Since its release in 2003, players worldwide have invested over 50 billion hours in the virtual game WoW (World of Warcraft) to achieve shared goals.
In doing so, they overcome linguistic and cultural barriers, voluntarily take on responsibility, enter into collaborations, and face ever-new challenges.
To be precise, the cumulative playtime amounts to 5.93 billion years, according to Statista. That is—within just 20 years of WoW’s release—more time than our Earth has existed.
The mechanics behind this unprecedented engagement, which bind players to the game and its story, can be transferred to the context of coworking spaces and community retention.
Let’s take a closer look at how these mechanics work and how they can be translated.
Key takeaways:
- Intrinsic motivation is key: Like successful games, coworking spaces should foster an environment where participation is its own reward.
- Create a "flow" state: Help members become fully absorbed and engaged in their work and the community.
- Connect individual and collective goals: Members stay when they see how their personal growth contributes to a larger, shared vision.
- Make progress visible: Celebrate member achievements and contributions to make their impact feel real and valued.
The psychology of engagement: What coworking spaces can learn from game design
Successful games like WoW rely on core mechanics and elements that foster intrinsic motivation and generate flow, thereby achieving deep and long-term player retention.
Intrinsic motivation arises from an inner drive because the activity itself becomes rewarding through the experience of flow.
Flow is a mental state of consciousness in which individuals:
- become completely absorbed in the activity,
- experience creativity that, according to a Harvard study, increases by 400–700% and can last 1–2 days beyond the flow event,
- expand their frustration tolerance as well as their culture of error and failure,
- reach a peak level of willpower,
- increase their risk-taking capacity and ability to make complex decisions,
- and cultivate a growth mindset.
The last point—cultivating a growth mindset—is particularly crucial for community-building and retention.
Why?
Because people with a growth mindset are demonstrably more collaborative and co-creative (Carol Dweck, Stanford University).
From player retention to member retention: 4 keys to building community
Transferred to communities flow emerges when:
- the meaningfulness of an activity is clear,
- challenges continuously grow,
- feedback is given regularly,
- and individual strengths become visible and can be applied as skills—all in the service of being part of something larger and celebrating epic wins together.
Because: Nobody wants to be just a small cog in the machine!!!
Putting it into practice: A playbook for coworking managers
Retention happens when people see how their contribution makes a difference and positively changes the bigger picture.
For coworking spaces, this means:
- Members must be able to recognize the value of their skills for the community.
- At the same time, they need to experience how their personal growth connects with the shared vision.
- When individual goals are synchronized with the collective purpose, true belonging arises.
Your community gamification checklist:
- Define your mission: What is your space's main goal or purpose?
- Highlight member skills: Create a way for members to show what they're good at.
- Create team challenges: Host events that encourage members to work together.
- Celebrate wins: Announce member successes in a newsletter or on a community channel.
The crucial task of coworking managers is to formulate a clear purpose and translate it into concrete actions.
- Communicate vision and values: The space needs a clear message and a tangible goal that goes beyond providing desks.
- Make impact visible: Members’ progress, achievements, and contributions must become transparent and experiential.
- Integrate individual strengths and skills: Every member should understand how their competencies advance both the community and their own development.
- Celebrate together: Events, rituals, or small formats of recognition reinforce belonging and authentic connection.
Example: A coworking space commits not only to high service quality but also to actively contributing to a Sustainable Development Goal. Every member who joins knows that their work simultaneously supports this higher purpose.
This transforms a workplace into a community with radiance and retention.
100 coworking event ideas
Inspiration from the real world: Patagonia and SAP
Patagonia
The brand lives its purpose: “We’re in business to save our home planet.” Its goals
are measurable (1% for the Planet, worn-wear repair services, educational programs). Customers buy products not just for function, but because they share in the vision and feel part of a movement.
SAP Community Network
SAP has run a global online community for years, where millions of users share knowledge, answer questions, and co-create innovations. Structured by topics, it offers incentive systems (badges, rankings) and regular events. This fosters both knowledge transfer and retention.
Both examples show: Communities don’t arise by chance. They are built through clear goals, concrete actions, measurable progress, and active participation.
The hero's journey: A mindset for members
Game-methodological strategies can also be applied as an attitude and mindset at the individual level: reframing problems as challenges, becoming more resilient and crisis-proof, and remaining solution-oriented and capable of action even under uncertainty.
This always automatically strengthens the community as well.
The first and most crucial step is to reframe the very concept of “problem” and adopt the following core assumptions:
- What if my life is a game and I am the hero of my own hero’s journey?
- What if every problem is simply an obstacle designed to push me out of my comfort zone, so I can grow beyond myself?
- How can I view obstacles as gifts of learning?
- What is my developmental opportunity here?
- What is my next level?
Always remember: Heroes are born in the dark, and they return as healers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is gamification in a coworking space?
A: It's using game-like ideas (challenges, rewards, progress tracking) to boost member engagement and build a stronger community.
Q: How can I easily increase member retention?
A: By creating a strong community where members feel valued and connected to a shared purpose.
Conclusion
The mechanics of successful games are universal: they generate motivation, flow, and belonging.
Coworking spaces can learn from this how to synchronize individual and collective goals, make progress visible, and celebrate success together.
In doing so, a place of work becomes a vibrant community, where people grow, support one another, and drive forward a shared higher purpose.
In this sense: Let’s Play!
Ready to build your community? Spacebring provides the tools to help you manage your space and engage your members effortlessly.
Learn more about our features.
Literature
Baur, Michael; Schüler, Stella: Playful Work, Game Thinking, Gamification—nur Buzzwords?
