#GameDev

If your game doesn’t have fun core gameplay, stop reading this. (No system can rescue boring gameplay)Let me guess:You’ve got decent gameplay.Cool graphics.A few rewards here and there.But players are leaving. Why?Because you’re NOT thinking about systems.Retention doesn’t happen by accident.It’s BUILT.Your players don’t stay for shiny features.They stay because they feel something:• A sense of growth.• A bond with friends.• The thrill of a challenge.Build systems around what keeps players.Here’s how:1. Progression↳ Make players feel like every session moves them forward.2. Competition↳ Design moments where they WANT to beat the person next to them.3. Emotion↳ Give them a reason to care beyond stats and wins.Stop blaming retention on external factors.Retention is YOUR responsibility.

Sorry, but your game features aren’t USPs. Here’s why: 𝟭. 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 ↳ Players expect your game to have upgrades, boosters, weapons, cool graphics, etc. ↳ A USP makes your game truly memorable – like a unique narrative or a fresh gameplay twist. 𝟮. 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗱, 𝗨𝗦𝗣𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 ↳ Competitors can copy features. ↳ But a USP that evokes emotion, like excitement or nostalgia, is much harder to replicate. 𝟯. 𝗨𝗦𝗣𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ↳ Even with similar mechanics, a strong USP positions your game as unique. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀: • 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲 – More than a battle royale; it’s the only one integrating live pop culture events and collaborations. • 𝗔𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝘀 – Simple gameplay, but the USP lies in social deduction and group psychology. • 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 – Combines AAA quality with free-to-play accessibility in an open-world RPG. […]

9 Traps That Kill Your Game (And How to Avoid Every Single One)Most live service games fail.Not because the devs aren’t smart.But because they fall into unseen traps.Here’s the truth: ☝️If you can avoid these 9 traps,you’ll stay ahead of 95% of games out there.1. Metrics:↳ Focusing on revenue instead of fun.↳ Fix: Track engagement. Fun = profits.2. Events:↳ Too many events = burnout.↳ Fix: Space them out. Keep it fresh.3. Ads:↳ Fake gameplay ads destroy trust.↳ Fix: Show the REAL game. Trust scales.4. Progression:↳ Too easy? Boring. Too hard? Frustrating.↳ Fix: Balance it for fair rewards.5. Monetization:↳ Pay-to-win drive players away.↳ Fix: Offer value. Keep it fair. Win long-term6. Community:↳ No community = no loyalty.↳ Fix: Engage through events & social media7. Onboarding:↳ Confused players don’t stick around.↳ Fix: Teach the basics in a fun way.8. Feedback:↳ Ignoring complaints […]

I’ve reviewed over 100 games in the past few years. Here’s my step-by-step process for reviewing a new game:𝟭. 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 Before playing, I focus on understanding the competition: • Read user reviews in app stores • Play 3-5 competitor games • Take screenshots of key moments • 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀: —— Gameplay tempo – is it fast or slow? —— Monetization strategies – how are purchases introduced? —— Engagement hooks – what makes players return? —— Strengths and weaknesses𝟮. 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗜𝗖𝗘 Each playthrough serves a specific purpose:𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 (𝟭 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿) – Focus on the big picture: • General feel – Does it engage from the start? • User flow – How intuitive is it for a new player? • Core loop – Do main mechanics fit together? • Goals – Are short- and long-term objectives clear? […]

The most important part in games production, on a quest to build a successful game, is getting iterative development right — yet, most don't get it right or don't even know how to approach it right.This article focuses on the ‘core’ of iterative development, with an intention to (potentially) help to set some of you better on track for creating, and shipping, better performing games — from both the players’ point of view (PoV) as well as from the commercial PoV.Note: This article excludes process coverage, for now, which I might tackle in later articles about games production and topics related to iterative development. Further exclusions are mentioned in the article itself, as the case applies. Furthermore, understanding this article requires some level of understanding (theoretical and/or practical) of game development processes for direct applications. If there is no such […]