Session Reminder
An on-screen prompt that periodically tells a player how long they have been playing and often how much they have spent.
Definition
A session reminder is a pop-up or banner that interrupts continuous play at set intervals to display how long the current session has lasted and, on many sites, the net amount won or lost. It is closely related to the reality check, and the terms are often used interchangeably, with 'session reminder' emphasising the elapsed-time element. Its purpose is to counter the way absorbing, fast-paced play distorts a person's sense of time and money — dissociation that can lead to longer, larger sessions than intended. By forcing a brief pause and a factual summary, the reminder gives the player a moment to make a conscious choice to continue, take a break, or stop. It is a gentle nudge, not a hard stop, so its effectiveness depends on the player actually reading and acting on it.
Worked example
Sixty minutes into a session, play pauses and a box states the elapsed time and the current net loss, with buttons to continue or log out — prompting the player to notice that far more time has passed than they realised.
Why it matters
Learners see how simple feedback counters the loss of time-awareness that immersive games can cause. Professionals should tune reminder frequency and clarity so the prompt genuinely registers rather than becoming background noise a player dismisses automatically.