Social Gold: The Design of FarmVille and Other Social Games (Web2Expo 2010)

Social Gold: The Design of FarmVille and Other Social Games
May 5, 2010
Amitt Mahajan - Zynga

Questions to answer
How do I get people to play my game?
How do I get people to tell their friends?
How do I get people to stick around?
How do I get people to invest?

Why do people play social games?
Alleviate boredom
Connect with friends
Competition

Appealing to a wide audience
Choose a broad non-offensive theme
Keep core gameplay simple
Consider international players

Choosing a theme
Broader the better
Appeal to something folks already know
Avoid offensive subjects

Simple design wins
Maintain a natural gameflow
Increase decision points
Reduce UI complexity

Inventory
Capturing a player
Hidden but effective tutorial
Gradually introduce complexity
Focus on non-design challenges as well
More Complex
More Complex
Treasure
Fruit

Cater to different play styles
Players find different types of fun in your game
Provide several ways to win
Get them to interact with each other

One Playstyle

Another Playstyle

Product clarity
Single strong voice
Have a long-term vision for gameplay
Consistent art direction

Art direction
Appeal to a fantasy
Bright and colorful
Avoid excessive detail
Humor adds character

Appeal to a Fantasy

Sound
Music adds atmosphere
Sounds should be un-intrusive
Capture a movie to provide direction on sound

Growing through social
Forcing social causes negative reactions
Integrate social elements into core gameplay
Surface social actions by friends

Different types of social
Light
Pokes, “Likes”
Heavy
Comments, Wall Posts
Have a mixture

Growing through metrics
Metrics help you figure out what works
3 core metrics
Reach
Retention
Revenue
Test your ideas and see what sticks

Increasing retention
Leave your audience wanting more
Remind the player to come back
Let their friends help

Play sessions
Keep them short
Provide a goal for the player
Link sessions together
X

Sustaining players
Regularly scheduled updates
Long term value
Events

Moments of joy
“Cool” events in your game
Make the player feel good
Leverage art to create these

Moments of Joy

Play, invest, express
Engage users first
Make it easy to convert
Surface the value they are receiving
Play Currency
Paid Currency

Allow the reversal of mistakes
Status symbols
Social ROI
Enable expression

Wrap-up
How do I get people to play my game?
Have a simple design and a theme that is relatable
How do I get people to tell their friends?
Make social part of your core gameplay and not forced
How do I get people to stick around?
Give them a reason to come back and something to aspire to
How do I get people to invest?
Engage players and provide an easy way to express themselves

Questions?Twitter: @amittmBlog: www.amitt.com

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Social Gold: The Design of FarmVille and Other Social Games (Web2Expo 2010)

by Amitt Mahajan

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