Behavior Bytes #1 — Do Players Understand How to Play?

Welcome to Behavior Bytes! In this series, we’ll delve into the intricate ways players engage with the games I’ve designed. Expect revelations about unexpected player behaviors, in-depth analyses of decision-making processes, and discussions on refining the overall player experience.

Given the recent launch of Vocabularium, it’s timely to discuss the player experience with their first puzzle. The pressing question: Are players executing the right moves to ensure an enjoyable game experience?

The first few moments of gameplay are pivotal. They shape a player’s initial impression, and it’s paramount that these moments captivate them, urging them to journey further into the game.

First Word: To Be Valid, Or Not To Be Valid?

In Vocabularium, players are met with two potential outcomes when creating a word:

1. They create a valid word (yay!)
2. They create an invalid word (sad!)

These two options represent two completely different user impressions. Let’s analyze the initial steps players most frequently take during their first puzzle:

Unfortunately, the most common path is not the one we had hoped for. This implies that a sizable portion of our users struggle with understanding the game mechanics right out of the gate.

This insight is actually not surprising given that the current tutorial is a static screen with text. Transitioning to a dynamic, hands-on tutorial with clear examples and real-time feedback might bump our ideal path into first place. Thus, we now have an an area where we can use A/B testing to optimize the user experience.

Swipe vs. Tap

Diving deeper into these initial invalid words, we can refine this new insight. Anything catch your eye in the following table?

A striking 88% of the top 10 first invalid words contain only one letter. This paints a vivid picture: many players are tapping on letters when creating words. In contrast, Vocabularium actually requires a swiping motion. The upcoming tutorial iteration will underscore the necessity of swiping to create words.

Conclusion

With that, we conclude our first Behavioral Byte! When you first played Vocabularium, what was your initial reaction? If you have any suggestions for the tutorial, let me know in the comments.