The document outlines key design patterns for free-to-play mobile and tablet games by Henric Suuronen, focusing on aspects such as core loop design, session management, and monetization strategies. It emphasizes the necessity of creating engaging and emotionally impactful gameplay experiences, with an emphasis on social interactions and event-driven engagement for long-term player retention. Additionally, it highlights the importance of adapting game mechanics for touch interfaces and maintaining a balance between complexity and accessibility.

1. Killer Design Patterns for F2P
mobile/tablet games
Henric Suuronen
President & Co-Founder
Nonstop Games

2. Henric Suuronen
@henricgames
Director or PM
Helsinki/Barcelona
Head of Studio
Berlin
Co-Founder
Singapore
Speaker Profile

4. Coming Soon

5. Fun Patterns
Killer Designs Patterns for F2P
mobile/tablet games
Economy Patterns Social Patterns

6. #1:
Core Loop Design

7. Core Loop is the Heart of the Game

8. Core Loop Design
Source: www.deconstructoroffun.blogspot.com

9. Good Game Loop?
• Real-life simulation
• Fun 1 time – Fun 1000 times
• Few steps (4-6 max)
• PvP or Trading element
• Smart-Depth
• Good Closure (session
management)

10. Smart-Depth
An extra layer ON the core
game loop that adds strategy
and more „game‟
- Placing Units More with Thought
- Placing buildings optimally (=defenses)
- Planning optimal builder assignment

11. Common loop mistakes
• Object disappears at the end
• User does not get in-game money
from the Core loop -> focus else
• Too complex/imaginary
• Slow animations -> not responsive
• Several Game Loops
• Too simple

12. Core Loop Confusing

13. #2:
Session Design

14. #2: Session Design
Game should encourage frequent short sessions but also
allow longer sessions
>10 10 min sessions per day
What do you do?
Can you enjoy game for
longer sessions?

15. Frequent Session Support
“Supercell‟s two games are now
played by 8.5 million people every
day, who play the games 10
times per day on average.”
APRIL 17, 2013

16. “AC” –mechanic great
http://henricsuuronen.com/blog/the-ac-mechanic/
Quickly becoming
standard in successful
games.
Great for:
• Click distribution
• Short game session
• Progression balance
• “Smth to do”

17. How to do Session Stop?
Pure Facebook Energy
mechanic not optimal

18. Great Session Stop
Losing units (even surviving ones) creates a GREAT session
stop in addition to strategical layer

19. #3:
Made for Touch

20. #3: Made for Touch
• Touch Requires a
different UI than desktop
• Still too much point and
click
• Users expect to be able
to pinch & swipe
• No compromises

21. Bad Porting UI – not touch friendly

22. Difficult to train Troops
3 cluttered screens needed to train troops?

23. Tailor-made for Touch
Big pics that you swipe

24. #4:
The “Wow”

25. #4: The “WoW”
• Deliver NEW Emotion
• Sets you apart from the
800000 other apps
• Makes you memorable
• Creates best virality: real
word of mouth.
• Can be small details

26. “Wow” Examples: Visual Awe

27. “Wow”: Crazy Achievement

28. “WoW”: Pinch zoom transition

29. “Wow”: New Mechanic

30. “Wow”: Funny Easter Eggs

31. Fun Patterns Economy Patterns Social Patterns

32. #5:
Progression
Planning

33. #5: Progression planning
Basic Check-List
• First session progression
• Screenshot after first session
• 1 week objective defining
• The 6 month player “art test”
• The “tile test” calculation
• Complexity progression
• Balancing, balancing, balancing
Tightly related to monetization & LTV

34. Unlock Features Progressively
• Un-lock new features or
resources at 3 days, 1 week,
1 month, 2 months of play
• Don’t have new players
overwhelmed
• High-level players bulk of
revenue, the new stuff will
increase their retention

35. Great support for High-level Player

36. #6:
Monetization
and LTV

37. #6: Monetization Design
• When doing F2P you must
know math
• No money cap
• Console Companies clueless
• Can you spend >$5000?
• LTV importance

38. Asian Style Items Evolvement can
lead to high LTV

39. Free 2 Play – Not Pay to win!

40. Fun Patterns Economy Patterns Social Patterns

41. #7:
Real Social
Patterns

42. This is NOT social!

43. #7: Real Social Patterns
PvP, Co-op
UGC
Trading
Chatting
Forming Alliances
Sending resources
Helping newbies

44. Social is often time sensitive
Great for mobile & Push Notif.
PvP
Fantasy Sports
Trading
Bidding

45. Great Social Casino
• Most social casino
• Player Profiles
• Gifting (real money)
• Messaging
• Status
• “Flirting”

46. Great Active Chat
• Social Glue
• Very active
• Social feeling
• Means of
communication
• Strategies,
resources sending
• Make new friends

47. See the your Friends - competition

48. #8:
Events

49. #8: Plan for Events
• Western publishers suck –
Asia Rules!
• Events critical for long-term
• Events are social
• Events drive monetization
• Kings of this in Asia

50. Puzzle & Dragons events
• Game Feels fresh
• Special enemies that
require special units to beat
• Bosses
• Special Item Drops
• Themes
Continue to
monetize high
LTV players

51. Fun Patterns Economy Patterns Social Patterns

52. #1
Core Loop
#2
Session Mngmt
#3
Made for Touch
#4
The “Wow”
#5
Progression
#6
Monetization
#7
Real Social
#8
Events

53. “I think game
design is the
new MBA”
Bing Gordon
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-07-
23-game-industry-legends-bing-gordon
Great Times for Game Design

54. Great Times for Game Design
“The San Francisco school of making
games", where "you can optimise your
way to everything: design doesn't
matter, you can test everything and
iterate your way to the end"
"Sure, they (Supercell) track analytics,
but they make decisions based on
what feels right from a design
perspective. Instead of analysing
things to death, they step back and
say 'how do we make this a more-fun
game?‟
KRISTIAN SEGERSTRÅLE 2013
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2
013/may/30/supercell-kristian-segerstrale-free-to-
play-games

56. RETURN GAME DESIGNEROF
THE
Mobile Wars

57. Slides available on:
www.nonstop-games.com

58. Henric Suuronen
@henricgames
Thank you!
Questions?