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Games don't just have to be fun
They also need to
look fun,
stay fun,
and monetize effectively
Before anyone decides to try a game, they first see a snippet of gameplay.
This is true 98.8% of the time.
At the top of the funnel, you grab attention from people who have very little to spare.
How will you do it?
Might not be with sick graphics or a great elder game.
Your secret weapon could be curiosity or a unique gameplay twist.
Maybe a novel fantasy or a bit of humor?
See hypercasual games and how they've optimized for top of the funnel.
Sexy shortform video -> game
On mobile, sound's off most likely
Also, did you know that games have to be fun?
Ideally, INSTANT fun
You do not want a tutorial that teaches but does not impress
First a video sells the game, then the FTUE sells it again
Fun for an hour but not fun for a year?
Yeah, that happens
Game loops might not have enough replay value
Or maybe you have a content problem.
MANY reasons for long term retention to fall short
Sometimes fixable late in development, but often the issues are baked in the fundamentals
A game doomed to fail and the team failed to realize?
Yeah, that happens
You also do need to make enough money
No money, no growth
How much?
Depends on the cost of user acquisition
There's a huge range in outcomes here
If you have direct competitors, it is a good idea to overperform them on at least one front
Can you first figure out the fun, then solve for the rest later?
MIGHT work for some types of games, but not recommended tbh.
With existing designs to emulate, you could get ok results with a modular approach:
"Core gameplay + monetization + live ops"
This thinking HAS worked for some games in the past.
In some genres, it has been fine for the so called core game to simply pass the puck to tried and true progression systems.
Tread carefully however
If you are pushing the boundaries with crypto, economy design is key.
Of course don't just focus on things that have little to do with crypto
Disruptive economy ideas can bleed into all other areas of design --> "Economy first" is a good approach.
Even in web2, copy pasta system design on top of a fun game loop won't always cut it.
For many genres or more ambitious goals, this is too good to be true.
Fancy protein and a store-bought sauce can work
But this is not big league cooking
Headed for the big league?
You want a harmonious dish
Season every component
Taste as you go
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