Would boring life be exciting if it was a game?

Grinding can feel motivating, rewarding and even exciting in a game, but in real life it’s often just boring. So why do we react to computer games so vigorously? How do you design such experiences? What emotions are 'good' and when is too much too much?

Elisa Mekler is a game psychologist and an assistant professor in Human-Computer Interaction at Aalto university, who cried a lot at the end of a Super-Nintendo game back in the 90’s. Her main focus is in user experience and emotions in games.