Holding mechanics in games
Let’s say you made a game. Let’s say that it is not bad or even good! Players come into it, download it, but they just don’t stay for long. What is the reason? How to win the love of a gamer and get him hooked on your product?
In computer games, one of the most revealing metrics is retention. It determines how much players enjoy coming back to the game and spending time in it. Again and again.
You probably already know this, but just in case, let me remind you:
Retention Rate is calculated as the ratio of users who returned to the product to the number of users who installed it on a certain date.
Typically, the three most indicative periods for such “returnees” are used:
1) Those who returned the next day (1-day retention is considered for them)
2) Users who returned after a week (7-day retention)
3) Players who continue to play after a month (28-day retention)
Advice: if you decide to calculate retention for a game, it is better to take the rolling retention rate (repeating retention). It more clearly demonstrates the return of users, since it takes into account not only users who returned on a specific date, but also those who logged in later on any other day (think for yourself, maybe this very specific day fell on a major holiday or there was simply a power outage in the whole area and the game has absolutely nothing to do with it). You can read more about retention, as well as see examples of SQL queries for the report. here.
But what influences the share of these most returning players? And how to increase it?
For this there are so-called retention mechanics. But not everything is so simple with them. You can’t just stuff your game with all possible features and expect stellar performance. 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, collectors of achievements). They are also called one not very decent word (I think you can guess who they are talking about). The main motivation for them to continue playing is awards, achievements, bonuses, titles. They want to collect as much as possible! Earn all hidden and open achievements, win the rarest titles to feel special. And, of course, simply because they like to collect everything =)
Explorers (researchers). These guys love exploring the world of the game. Going through all the question marks in The Witcher, discovering all the hidden map fragments in Heroes or Civilization (even if victory is already in hand) – this is what gives them an irresistible excitement, motivating them to come back and play again. Not a single new quest or seasonal event will pass their attention.
Killers (killers, killers). This type of user doesn’t exactly like to “kill,” it’s more of a metaphor here. They love to be first, to be winners, to trample their opponents into the dirt, even if it is a chess tournament (and there is no talk of killing in the literal sense). Killers care about status and rating. Always be the first, always the best! It is for victory, for staying at the top, that they will return to the game.
Socializers (social workers). People who value communication and interaction with other people. The ability to share with friends, challenge people they know, even just chat with another living person in the world of the game is what makes it attractive to them.
Most players have traits of each of the four types, but usually one of the traits is dominant. And it is this that determines the behavior and motivation of the user in the game.
The foreplay is over, now let’s get down to business. First, remember: you won’t be able to satisfy everyone’s needs right away. Some people will like the game more, some less. For some, one feature will be addictive, for others, another. 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 the game more attractive to the user and, accordingly, increase return to it.
1. Simplicity and nativeness
It’s not just about gameplay. Everything in the game should work “like native”: tutorial, settings, controls and, of course, the gameplay itself. The point is that the user does not have questions about where everything is and how it works. You didn’t need to read the instructions to figure it out. “I went in, poked it, it worked!” – this should be the ideal start to the game for the player, so that it does not scare him away. Well, then it all depends on the specific product =)
2. Competent narrative
Not to be confused with the plot! The plot is just a part of the narrative that reveals the story and sets the sequence for events. It itself includes the complete design of the game. The narrative is set through sounds, interface, characters, music, gameplay… In a good game it is thought out and present in everything.
3. Gradual progress and content disclosure
Users like to discover something new, go through the story, gradually discover levels, characters, and new mechanics. Remember this. You shouldn’t dump a sea of opportunities and information on the user from the very first minutes. Limit it. Firstly, this will avoid cognitive overload. Secondly, it will give you the opportunity to rest before the update is released. And thirdly, it will create intrigue. Will sow the seed of interest in the minds of your users. After all, if, as we progress through the game, we gradually learn that there is something else in it that we did not know about, we want to continue playing, anticipating what will happen next!
4. Awards
Praise your users! Let them know that they are dear to you and their actions bring some results. Rewards come in different forms: tangible and intangible, status and many others. We will talk about them in a separate article. To retain and return the user, one thing is important – that there are rewards, that there are enough of them (but not too many, otherwise they can be devalued), that they are valuable and that they are suitable for a specific product. Agree, it would be strange to get plate armor in Candy Crush =)
5. A clear and understandable goal (followed by another, and so on)
The player must understand why he performs this or that action. Give him the task as clearly as possible, do tasks of varying complexity. Balance tasks and levels not only in terms of complexity, but also in terms of volume (volume of game space, completion time, amount of content), rewards (economy balance), and events. Use goals of different durations (short-, medium-, long-term). Experiment with presentation format.
6. Game events and ongoing game support
A great way to remind players about the game (and as a result increase their return) is seasonal events and content updates! Seasons work, this has already been proven in a million projects, and not only gaming ones. Remember “Black Friday” – this is the same event, the purpose of which is to attract more customers to stores. Events and updates may vary, and there are two things to keep in mind:
1) New content should be truly NEW (and not the same thing, just in a different color or with a bow on top) and high-quality (don’t just do it, it’s better to do updates less often, but do them wisely).
2) Keep your players informed. Send push notifications, change the design of the game icon, send mailings. Choose the method that works best for you and your audience. It is important that as many players as possible know that there is something new in the game.
7. 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 feature, but also a social feature)… Anything. People are attracted by the opportunity to communicate and interact with a real person, and not just with bots and non-writers. Take advantage of this.
8. No advertising or bugs
When attaching various “goodies” to the game, do not forget about the main thing: the game should work well, not crash, and not be overwhelmed by a bunch of pop-up ads. This is what irritates me the most. Once you lose a user, it will be very difficult to get him back. Therefore, first polish your product, play it yourself, let your friends and acquaintances play it to make sure that it works correctly. And only then show it to the general public.
And the last, most important piece of advice: play the game wisely, use common sense and rely on analytics data. In this case, it will be much easier for you to succeed than if you blindly follow the advice of other people and articles. Everything has already been invented and written 100,500 times, everything is freely available and everyone reads it. But for some reason, some games bring in millions, while others fall into oblivion. Try, think, invent. Treat the game as creativity, as your brainchild. And let everything work out!
