What to do if your game has low retention?

What to do if your game has low retention?

I teamed up with Mykola Veremiev to make a decision tree for your game.

If your game is struggling, ask these questions:

1. Is the FTUE completion rate high?
2. Are players engaged with the core loop?
3. Are paywalls causing drop-offs?
4. Are there difficulty spikes?
5. Is the player funnel strong?
6. Is the game technically stable?
7. Do players have clear long-term goals?
8. Are players pursuing those goals?
9. Is feedback on gameplay positive?
10. Does your team still believe in the vision?

Depending on the answers, you have 3 paths:

• 🔁 Iterate: Minor fixes can boost retention.
• ↩ Pivot: Core gameplay has potential but lacks depth.
• ☠ Kill: Systemic issues with no clear solution.

Use data to guide your decisions. Iterate, pivot, or cut your losses.