A presentation we gave at the Game Unconference 2012. Lessons learned in the designing a mobile asynchronous game for groups of players.

1. Asynchronous Group Play:
Challenges and Solutions
Simon Reisman, Nov 2012

2. “The President” Pilot

3. Distribution of game-sessions by number of players
17%
15% 68%
40% of players started a game with
more than 2 players

4. Why group games for
friends?

5. • Group Dynamics
• Playful Communication
• Diversity

6. Group games are fun
but rarely happen

7. Real time is NOT an
option

8. Challenge:
Long time to wait for
your turn

9. Solution:
Multiple game-sessions
concurrently

11. Average of 3 game-sessions

12. Challenge:
Wait for other players
before starting the game

13. Solution:
Act right after joining the
game

17. Challenge:
Can’t join a game that
already started

18. Solution:
Join the game anytime

23. Challenge:
Turn satisfaction vs.
waiting time

24. Solution:
Short action-packed turns

25. VIDEO

26. Daily Moves per User
10
Pilot Results
1.2
Industry Standard

27. Challenge:
Balancing skill-based
game

28. Solution:
Randomness & power-ups

30. Challenge:
Games are stuck forever

31. Solutions
• Rewards
• Reminders
• Auto-skip and auto-resign

32. @joinstix facebook.com/joinstix