About the author
Anton Slashcev
10 years in Product Management, Business Strategy & Narrative Design. Consulting in Match-3, Casual Narrative & Hybrid-casual market.
Whoโs actually playing your game?
Whoโs actually playing your game?
Understanding your players is key to designing experiences theyโll love.
One of the best ways to do that:
Use ๐ฝ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐ก๐’๐จ ๐๐ก๐๐ฎ๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐จ to identify what motivates them.
Hereโs a quick breakdown:
๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
โข What drives them: Dominance
โข How they play: Raid others, trash talk, dominate in PvP
โข How to design for them: Competitive modes, ranked ladders, PvP arenas (while keeping toxicity in check)
๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
โข What drives them: Rewards and mastery
โข How they play: Grind levels, complete quests, collect rare items
โข How to design for them: Clear progression systems, leaderboards, milestone rewards
๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
โข What drives them: Connection and collaboration
โข How they play: Chat, form guilds, join co-op missions
โข How to design for them: Robust social features, friend lists, community events
๐งญ ๐๐
๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
โข What drives them: Discovery and curiosity
โข How they play: Find easter eggs, map the world, talk to NPCs
โข How to design for them: Rich, secret-filled worlds with lots to uncover
Great games donโt just attract one type of player.
They find ways to satisfy them all.
So… whoโs playing your game?
