Duolingo, Tinder, DraftKings: How Top Apps Got Gamified

In this podcast episode, Michael interviews Kalle Heikkinen from AppRefinery about how game design principles are being applied to non-gaming apps to increase engagement and retention. They discuss five apps—Duolingo, BeReal, Tinder, DraftKings, and Crypto.com—analyzing their features and strategies. Duolingo uses AI to create interactive language learning experiences, while BeReal attempts to balance authenticity with engagement through new features. Tinder employs live events to boost user activity, DraftKings integrates social features to make betting a shared experience, and Crypto.com uses gamification to encourage habitual use of its finance platform. The conversation explores the effectiveness of these strategies and the challenges of differentiating apps in competitive markets.