How Random Number Generators Power a Fair and Exciting Gaming Experience

Part of the reason gaming is so appealing is the element of control that players feel. You input actions and, for the most part, the results are predictable. If you play well enough, you will progress. If you don’t, you’ll respawn and get to try again. 

Yet if gaming loops were too predictable, some of that appeal would be lost. A little bit of unpredictability increases the excitement, difficulty, and replayability of a game.

Most genres contain a lot more random elements than you might first expect. That critical hit you just landed. That was random.

The encounter you just had on the map. Random, too. The type of loot you picked up. You guessed it, that was random too. 

Randomness in games is controlled by algorithms known as Random Number Generators (RNGs). Here, we’ll explore what they are and how they come into play.

What Is an RNG and How Do They Work?

An RNG is a system that generates a random number. True random number generators use physical data that is inherently unpredictable, such as thermal noise or radioactive decay.

Video games utilize pseudo-random number generators, software that uses a seed number to generate an outcome.

Although they technically replicate randomness, these algorithms are highly unpredictable yet capable of producing statistical consistency over very large samples. They also have the advantage of being much more practical than measuring radioactive decay.

RNG Accuracy and Trustworthiness

In standard video games, it’s not super important for RNGs to be close to truly random. As long as your critical hit lands close to the assigned percentage, or rare loot drops around about as often as it should, the RNG has done its job. 

When real money is involved, such as in loot paid for with microtransactions, or particularly casino gaming, RNGs need to be very effective and much closer to truly random. This requires greater computational power to achieve a higher level of entropy. 

When playing Bitcoin slot games, the entire game and the player’s experience of it is built around having a trustworthy RNG.

Each slot game has a Return to Player (RTP) percentage that tells the player the expected return and house edge. For example, a 95% RTP means an average of $0.95 is paid back for every $1 wagered on the slot. 

The RNG is responsible for distributing these payouts in a random, yet fair way. In the short term, the distribution can be wild and the volatility is part of the excitement. In the long run, over thousands or millions of spins, it should payout according to the RTP. 

In the casino of online casinos, then, very often the RNG will be independently audited or provably fair. 

RNGs in Video Games – More Than Just Luck

RNGs are not just about making the player have a lucky or unlucky moment. They add variety to the experience. Here are just some of the ways RNGs are used in video games:

Critical hits and damage

RPGs, roguelites, combat games and shooters will often have damage ranges that are randomly determined.

For example, a certain sword or attack might do 7-12 damage, with the actual outcome determined by an RNG.

Similarly, critical hits have a particular probability of triggering, as do status effects and other elements of battle.

Loot drops 

Loot drops in games like Fortnite contain randomized weapons and tools, while chests in adventure or RPG games will often contain either random items or a percentage chance of giving a rare item.

Loot boxes that are bought via microtransactions also have a chance of awarding rare drops. All of this is controlled by RNGs, which in the case of paid loot boxes have to be very accurate and fair. 

NPC behavior 

Non-playable characters are often randomized to add variety and unpredictability to adventure games, particularly those with big open world maps.

This creates novel experiences for players as the roam between main objectives, ensuring no two trips across the landscape are the same. This could extend to interactions, vehicles, or random encounters.

Procedural generation

RNGs are also used in video games to generate vast amounts of content or endlessly novel runs.

No Man’s Sky used this technique to generate quintillions of planets within a virtual space, Borderlands uses it to generate millions of weapons and accessory variations, and Minecraft randomly generates worlds with different biomes and resources.

Roguelike games depend on randomly generated levels and events to add endless variety.

RNGs Are the Hidden System Behind Fair Play

RNGs are an invisible force that is often at work whenever you play video games, as well as in the more obvious case of casino gaming.

Without this element of randomness, the video games that rely on them wouldn’t be as enjoyable. Imagine if a slot machine played out in a predictable pattern.

It would become either boring or exploitable, or both. Imagine roaming the map on GTA and seeing the exact same cars and happening on the street every time. Again, not so fun. 

Behing the scenes, making games as great as they are, the RNG is always running, adding unpredictability, randomness, and almost infinite possibilities.