled. You can choose exactly one action to lead, and if nobody leads an action, then your dice assigned to that action go to waste. Although players can reassign dice, it costs one die to do so, which encourages them to leave most of their risky bets in place.

Default risks can also be as simple as momentum. In Heat: Pedal the Metal, your gear determines how many cards you play per turn. You want to play a lot of cards when the track is straight to go fast, and very few cards when there are corners to avoid spinning out. The problem is that switching gears too quickly creates heat cards that clog your hand. This encourages players to stay at dangerous, high speeds for longer, even as they approach corners, in the hope of drawing low-numbered cards.

How you frame risks determines how players engage with them. If they have to go out of their way to do something risky, they will play it safer. If you want them to play more dangerously, make risk-taking the default option rather than an opt-in mechanic.