4 Design Tips you NEED in 2021
Tip 1: Take Clash Royale Gameplay, Ditch the Metasystems
There is a lot to admire about Clash Royale. It’s smooth hand-movement controls make deploying spells and units feel very natural. It’s chest system creates an organic method of session control that doesn’t rely on artificial limitations. It’s growing number of cards introduce new strategies each update. And it builds upon the successful Clash of Clans brand as well. With it’s natural gameplay and superb polish, it’s not surprising that a lot of competitors use Clash Royale as an inspiration for their own games.
There is one problem with this strategy of adopting Clash Royale Gameplay though: Developers are also adopting the Metasystems of Clash Royale. Clash Royale suffers from a woefully shallow Card Level System that has knee-capped it’s elder game monetization, as seen by their revenue slide over the last 1–2 years. This is mainly because of how few levels cards have, and how much the card costs scale:
Once your spenders max out the cards that they want to use, it becomes very hard to expand the metasystem to sustain spend. Thus, monetization in the elder game will likely begin sliding. And if your Game’s DAU is only a fraction of Clash Royale’s, there are few levers you can utilize to increase early game monetization lest you shorten the lifespan of the card content. Games that adopt both Clash Royale gameplay and metasystems will find their revenue nowhere near as much as Clash Royale unless they can manage to get a very large DAU.
For 2021, I encourage Developers to not be afraid of going semi-deep with their metasystems. Instead of 10–12 Card Levels, why not 25 or 50 with a smoother cost curve? Why not have a simple research system that requires items earned in chests, through the store and as event rewards? If you are worried about too many stats, don’t be. Clash Royale has shown that Card stats don’t really make Clash Royale matches seem brutally unfair, and players seem to accept them. In the end, you will be happy that you have a variety of different metasystems to leverage to ensure your game monetizes.
Tip 2: Embrace System Deprecation
It’s 2021. Out with the old and in with the new! This applies to games too. Because mobile games can survive for several years (Clash of Clans is 8?), it can become difficult for Developers to continue to add onto a system without game inflation making the costs of the new content meaningless or the costs inflate to an absurd degree. In these instances, ending an existing system and starting a new system on top of that can really help the game. This is called System Deprecation.
Look at Summoners War. Their Monster Awakening System gave players something to grind for. Yet after several years, where Players have already awakened most of their Heroes, using those Awakening Materials for a Second Awakening would be too cheap for Players who have tons of Awakening Materials already. Once the Monster has earned enough Awakened Experience, they can be Awakened a second time.
The Second Awakening requires the Player to use the Monster in special stages to earn Awakened XP for that Monster. These special stages require a new form of energy: Dimensional Energy. Dimensional Energy recovers very slowly, and only 30 Dimensional Energy can be purchased each week for 375 Gems. It’ll force Players to spend a lot of time grinding Awakened XP, and the developers have complete control of the Player experience because they aren’t tied to the old Awakening Materials.
As you are managing your games economy, take a hint from Summoners War and deprecate systems whose lifespan has come to an end, and add a new system with new economic levers that you have full control of.
Tip 3: Collections can go in nearly every Game
Having trouble thinking of a system to add to your game? Are you searching for more short-term goals for your Players? Do you want a system that is easily expandable? Collections may be just for you!
The concept is pretty simple: complete a collection and get a prize. But this simple system carries with it many benefits that can significantly help a Game’s KPIs. First and foremost, Collections create a deep itemization in the game that is easily expandable by the Developer. Think of new collections for updates and holidays and events. This in turn allows Developers to give out Collection items as loot, quest rewards and event rewards, both in the core game content and in event content. Similarly Developers can sell Collection items in the store and in sales.
With proper prizes, Collections can also serve as a short-term goal for players. If Players need a break from the Core Loop, they can focus on completing collections currently in progress. Collections are also great accompaniments to Events and limited time content. If your game has Heroes, create collections around specific Heroes that will give Players invested in that Hero short-term goals to focus on.
Collections can come in different forms, from card sets, to sets of artifacts or relics, to sets of skins. Whichever form of Collection you choose, you won’t be sorry for adding it to your game!
Tip 4: Develop Multiple Opportunities to be Whales, not just Combat
One universal fact about games is that not every player likes to PvP. Yet, for many 4x games and other genres, PvPing is the main avenue for a player to become a Whale. If your players spend a lot of money to become very powerful, chances are they will end up PvPing. Knowing that not all players enjoy PvPing, its surprising that more Developers haven’t found ways to create other vectors of gameplay that isn’t PvP where Players/Guild Members can shine.
Where it’s resource farming and distribution, PvE, defense, research, crafting, or anything else that may make a Player stand out to their Guild, I encourage Developers to design gameplay and event systems in ways where non-combat Players can spend to feel like superstars.
How does one go about this? In 4x Games, create parts of a larger Guild Wars event where Guilds need to gather, craft, research, or build things. Then, players who don’t want to PvP can instead invest more in research, gear, and heroes that will help them excel in those other activities. If you make those activities meaningful enough, you could get players in top Guilds to spend to excel in those events.
2021 is shaping up to be an exciting year! Hopefully these tips will help you design the next big hit! Until next time!
