Time Rewards
What's Happening
The longer you play, the better the rewards get — on a visible timer that escalates. Players who stay in-session unlock increasingly valuable items, creating a sunk-cost loop: you've already waited 20 minutes, why leave before the next tier? Cali Shootout uses this well — the reward ladder is clear and the next tier is always just close enough to keep you seated.
Why It Works
Escalating time rewards exploit loss aversion and the sunk-cost effect. Once a player has invested time toward a reward tier, leaving feels like throwing away progress. The visible timer adds urgency — it's not "play whenever," it's "stay right now or lose what you've earned." This compresses the reward loop into a single session and directly increases session length.
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