As a behavioral designer who’s studied game mechanics for years, I’ve noticed something strange: we don’t play mini-games for the wins. We play because of the rhythm—the dopamine hit when the numbers align, the tension in the pause before the reveal. In this piece, I break down how games like *Money Rat* tap into primal patterns of reward, control, and anticipation. It’s not about luck—it’s about psychology. And yes, there’s a real jackpot: feeling alive.