Gamifying pleasure with Connect Collection

CalExotics Founder and CEO, Susan Colvin, offers a glimpse into their product design process, dives into the popularity of gamification and offers merchandising tips for the Connect Collection and other app-based toys.

(Note: This article was published in the April 2026 issue of SE Magazine.)

The rapid growth of app-connected pleasure products has reshaped how consumers interact with intimate technology, and the CalExotics Connect Collection continues to lead the way. What began as a niche feature offering remote access to device controls has evolved into a category centered on interactivity, personalization and digital engagement. CalExotics is helping to push that evolution forward, delivering consumers an expanding line of app-enabled toys designed to blend intuitive design with immersive technology.

With the introduction of three new products, the Explorer, Warming Wand and Advanced Probe, the Connect Collection continues to broaden its appeal to both first-time users and tech-savvy shoppers.

“Connect is about making pleasure approachable, fun and interactive,” says Susan Colvin, Founder and CEO of CalExotics. “We want users to feel confident exploring, whether they’re new to app-based toys or already experienced. Our new products and app features make that easier than ever, while giving retailers a standout collection that draws attention in-store.”

At the center of the experience is the Love Spouse app, which introduces a range of gamified features and interactive controls designed to make app-based pleasure approachable, entertaining and customizable. Together, they create an experience that appeals to both retailers and consumers alike.

Turning tech into play

One of the most distinctive features of the CalExotics Connect Collection is its gamified app functions. More than simply providing partners with remote access to a toy’s controls, the Love Spouse app incorporates interactive features like Game Mode, Draw, Shake and Music Mode, transforming the experience from passive engagement to active participation.

Colvin explains that gamifying the experience was key when designing the collection. “Gamification makes the Connect Collection approachable and fun,” she says. “It helps reduce anxiety for first-time users and encourages exploration at the user’s own pace.”

Many consumers, particularly those who are new to pleasure products, can feel intimidated at first. However, gamification helps lower their guard a bit and makes customers less uneasy during the purchasing process.

“By turning play into an interactive experience, we made the toys less intimidating while appealing to tech-savvy and younger consumers.”

“By turning play into an interactive experience, we made the toys less intimidating while appealing to tech-savvy and younger consumers.”

— Susan Colvin, CalExotics Founder & CEO

Interactive tech design

In addition to playing a major role in the user experience, gamification also influenced the design of the products themselves. The newest additions to the Connect Collection were developed with the app’s interactive features in mind from the very beginning, ensuring compatibility and overall customer satisfaction.

The Explorer, for example, was engineered to accommodate flexible vibration patterns to sync with the app’s Game Mode. The Warming Wand was designed to combine its optional heat feature with interactive app modes, allowing for more sensory feedback that enhances the immersive experience. Meanwhile, the Advanced Probe was designed to respond intuitively to the app’s various modes, providing precise, real-time control for users who want a more customizable interaction.

“The gamified elements shaped everything from vibration patterns to ergonomics,” Colvin tells us. “Gamification wasn’t just a feature—it was a design lens for the entire collection.”

Consumer feedback

Early feedback from retailers suggests that the Connect Collection’s interactive features are resonating strongly with shoppers, with many store owners reporting that tech-forward customers are immediately drawn to the Love Spouse app’s gamified elements. At the same time, the playful interface is making the collection more accessible for first-time buyers who might otherwise feel hesitant about sex toys.

“Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” Colvin notes. “The ability to explore without feeling pressured helps reduce intimidation, and many customers comment on how fun it is to experiment with different modes and patterns.”

For adult retailers, that sense of discovery can translate into stronger customer engagement, particularly when shoppers are encouraged to explore the products through demonstrations or testers.

The collection’s gamified features also align with the expectations of younger customers who are accustomed to digital engagement being integrated into nearly every aspect of their lives. For this demographic, pleasure technology that includes digital interactions feels less like a novelty and more like a natural extension of experiences they’re already familiar with. From a retail perspective, the result is an exciting product category that encourages experimentation, repeat use and shareable experiences.

“The ability to explore without feeling pressured helps reduce intimidation, and many customers comment on how fun it is to experiment with different modes and patterns.”

— Susan Colvin, CalExotics Founder & CEO

More than a passing trend

While gamified sex toys may be considered a novelty by some, Colvin believes they represent a much broader shift in the pleasure industry. “Gamification is more than a trend,” she explains. “It’s shaping the future of app-based pleasure. Consumers increasingly expect interactive, tech-enhanced experiences.”

Her advice to retailers? Hop on board now if you don’t want to get left behind.

“Retailers who embrace this now can set themselves apart and offer a category that continues to grow with innovation and engagement.”

Within the CalExotics Connect Collection, several products have already proven to be strong performers for retailers, indicating that app-based toys are here to stay. Among the current best-sellers are Connect Venus Butterfly, Panty Teaser and Couples Ring, each offering different forms of app-enabled control and wearable functionality. The newly introduced Explorer, Warming Wand, and Advanced Probe have also generated significant early interest, particularly among retailers seeking versatile additions that appeal to a wide range of shoppers.

Merchandising app-based toys

When it comes to merchandising, Colvin recommends retailers treat app-based toys as a distinct and interactive category rather than blending them into the store’s traditional category displays.

“App-based toys perform best when highlighted as part of an interactive, tech-forward display,” she explains. “Clear signage explaining app compatibility and gamified features helps shoppers understand what makes these products unique.”

While most retailers choose to organize products by their respective categories, Colvin recommends creating a dedicated section for the Connect Collection, creating a stronger visual impact and helping shoppers see the range of available options at a glance.

“While they can sit near traditional vibrators, a dedicated Connect section encourages exploration and showcases the collection’s full interactive potential.”

To help retailers successfully launch and merchandise the Connect Collection, CalExotics provides a range of in-store support materials designed to simplify the sales process. These include branded shelving displays, tester units and marketing videos that demonstrate the app’s functionality to play in stores.

Training materials are also available to guide sales associates in demonstrating the app’s features, gamified modes and AI functionality, allowing them to engage with customers confidently. Their goal is to equip retailers with tools that make the category feel accessible rather than intimidating, even to those who aren’t as tech savvy.

“Retailers who embrace this now can set themselves apart and offer a category that continues to grow with innovation and engagement.”

— Susan Colvin, CalExotics Founder & CEO

A guide for sales associates

For adult retail employees, demonstrating app-based toys on the sales floor doesn’t require complex tech knowledge. It simply requires some basic knowledge of using the app’s interactive features, most of which customers will have little or no experience with.

“Keep demonstrations simple and playful,” Colvin recommends. “Show one or two features in a tester or video, such as Draw Mode or Music Mode, and let customers try it for themselves. Framing the experience as a game rather than ‘tech-heavy’ makes it approachable and fun.”

When customers get a hands-on demonstration, they’re more likely to see the products as entertaining and engaging rather than dismissing them as too complicated.

Addressing privacy concerns

As with most app-based devices, some consumers may have privacy concerns and ask questions about data storage. Considering the intimate nature of these products, their concerns are completely valid.

“We reassure customers that the app is secure,” says Colvin. “The toys in the Connect Collection can also be used manually without the app.”

According to its listing in the Google Play Store, the Love Spouse app utilizes advanced encryption technology to protect user privacy and data, including each user’s personal information and usage records. The developer claims the app doesn’t collect user data or share it with third parties.

Providing testers, videos and hands-on demonstrations can also help eliminate uncertainty, as it allows the customer to see exactly how the technology works. Once shoppers see the interface and get an idea of how it works, many of their initial concerns quickly disappear.

The future of gamified pleasure

As the pleasure industry continues to evolve, interactive technology is likely to play an increasingly central role in product development.

For adult retailers, app-based toys represent more than just a new product category; they offer an opportunity to engage consumers in ways that traditional toys cannot.

“Gamified features create memorable, shareable experiences,” Colvin explains, “which strengthen customer engagement and encourage repeat use.”

Products like those found in the CalExotics Connect Collection demonstrate how technology, design and gamification can merge to create experiences that feel both innovative and accessible. By embracing app-based sex toys and effectively merchandising them in stores, retailers can position themselves at the forefront of a growing category that blends pleasure with digital interaction.

And if current consumer response is any indication, the future of gamified pleasure is only just getting started.

For more information, visit calexotics.com.