Magento 2 and Gamification: Boosting Engagement with Rewards & Challenges

Magento 2 and Gamification: Boosting Engagement with Rewards & Challenges

Let’s be honest—keeping customers engaged in an online store isn’t easy. With so many distractions, how do you make sure shoppers keep coming back? That’s where gamification comes in. By adding rewards, challenges, and interactive elements to your Magento 2 store, you can turn shopping into an engaging experience.

In this post, we’ll explore how to implement gamification in Magento 2, step by step. Whether you want to boost loyalty, increase repeat purchases, or just make shopping more fun, we’ve got you covered.

Why Gamification Works in E-Commerce

Gamification taps into basic human psychology—competition, achievement, and reward. When customers earn points, unlock badges, or compete on leaderboards, they’re more likely to stay engaged with your brand. Here’s what gamification can do for your store:

  • Increase Customer Retention: Reward repeat visits with points or exclusive perks.
  • Encourage Social Sharing: Let users earn rewards for referring friends or sharing products.
  • Boost Average Order Value: Offer discounts or free shipping after reaching certain milestones.
  • Enhance User Experience: Make shopping interactive instead of transactional.

Setting Up a Basic Rewards System in Magento 2

One of the simplest ways to start with gamification is by implementing a points-based rewards system. Here’s how you can do it using Magento 2’s built-in features and a few extensions.

Step 1: Install a Loyalty Points Extension

While Magento 2 doesn’t have native gamification features, extensions like Amasty Reward Points or Magefan Reward Points make it easy. Let’s use Magefan’s extension for this example.


composer require magefan/module-rewardpoints
php bin/magento setup:upgrade
php bin/magento setup:di:compile
php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy -f

Step 2: Configure Reward Points

Navigate to Stores > Configuration > Magefan Extensions > Reward Points. Here, you can set:

  • Points earned per dollar spent
  • Sign-up bonus points
  • Points expiration rules
  • Conversion rate (e.g., 100 points = $1 discount)

Step 3: Display Points on the Frontend

To show customers their points balance, add this block to your customer dashboard:


<referenceBlock name="customer_account_dashboard">
    <block class="Magefan\RewardPoints\Block\Customer\Points" name="reward_points_balance" template="Magefan_RewardPoints::customer/points.phtml" after="-" />
</referenceBlock>

Creating Challenges & Badges

Rewards are great, but challenges add an extra layer of engagement. Let’s create a simple "Complete Your Profile" badge using custom logic.

Step 1: Set Up a Custom Module

First, create a new module to handle badge logic:


app/code/Magefine/Gamification/
├── etc/
│   └── module.xml
├── registration.php
└── Setup/Patch/Data/InstallBadges.php

Step 2: Define Badge Conditions

In InstallBadges.php, set up a badge that triggers when a customer fills out their profile:


public function apply()
{
    $badge = $this->badgeFactory->create();
    $badge->setTitle('Profile Completer')
          ->setDescription('Earned by completing your profile')
          ->setImage('profile_badge.png')
          ->setIsActive(1)
          ->save();
}

Step 3: Check Conditions on Customer Save

Add an observer to check if a customer qualifies for the badge:


public function execute(\Magento\Framework\Event\Observer $observer)
{
    $customer = $observer->getCustomer();
    if ($customer->getData('profile_complete')) {
        $this->badgeManager->assignBadge($customer->getId(), 'profile_completer');
    }
}

Advanced Gamification: Leaderboards & Tiered Rewards

Once you’ve mastered basic rewards, you can level up with:

  • Leaderboards: Show top-spending customers to encourage competition.
  • Tiered Rewards: Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels with increasing perks.
  • Seasonal Challenges: Limited-time events (e.g., "Spend $100 in December to unlock a gift").

Example: Implementing a Leaderboard

Here’s a quick way to display top customers by points:


public function getTopCustomers($limit = 10)
{
    return $this->customerCollectionFactory->create()
        ->addAttributeToSelect(['firstname', 'lastname', 'reward_points'])
        ->setOrder('reward_points', 'DESC')
        ->setPageSize($limit);
}

Best Practices for Gamification in Magento 2

  • Keep It Simple: Don’t overwhelm users with too many rules.
  • Make Rewards Attractive: Offer real value, not just virtual badges.
  • Promote Your Program: Use email campaigns and banners to highlight rewards.
  • Test & Optimize: Track which gamification elements drive the most engagement.

Final Thoughts

Gamification isn’t just a trend—it’s a proven way to boost engagement and sales. With Magento 2’s flexibility, you can start small (like a points system) and expand into challenges, badges, and leaderboards as you see results.

Ready to gamify your store? Check out Magefine’s extensions to get started quickly!