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Mastering Retention Podcast

Ep.81: Attracting users with quality game design

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRWLAjaVb4M⁠

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🎙️ Mastering Retention Podcast: Bridging Educational and Casual Game Design with Amir Dori

Host: Tom Hammond, Co-founder of UserWise

Guest: Amir Dori, Head of Game Design at SciPlay

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Introduction

👋 About Amir Dori:

Head of Game Design at SciPlay, leading the casual games division.

Extensive background in educational game design.

Lecturer in game design, teaching frameworks and best practices.

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Journey into Gaming

🎮 Early Beginnings:

Started creating interactive experiences using PowerPoint and Flash.

Developed independent games and apps, including the viral "iWatermelon Deluxe" app.

Transitioned from being an indie developer to joining larger companies to learn and grow.

🚀 Career Progression:

Joined TabTale (now Crazy Labs) as a game designer.

Later joined Matific, an educational game company, as the sole game designer.

Focused on creating math-based educational games for children from kindergarten to grade 6.

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Educational Game Design

📚 Designing for Education:

Emphasized that in educational games, pedagogy is the priority over metrics.

Collaborated closely with instructional designers and pedagogical experts.

Created games that teach math concepts through intrinsic motivation and engaging narratives.

🎯 Challenges and Considerations:

Navigating political correctness and cultural sensitivities (e.g., avoiding meat in illustrations, representing diversity).

Optimizing games for low-bandwidth environments common in schools.

Ensuring games are accessible and perform well on outdated hardware.

🛠️ LiveOps in Educational Games:

Implemented achievement systems, daily quests, and events to drive engagement.

Events centered around universal themes (e.g., seasons, math Olympics) to avoid cultural or religious sensitivities.

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Transition to SciPlay and Casual Games

🎲 Role at SciPlay:

Joined SciPlay to head the game design of the new casual games division.

Works across multiple studios in different locations (Finland, Turkey, Austin, Tel Aviv).

Focuses on unifying methodologies and sharing best practices among teams.

💡 Approach to Game Design:

Acts as an internal consultant and additional brainpower for studios.

Balances offering guidance with respecting each studio's unique processes and expertise.

Emphasizes the importance of data-driven decisions and understanding player segments.

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Iterating on New Game Ideas

🔍 Market Research and Validation:

Uses competitor analysis and market trends to identify opportunities.

Creates mockup videos to test concepts before full development.

Analyzes metrics like CTR and CPI to gauge interest.

👥 User Testing:

Stressed the importance of observing real players interacting with games.

In educational settings, conducted live usability tests with children.

In casual games, utilizes cloud testing services to gather feedback from target demographics.

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Balancing Core Gameplay and Metagame

⚖️ Core vs. Metagame:

Discussed the shift in match-3 games from core gameplay focus to metagame-driven experiences.

Examples include games like Candy Crush, Homescapes, and Lily's Garden.

Emphasized starting with a lean core game and incrementally adding metagame features based on player engagement.

🎯 Targeting New Audiences:

Explored strategies to attract players who are not currently served by existing games.

Highlighted the importance of understanding why certain demographics are not engaging with specific genres.

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Tips for Improving Player Retention

🔑 Amir's Advice:

Day 1 Retention: Focus on onboarding, first-time user experience, and the game's look and feel.

Day 7 Retention: Enhance the core gameplay loop, game economy, and return triggers to keep players engaged.

Day 30 Retention: Implement live operations, social features, and deeper metagame elements.

Avoid applying solutions that target later retention stages to earlier retention problems.

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Conclusion

🌟 Final Thoughts:

Shared insights on bridging educational and casual game design principles.

Highlighted the importance of adaptability and continuous learning in game development.

Encouraged game designers to focus on player needs and data-driven approaches.

📞 Connecting with Amir Dori:

Open to questions and discussions about game design and player retention strategies.

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