Designing mobile games for success using constraints, research, and engaging systems
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This document provides guidance on designing successful mobile games. It recommends starting with constraints to focus creativity. Researching app stores reveals recurring patterns in top-grossing and top-paid games. Business models like up-front payment with optional unlocks or free-to-play with microtransactions are discussed. Common successful genres like puzzle, arcade, and tower defense games are also described. The document concludes by outlining key elements for engagement like simple controls, levels of mastery, social features, and viral sharing opportunities.
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Designing mobile games for success using constraints, research, and engaging systems
- 1. Designing mobile games for success
- 2. Using Constraints Designing on a blank sheet is hard Perfection is boring Limitations help focus your creativity Start from success constraints
- 3. Researching the App stores Reveals patterns over time Critical to success Recurring patterns are like pop music chords, use em! Top paid vs Grossing
- 4. Top Grossing Business model F2P Micro-transactions Genres City building/timers Casino Collectibles Hidden Object This is for bigger companies
- 5. Top PaidBusiness model Up front pay with optional Unlocks/DLC Not micro-transactions Genres Retro/Action/Arcade Endless run/jump/fly Puzzle Tower Defense Minecraft
- 6. Business models Don't be a starving artist
- 7. Up front with DLC Works as retail or shareware model Needs a low price, good marketing, and reviews Needs a good core Sales come in waves Needs social long term
- 8. Micro-transactions Cheap, consumable Repeatable Relate to gates like lives, energy refills Or random elements like booster packs, slot machines
- 9. Premium currency Works alongside a free currency Can be used to purchase the free currency Speeds up gaining free things or gives advantages over free players Creates a player divide Best for vanity or collectors
- 10. Genres They work for a reason
- 11. Action/Arcade Instant fun Easy to understand Quick diversion Good feedback
- 12. Puzzle Starts simple and builds complexity Quick to play a puzzle Levels provide variety Physics and Match-3 dominate Learning is fun
- 13. Tower Defense Engaging complexity Not as quick to play Balance of strategy and accessibility Appeals to more mid-core
- 14. Endless High accessibility Simple controls Infinite replayability One more time play Variable excitement
- 15. Elements of success Breaking down the hits
- 16. Choosing a theme Some are evergreen themes for kids: Dinosaurs/Animals, Monsters, Robots, Knights/Dragons, Cars/Trains Some are popular now: Zombies, Raptors, Cats, Lumberjacks, Bears Use a theme people like, it makes marketing so much easier. They need to be interested BEFORE playing.
- 17. Controls Keep it simple Use single taps or simple swipes, don't mix Virtual and tilt controls suck Make tap targets big and spaced
- 18. Duration Where do people play? Toilet Lines Car rides Can you accomplish something in 1 minute? Can you keep going when hooked?
- 19. Engaging systems Psychology matters Intrinsic motivation Autonomy Mastery Purpose
- 20. Autonomy Play how you want, when you want Quick easy to start, hard to stop Fast restart Almost wins and one more times
- 21. Mastery Purely skill based is hard to balance and maintain flow Random elements keep it difficult to fully master Let them plan and luck foil their plans Our brains reward mispredictions
- 22. Purpose Persistent elements give purpose Levels, XP, achievements, high scores, currency, vanity items, unlocks, power ups Make every play matter
- 23. Content designDesign for your content to be systemic or procedural, not consumable Systemic means the gameplay is defined by the rules and systems like Tetris and Collectable strategy Procedural means the levels are generated algorithmically on the fly, remixing content pieces Algorithms and random elements keep costs low and
- 24. Social designKeep multiplayer asynchronous or passive with leaderboards Real time multiplayer is expensive, complex, and sucks on mobile Use built-in social functions of game centers, social graphs, and texting Allow playing and friending random players Gifting/trading makes economies harder to manage
- 25. Endgame play Endgame is when players are done with the main content Things to do: PvP/Coop, Clans, Events, Player content Social stays fresh, you don't make people! Player created content and expression are awesome
- 26. Virality Marketing is expensive, design your game to encourage sharing Players share humor/topical references, exciting moments, created content, and achievements Make it easy to share and talk about these What would make a popular Let's Play video?
- 27. Platforms Keep in mind smaller growing mobile and console platforms where competition is smaller Ouya, Windows 8, Tizen, Web portals Html5 and Unity!
- 28. Questions? Write them down and ask away! There's much more detail than time, hope you learned how to look! Available for design consulting if you liked this! devin@devinbecker.com Thanks!