The Bevy gamification system rewards member actions with points, badges, streaks, and leaderboards to increase engagement and recognize your most active community members.

This guide shows you how to set up and manage a complete gamification system for your community, from a basic points system to more complex achievement mechanics.

Overview

The Bevy gamification system is a complete platform that helps you engage your community by rewarding member actions with points, badges, and recognition. Whether you run a forum, an event platform, or any community-driven application, the system makes it easier to motivate and retain your members.

What you can gamify

You can reward a wide range of member behaviors:

• Posts and discussions — reward content creation and engagement.
• Event participation — encourage event attendance and registration.
• Community interaction — promote reactions, replies, and social engagement.
• Login activity — build daily habits and consistent engagement.
• Custom actions — track any behavior specific to your platform.

Key benefits

Gamification offers several benefits for your community:

• Increased engagement — members participate more when their actions are rewarded.
• Community building — leaderboards and achievements create friendly competition.
• Behavior guidance — points steer members toward valuable actions.
• Retention — streaks and progression keep members coming back.
• Recognition — you can highlight your most valuable community members.

Get started

Define your goals

Before you set up gamification, identify the behaviors you want to encourage:

• Content creation — posts, topics, and discussions.
• Community engagement — comments, reactions, and sharing.
• Event participation — registrations, check-ins, and attendance.
• Social interaction — building connections and helping others.
• Platform loyalty — regular visits and long-term engagement.

Choose your reward strategy

You can reward members in three main ways: points, achievement badges, and leaderboards.

Points let you assign values to different actions. For example:

• Posts: 10 points
• Comments: 5 points
• Event registration: 25 points
• Daily login: 1 point

Achievement badges mark meaningful milestones. For example:

• "First post" welcomes new members.
• "Event enthusiast" rewards event participation.
• "Community helper" recognizes helpful members.
• "Streak master" celebrates consistent engagement.

Leaderboards show top performers, such as:

• Monthly top contributors.
• All-time community champions.
• Event participation leaders.

Set up your first campaign

Start simple with a basic engagement campaign. The order of these steps matters, so follow them in sequence:

1. Create a scoring system for core actions.
2. Design three to five starter achievements.
3. Enable the leaderboard to show rankings.
4. Test with a small group before a full launch.
5. Monitor results and adjust based on member behavior.

User actions and events

Your gamification system can track and reward many member behaviors.

Core action types

The system groups actions into a few core types.

Content creation:

• Posts — new topics, discussions, or content pieces.
• Replies — responses to existing posts or discussions.
• Reactions — likes, hearts, thumbs up, and other emoji reactions.

Event engagement:

• Event registration — signing up for events.
• Event check-in — arriving at events.
• Event check-out — completing event attendance.

Community participation:

• Login — daily platform visits.
• Chapter membership — joining local chapters or groups.
• Profile updates — completing profile information.

External integrations:

• Custom actions — any behavior from your existing systems.
• Webhook events — actions from third-party platforms.
• Integration events — custom tracking through the Bevy integration tools.

Action metadata

Each action can include extra context that helps with targeting and filtering.

Post actions include:

• Forum or category information.
• Topic details.
• Content type and tags.
• Associated events or chapters.

Event actions include:

• Event details and type.
• Registration cost.
• Check-in method.
• Organizer information.

Reaction Actions Include:

• Type of reaction (👍, ❤️, 🎉, etc.)
• Target content information
• Relationship to the reactor

This metadata enables sophisticated targeting - for example, awarding different points for posts in different forums, or creating achievements specific to certain types of events.

Points and scoring

How scoring works

Points are awarded based on scoring formulas that you configure. Each formula defines:

• Which actions earn points.
• How many points each action is worth.
• Who receives the points.
• When and how often points are awarded.

The following is a basic scoring example:

• Action — a member creates a post.
• Points — 10 points to the post author.
• Limit — a maximum of 5 posts per day earn points.
• Result — encourages quality content creation without spam.

Point recipients

Points can go to two kinds of recipients.

Actor points go to the person performing the action. For example:

• A member creates a post and receives 10 points.
• A member registers for an event and receives 25 points.

Object owner points go to the owner of the content that was acted upon. For example:

• A member reacts to Alice's post, and Alice receives 2 points.
• A member registers for Bob's event, and Bob receives 5 points.

This dual system lets you reward both content creators and the members who inspire engagement.

Rate limits

Control how frequently actions can earn points to prevent members from gaming the system:

• Daily limits — for example, the first 5 posts per day earn 10 points each.
• Weekly limits — for example, up to 3 event registrations per week earn points.
• Monthly limits — for example, a maximum of 50 reactions per month count toward scores.

The system supports three rolling time periods:

• Daily — a rolling 24-hour window.
• Weekly — a rolling 7-day window.
• Monthly — a rolling 30-day window.

Action limits

Set lifetime caps on how many times an action can award points. For example:

• Welcome bonus — the first 10 logins earn 5 points each.
• Onboarding — the first 3 posts earn a bonus of 20 points each.
• Limited rewards — a maximum of 100 reactions can earn points, ever.

Each action supports three settings:

• Unlimited (-1) — the action always earns points, subject to rate limits.
• Limited (number) — the action earns points only that many times in total.
• Disabled (0) — the action never earns points.

Scoring strategies

Choose a scoring strategy that matches your goals.

Engagement focus rewards participation and interaction:

• Posts: 10 points
• Replies: 5 points
• Reactions: 1 point
• Daily login: 2 points

Quality focus rewards valuable contributions:

• Posts: 15 points (limit 3 per day)
• Helpful replies: 8 points
• Event creation: 50 points
• Received reactions: 3 points each

Event focus encourages event participation:

• Event registration: 25 points
• Event check-in: 50 points
• Event posts: 15 points
• Event reactions: 2 points

Achievements and badges

Achievement types

The system supports several achievement types.

Milestone achievements reward reaching specific thresholds:

• "First post" — create your first post.
• "Century club" — make 100 posts.
• "Event enthusiast" — register for 10 events.
• "Community champion" — earn 1,000 total points.

Streak achievements reward consistent behavior:

• "Daily visitor" — log in 7 days in a row.
• "Weekly warrior" — post every week for 4 weeks.
• "Monthly marathoner" — stay active every month for 6 months.

Social achievements reward community building:

• "Popular post" — receive 50 reactions on a single post.
• "Conversation starter" — create 5 posts that each get 10 or more replies.
• "Helper" — reply to 25 different people’s posts.

Special achievements reward unique or rare behaviors:

• "Early bird" — be one of the first 10 people to join.
• "Event host" — organize your first event.
• "Super supporter" — register for premium events.

Achievement logic

Achievements can use simple or complex conditions.

Simple achievements use a single condition that must be met. For example, the "First post" badge:

• Condition — the member has created 1 post.
• Trigger — awarded immediately when the condition is met.

Complex achievements use multiple conditions. For example, the "Community contributor" badge is awarded when all of these are true:

• The member has created 5 or more posts.
• The member has made 10 or more replies.
• The member has registered for 1 or more events.

Streak-based achievements track consecutive activity over time. For example, the "Dedicated member" badge:

• Condition — the member has logged in for 30 consecutive days.
• Trigger — awarded on the 30th consecutive day.
• Reset — the streak resets if a day is missed.

Score-based achievements are triggered by reaching point thresholds. For example, the "High achiever" badge:

• Condition — the member reaches 500 total points.
• Trigger — awarded when the point threshold is crossed.
• Source — points can come from specific scoring categories or from total points.

Achievement progression

Create an achievement series in which each badge builds on the last.

A posting progression might look like this:

• "First post" — 1 post.
• "Getting started" — 5 posts.
• "Regular contributor" — 25 posts.
• "Prolific writer" — 100 posts.
• "Content master" — 500 posts.

An event participation progression might look like this:

• "Event curious" — 1 registration.
• "Event goer" — 5 registrations.
• "Event enthusiast" — 15 registrations.
• "Event fanatic" — 50 registrations.

Badge design tips

Keep a few principles in mind as you design badges:

• Make them meaningful — each badge should represent a real accomplishment.
• Use clear names — a name should immediately convey what was achieved.
• Create visual appeal — distinctive icons help badges feel rewarding.
• Balance difficulty — mix easy early wins with challenging long-term goals.
• Avoid inflation — too many badges lose their meaning.

Anniversary achievements

Anniversary achievements reward members for how long they have been part of your community. They are based on the number of years since a member joined. For example, a member can earn an achievement on their first anniversary, their second anniversary, and so on.

Pin achievements to a profile

Members can highlight selected achievements on their profile. Pinned achievements appear on the member’s profile and in the profile hover card and sidebar that other members see.

An administrator decides which achievements are eligible to be pinned. Members can then choose which of their eligible, earned achievements to show.

Profile titles

A profile title is a label a member earns through an achievement, such as a recognition for being an active contributor. When a member has a title, it appears under their username in several places: the forum hover card, the chat sidebar, and their profile.

Streaks and engagement

How streaks work

Streaks track consecutive periods of member activity, which encourages regular engagement with your platform.

Daily streaks track consecutive days with activity:

• Login streak — visited the platform a set number of days in a row.
• Posting streak — created content a set number of consecutive days.
• Engagement streak — interacted with the community a set number of days running.

Weekly streaks track consecutive weeks with activity:

• Posted every week for a set number of weeks straight.
• Attended events a set number of consecutive weeks.
• Helped others a set number of weeks in a row.

Monthly streaks track consecutive months with activity:

• Active member for a set number of consecutive months.
• Event participant a set number of months running.
• Top contributor a set number of months straight.

Streak mechanics

Streaks follow a few basic rules:

• Building streaks — each consecutive period with qualifying activity extends the streak.
• Maintaining streaks — activity within each period maintains the current streak.
• Breaking streaks — missing a period resets the streak to 0.
• Streak records — the system tracks both current and longest-ever streaks.

Engagement strategies

Use streaks to drive ongoing engagement:

• Streak reminders — notify members when their streaks are at risk.
• Streak celebrations — highlight when members reach streak milestones.
• Streak leaderboards — show who has the longest current streaks.
• Streak recovery — let members repair broken streaks through special actions.

Leaderboards

Leaderboard types

The system offers several leaderboard types.

The global leaderboard shows top members across your entire community:

• Ranked by total points across all activities.
• Updates in real time as members earn points.
• Paginated to handle large communities efficiently.

Category leaderboards provide separate rankings for different activities:

• "Top content creators" — based on posting points.
• "Event champions" — based on event participation points.
• "Community helpers" — based on reply and reaction points.

Time-based leaderboards rank members for specific periods:

• "This month’s top contributors."
• "This week’s most active."
• "Daily engagement leaders."

Leaderboard features

Each leaderboard entry shows details about the member:

• Member ranking and total score.
• Recent achievements earned.
• Current streak information.
• Profile information and avatar.

Members can view leaderboards in different ways:

• Full leaderboard — see the top performers.
• Around me — see your rank alongside nearby members.
• Personal progress — track your own ranking over time.

Privacy controls give members and admins choices:

• Members can opt out of public leaderboards.
• Private scoring categories do not appear in rankings.
• Anonymization options are available for sensitive communities.

Leaderboard strategies

A few strategies keep leaderboards fair and motivating.

Use seasonal resets to give new members a chance to compete:

• Monthly contests with fresh starts.
• Quarterly competitions.
• Annual championship seasons.

Use multiple categories to avoid single-metric dominance:

• Different point categories.
• Different activity types.
• Different time periods.
• Different member segments.

Use recognition programs to celebrate leaderboard achievements:

• Monthly winner announcements.
• Special badges for top performers.
• Featured member spotlights.
• Community recognition events.

Advanced filters

Targeted rewards

Use advanced filters to create reward systems that target specific behaviors or contexts.

Forum-specific rewards award different points based on where content is created:

• "Tech discussion" posts: 15 points
• "General chat" posts: 5 points
• "Help and support" replies: 10 points
• "Announcements" reactions: 2 points

Event-type rewards assign different points for different types of events:

• Premium events ($50): 50 registration points
• Free community events: 25 registration points
• Virtual events: 15 registration points
• In-person events: 35 registration points

Quality-based rewards recognize higher-quality contributions:

• Posts with 10 or more reactions — a bonus of 20 points.
• Replies marked as helpful — a bonus of 15 points.
• Content in featured categories — double the normal points.
• Posts that generate discussion — a bonus based on reply count.

Filter conditions

You can filter on several kinds of conditions.

Content filters:

• Specific forums, categories, or topics.
• Content length or quality indicators.
• Presence of media, links, or formatting.
• Content tags or keywords.

User filters:

• Member roles or membership levels.
• Account age or activity history.
• Geographic location or chapter membership.
• Previous achievement status.

Event filters:

• Event type, cost, or category.
• Event size or popularity.
• Event organizer or location.
• Registration timing, such as early bird or last minute.

Timing filters:

• Specific date ranges or seasons.
• Day of the week or time of day.
• Holiday or special event periods.
• Campaign or promotion windows.

Filter examples

These examples show how filters work together.

A welcome campaign targets new members with extra rewards:

• Filter — the member’s account was created fewer than 30 days ago.
• Bonus — double points for the first 10 actions.
• Goal — help new members get started quickly.

A premium event promotion encourages high-value event registration:

• Filter — event registration cost is $100.
• Reward — 100 points and a special "Premium supporter" badge.
• Goal — promote higher-value events.

A community-building campaign rewards cross-forum engagement:

• Filter — the member posts in 3 or more different forums in one week.
• Reward — a "Community explorer" badge and 50 bonus points.
• Goal — encourage diverse participation.

Management dashboard

Achievement management

Use the visual achievement builder to create achievements through an intuitive interface:

• Drag-and-drop conditions — build complex logic visually.
• Real-time validation — see whether your achievement logic makes sense.
• Preview mode — test achievements against sample member data.
• Template library — start with common achievement patterns.

Use achievement analytics to track how your achievements are performing:

• Completion rates — how many members earn each achievement.
• Time to completion — how long achievements take to earn.
• Popular achievements — which badges members value most.
• Abandoned progress — where members get stuck in achievement paths.

Scoring configuration

Use the formula builder to set up point systems with visual tools:

• Action selection — choose from all available member actions.
• Point assignment — set values for different behaviors.
• Rate limits — configure time-based restrictions.
• Target selection — choose who receives the points.

Use scoring analytics to monitor your point economy:

• Point distribution — how points are spread across members.
• Inflation tracking — monitor whether points are losing value.
• Activity correlation — see which rewards drive behavior.
• Economic balance — keep the point system sustainable.

User management

Track individual member journeys with progress tracking:

• Achievement progress — see what members are working toward.
• Point history — track earning patterns over time.
• Streak status — monitor engagement consistency.
• Leaderboard position — track ranking changes.

Manage members at scale with bulk operations:

• Bulk point awards — grant points to groups of members.
• Achievement grants — award special badges for campaigns.
• Progress resets — handle account issues or policy changes.
• Data exports — extract member data for analysis.

Campaign management

Launch targeted gamification campaigns with campaign creation:

• Time-limited events — special scoring for specific periods.
• Member segment targeting — focus on specific member groups.
• Progressive rewards — escalating benefits over time.
• Comparison testing — compare different reward strategies.

Track campaign effectiveness with performance monitoring:

• Participation rates — how many members engage with campaigns.
• Behavior change — measure the impact on target actions.
• Return on investment — compare costs to engagement benefits.
• Member feedback — collect reactions to campaigns.

API integration

The gamification system connects to your other tools through an application programming interface (API). You can send member actions to Bevy and receive notifications when members earn achievements.

Send events to Bevy

Send member actions to the gamification system through the REST API. The following example sends a post action:

curl -X POST "https://api.bevy.com/gamification/events" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "action_type": "post",
    "user_email": "user@example.com",
    "metadata": {
      "forum_id": 1,
      "post_id": 123,
      "subject": "My Great Post",
      "content": "This is the post content..."
    }
  }'

Use webhooks to receive real-time notifications when achievements are earned. The following example shows an "achievement earned" notification:

{
  "event_type": "achievement_earned",
  "user_id": "user123",
  "achievement": {
    "id": 5,
    "name": "First Post",
    "description": "Created your first post",
    "image_url": "https://assets.bevy.com/gamification/badges/first-post.png"
  },
  "earned_at": "2025-09-11T10:30:00Z"
}

Common integration patterns

Map your platform’s actions to gamification events.

Forum integration tracks discussion and content creation:

• Post creation maps to a "post" event.
• Reply creation maps to a "reply" event.
• Reaction or like maps to a "post_reaction" event.
• Member login maps to a "login" event.

Event platform integration tracks event participation:

• Event signup maps to an "event_registration" event.
• Event attendance maps to an "event_checkin" event.
• Event completion maps to an "event_checkout" event.

E-commerce integration tracks purchases and engagement:

• Product purchase maps to an "external" event with purchase metadata.
• Review creation maps to a "post" event in the reviews forum.
• Account upgrade maps to an "external" event with subscription metadata.

Learning platform integration tracks educational progress:

• Course completion maps to an "external" event with course metadata.
• Quiz completion maps to an "external" event with score metadata.
• Certificate earned maps to an "external" event that triggers a special achievement.

API authentication

All API calls require authentication with your tenant-specific API token. Include the token in the request header:

# Include in headers
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN

# Or as query parameter  
https://api.bevy.com/gamification/events?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN

Rate limits and best practices

Follow these practices when you integrate with the API:

• Rate limits — the API allows 1,000 requests per minute per tenant.
• Batch processing — send multiple events in a single request when possible.
• Error handling — build in retry logic for failed requests.
• Event deduplication — include unique IDs to prevent duplicate processing.

Best practices

Design effective gamification

Start simple:

• Begin with basic points for core actions.
• Add three to five starter achievements.
• Enable leaderboards to show progress.
• Expand complexity based on member response.

Focus on intrinsic motivation:

• Reward behaviors that provide real value.
• Create achievements that feel meaningful.
• Avoid over-gamifying every small action.
• Balance competition with collaboration.

Create clear progression:

• Design achievement series that build on each other.
• Show members their progress toward the next milestone.
• Provide both short-term and long-term goals.
• Make early wins achievable to build momentum.

Engage your community

Celebrate success:

• Announce achievement earners publicly.
• Feature top leaderboard performers.
• Share achievement completion statistics.
• Create special recognition for major milestones.

Encourage healthy competition:

• Use multiple leaderboard categories to prevent single-metric dominance.
• Run time-limited competitions so everyone gets fresh chances.
• Recognize different types of contributions equally.
• Avoid creating a toxic competitive environment.

Build social connection:

• Reward members for helping others.
• Create achievements that require collaboration.
• Show mutual achievements and shared progress.
• Highlight the community impact of individual actions.

Plan your technical implementation

Monitor performance:

• Track achievement completion rates.
• Monitor point inflation and deflation.
• Analyze member engagement patterns.
• Measure the retention impact of gamification.

Iterate based on data:

• Test different reward structures.
• Adjust point values based on member behavior.
• Retire achievements that are not motivating.
• Create new challenges based on member feedback.

Plan for scale:

• Design achievement systems that work as you grow.
• Consider the server load of real-time updates.
• Plan database storage for member progress data.
• Make sure leaderboards perform well with large communities.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Watch out for these common mistakes:

• Over-gamification — do not reward every tiny action; focus on meaningful behaviors.
• Inflation — monitor your point economy so points keep their value.
• Complexity overload — keep rules simple enough for members to understand.
• Unfair competition — make sure new members can compete with established ones.
• Neglected maintenance — regularly review and update achievement systems based on member behavior.