Let’s say you’ve made a game. Let’s say it’s not bad, or even good! Players log in, download it, but they don’t stay for long. What’s the reason? How can you win the gamer’s love and get them hooked on your product?
In computer games, one of the most indicative metrics is retention. It determines how much players enjoy returning to the game and spending time in it. Again and again.
For this, there are so-called retention mechanics. But not all of them are so simple. You can’t just take your game, cram it full of every possible feature, and expect stellar results. Each product has its own specific mechanics, adapted to the specific requests and needs of users. And they, in turn, depend on the types of players.
The following types are distinguished:
Achievers (collectors, hoarders, achievement gatherers). They are also referred to by a not-so-decent word (I think you can guess who we’re talking about). Their main motivation to continue playing is rewards, achievements, bonuses, and titles. They want to collect as much as possible! To earn all the hidden and open achievements, to win the rarest titles, to feel special. And, of course, simply because they like to collect and hoard everything =)
Explorers. These guys like to explore the game world. Running through all the question marks in The Witcher, discovering all the hidden fragments of the map in Heroes or Civilization (even if victory is already in their hands) — that’s what gives them an irresistible thrill that motivates them to come back and play again. Not a single new quest or seasonal event will escape their attention.
Killers. This type of user doesn’t necessarily like to “kill”; it’s more of a metaphor here. They like to be first, to be winners, to trample their opponents into the dirt, even if it’s a chess tournament (and we’re not talking about murder in the literal sense here). Status and ratings are important to killers. Always be the first, always be the best! It is for victory, for staying at the top, that they will return to the game.
Socializers. People who value communication and interaction with other people. The opportunity to share with friends, challenge acquaintances, or even just chat with another living person in the game world is what makes it attractive to them.
Most players have traits of each of the four types, but as a rule, one trait is dominant. And it is this trait that determines the user’s behavior and motivation in the game.
The prelude is over, now let’s get down to business. First, remember: you can’t satisfy everyone’s needs at once. Some people will like the game more, some less. One feature will be addictive for some, another for others. Therefore, decide which type of audience you will target first and which of them is more suitable for your specific game (by the way, you can find this out by looking at the behavior of players in your game through analytics tools or live tests).
Below, I will give some more or less universal techniques, or rather tips, on how to make a game more attractive to users and, accordingly, increase their return rate.
- Simplicity and native feel
This is not just about gameplay. Everything in the game should feel “natural”: the tutorial, settings, controls, and, of course, the gameplay itself. The point is that the user should not have any questions about where things are and how they work. They shouldn’t have to read the instructions to figure it out. “I went in, poked around, and it worked!” — this is how the game should start for the player so that it doesn’t scare them away.
- Competent narrative
Not to be confused with the plot! The plot is only part of the narrative, revealing the story and setting the sequence of events. The narrative itself includes the entire design of the game. The narrative is set through sounds, interface, characters, music, gameplay… In a good game, it is well thought out and present in everything.
- Gradual progress and content disclosure
Users like to discover something new, go through the story, gradually unlock levels, characters, and new mechanics. Keep this in mind. Don’t overwhelm the user with a flood of possibilities and information from the very first minutes. Limit them. First, this will avoid cognitive overload. Second, it will give you a chance to take a break before releasing an update. And thirdly, it will create intrigue. It will sow the seeds of interest in the minds of your users. After all, if as we progress through the game we gradually discover that there is something else in it that we didn’t know about, we want to continue playing, anticipating what will happen next!
- Rewards
Praise your users! Let them know that they are important to you and that their actions bring results. There are different types of rewards: material and immaterial, status-related, and many others. We will discuss them in a separate article. To retain and bring back users, one thing is important: there must be rewards, there must be enough of them (but not too many, otherwise they can become devalued), they must be valuable and suitable for the specific product.
- A clear and understandable goal (followed by another, and so on)
The player must understand why they are performing a particular action. Set the task as clearly as possible, make the tasks of varying difficulty. Balance the tasks and levels not only in terms of difficulty, but also in terms of volume (the volume of the game space, the time it takes to complete, the volume of content), rewards (economic balance), and events. Use goals of varying duration (short-, medium-, and long-term). Experiment with the format of presentation.
- Game events and ongoing game support
A great way to remind players about the game (and, as a result, increase their return rate) is through seasonal events and content updates! Seasonal events work; this has been proven by millions of projects, and not just gaming ones. Remember Black Friday — it’s the same event, with the goal of attracting more shoppers to stores. Events and updates can vary, and here are two things to keep in mind:
- New content must be truly NEW (not just the same thing with a different color or a bow on top) and high-quality (don’t just do it for the sake of doing it; it’s better to update less often, but do it wisely).
- Keep your players informed. Send push notifications, change the design of the game icon, send out newsletters. Choose the most suitable method for you and your audience. It is important that as many players as possible know that something new has appeared in the game.
- Social component
It can be expressed differently in different games. Teams, guilds, the ability to invite a friend, PVP battles, ratings (yes, ratings and leaderboards are not only a status symbol, but also a social feature)… Anything. People are attracted by the opportunity to communicate and interact with real people, not just bots and text. Take advantage of this.
- No ads or bugs
When adding various “goodies” to the game, don’t forget the main thing: the game should work well, not crash, and not bombard players with pop-up ads. This is what annoys people the most. Once you lose a user, it will be very difficult to get them back. So first, get your product right, play it yourself, let your friends and acquaintances play it to make sure it works properly. Only then should you show it to the general public.
And the last, most important piece of advice: make your game wisely, use common sense, and rely on analytics data. In this case, it will be much easier for you to achieve success than if you blindly follow the advice of other people and articles. Everything has already been thought of and written about 100,500 times, everything is freely available, and everyone reads it. But for some reason, some games make millions, while others fade into obscurity. Try, think, and invent. Treat the game as a creative endeavor, as your brainchild. And may everything work out!