When developing a mobile multiplayer game, there’s an added layer of complexity. It’s not just the technical challenge of connecting the players together, but every element of your game is affected – from the monetization to the gameplay itself.

With that in mind, we’ve brought together the tools and resources that’ll help you make your multiplayer game.

Which engine is best for multiplayer games?

Most engines feature multiplayer support in one way or another, whether it’s built-in or a plugin.

• Unity. Despite recent concerns, Unity is still the go-to choice for many mobile developers. Not only do they have guides on their website, they also have tons of the backend tools and features you’ll need to make your multiplayer game run smoothly.
• Defold. Completely free and open source. Defold is a very lightweight engine that’s perfect for mobile games. But it isn’t built for 3D games.
• Godot. Often considered the open-source alternative to Unity. It also has a very active community, building plugins for most of your needs. It’s a good engine for any genre.
• GameMaker. A great 2D engine that has multiplayer out of the box. While it costs for a commercial licence, it’s a flat fee or subscription rather than based on your earnings.
• Unreal. If you’re building a deep, 3D, competitive multiplayer game and want the best graphics, the only real choice is Unreal. But it’s overkill if you’re making a more casual game.

It’s always tricky picking an engine. You can easily end up in decision limbo, spending months researching each one. Luckily for you, GameAnalytics is compatible with most major engines and environments, making it easy for you to rely on data at any time.

What motivates people to play multiplayer games?

People play multiplayer games for very different reasons to a single-player game. It’s important to understand those motivations and how they affect your game’s design. Here are a couple of resources to bear in mind when designing.

• Understanding player motivations. There are eight main reasons why people play games. In this article, we dig into them and how they affect your game.
• Player motivation archetypes. Similarly, GameRefinery found that you can dig a little and split those motivations into twelve categories.

What tools do you need to make multiplayer games?

There are many tools you’ll need to integrate with your multiplayer game, if you want it to feel fair and satisfying to play. The four main areas to consider are:

1. Server hosting. Will you host your matches or host from the player’s machine? You’ll likely want to look at cloud providers, such as AWS Gaming or get a third-party to sort it out for you, like Gameye.
2. Matchmaking. It’s no fun joining a game with players who are far better than you. Instead, a matchmaker groups your players together based on their skill. You can also include other rules, such as their region. What matchmaker you choose largely depends on your engine.
3. Anti-cheat and DDoS protection. As soon as you open up your game to the general public, you could be a target of cyber attacks or just general cheating. Either way, make sure you have some way to protect the data you’re sending.
4. Backend systems. Most multiplayer games will need a database of users and other meta-features, such as achievement systems, leaderboards or economies. Services like LootLocker, Photon or Pragma make it easy to set these features up and keep them running.

How do you monetize multiplayer games?

Unlike casual games, advertising doesn’t particularly work with multiplayer. Adverts tend to interrupt the flow of a game, so you can’t show them during a match. Instead, developers need to focus on different models to monetize the game. There are three main approaches:

1. A one-off payment. Simple and easy. But it can leave you with a problem if you’re paying for ongoing services, such as servers. Make sure you have an exit strategy for how you’ll switch to a community-led game in the future.
2. Subscriptions and battle passes. These are often the most popular ways to monetize a multiplayer game. Offer new cosmetics and content and keep the game active.
3. In-app purchases and downloadable content. Offering packs that players can purchase to give them more in-game currency or cosmetic items works well.

However you decide to monetize, it’s important to find the right balance. Make sure you A/B test different prices and bundles to see which is most effective. If you need help, check out our A/B testing.

How do you manage your community?

One of the major incentives for multiplayer games is the social aspect. If you want to keep your game active and thriving, you need to build and engage with your community.

• Building a community on Discord. In this article, we walk through how to get started with your community.
• Three ways to engage your community. Once you’ve established your community, here are three ways to keep them happy and active.

What’s the best way to make a multiplayer game?

It all comes down to data. Your analytics is key to making sure that your multiplayer game is active and effective. You need to track how players behave inside the matches, how your servers are doing, how your monetization models are performing, and what’s going on in your community.

With so many different data sources, it can be challenging to bring it all together in a cohesive way. This is where DataSuite comes in. We can bring all your data into a single Data Warehouse, allowing you to query the data from all these different sources in one central location. Check out what DataSuite can do for you.

You need to wear a lot of different hats when you’re making a game – especially if you’re doing it solo. One day, you’re a foley artist. Next, you’re a marketer. Even as a programmer or designer, it’s useful to understand how these elements come together, so you can make sure everything ties into your theme.

To help you along the way, we gathered all the free resources you can use to learn about the different areas of game development. Before you use the resources, we encourage you to make sure the assets are royalty-free.

Game design resources

Game design is all about the choices you make. The rules and mechanics that bring your idea to life. From small decisions, like whether to use coyote time in your platformer, to big decisions, like the main theme of the game.

1. Game Accessibility Guidelines. Every game designer should bookmark these guidelines. They go through the principles you should follow and give examples for each task. There’s even a checklist you can download.
2. Develop.Games. Thor Hall, the creator behind Heartbound and ex-Blizzard developer, has put together the Develop.Games site. It goes through both the development and the business side of creating games. A must-read for any would-be developer.
3. GameMaker’s Toolkit. This YouTube channel is an excellent series that deep dives into the most important elements of game design. You’ll find topics like creating puzzles, developing for a specific genre, and the psychology of the players themselves.

1. GDC Vault. The Game Developers Conference adds all the various talks and presentations from their events to their vault. These range from technical advice on how to develop specific ideas to wider trends and best practices.
2. The Level Design Book. This website covers everything about level design, starting from the theory to the actual tools you’ll need to get started. There’s even a section for specific assets and resources you can use.
3. Scroll back (the theory of cameras in side scrollers). This gigantic article could be a book all to itself. It covers everything you might want to know about how to use a camera in 2D games.
4. Pixel Architect. Dev diaries like these can be a useful way to see how to actually build your game. There are plenty to follow, but Pixel Architect is a particularly good start.
5. Design Doc. This channel answers the tricky, specific questions you might have about game design, focusing on the mechanics themselves. How do you stop people from hoarding items? Why add critical hits? What’s the point of fast travel?

1. The Architect of Games. While this channel seems to be about critiquing games with humour – it actually analyzes the actual game design decisions and explores the themes of the game in depth.
2. Brackeys. A huge channel of tutorials that also delves into the actual game design decisions behind that development. The only downside is that they shut down a few years ago, so some videos can be a little outdated.

Game development resources

At the heart of every game is the code itself. Even if you’re experienced with a programming language, you’re likely to bump into a few surprises when developing your game. Either way, there are tons of resources out there. And if you need an engine, consider the open-source Godot.

1. freeCodeCamp.org. If you want to learn to code, this is the channel to visit. They go deep into the practical and theory side and even have the full Harvard Computer Science University course as a 25-hour video. Yes, a Harvard University course – completely free.
2. Game Programming Patterns. Keeping your code clean and organised is a major challenge, so this free ebook teaches you the best practices.
3. Programming Patterns on Unity. Unity has released a similar guide around coding patterns and explaining how to use them inside Unity.
4. Ludum Dare. A twice-yearly game jam over a weekend. Not only is it inspiring, but it’s worth reading the posts from other developers as they delve into their process.
5. Introduction to Game Development with Unity. This Udemy tutorial is a perfect start for anyone looking to use Unity. You’ll see how to use cameras and objects, and understand the Unity interface.
6. GDQuest. If you want to get into Godot, then look no further than GDQuest. A huge treasure-trove of free tutorials that cover pretty much everything you need – even if you’re not going to use Godot.

1. Game Development Crash Course. Udemy also has a crash course about how to use the Solar2D game engine.
2. GitHub Student Developer Pack. Get your school enrolled, and you’ll be able to get access to real-world tools and practice using them. There’s a page about how to get your school involved.
3. Codeacademy game dev course. This four-hour introductory course will help you get the ball rolling and learn about game design and development.
4. LootLocker free guides. These step-by-step guides walk you through specific mechanics, particularly meta-mechanics like energy systems.

Game art free resources

Not all games need fantastic graphics to be a success. Vampire Survivors used assets that Luca Galante simply bought in a pack. There are also plenty of videos out there about how to draw pixel-art-style games. If you need a free tool, consider open-source tools like Gimp, Blender, or Krita.

1. Itch.io. There are thousands of free assets on itch.io, from character sprites to user-interface elements. Even if you only use them for inspiration, it’s a fantastic collection.
2. Kenney.nl. Not only can you get thousands of free 2D and 3D assets, there are loads of guides on how to edit them or create your own.
3. Blender Guru. If you’re looking to create slick 3D graphics, Blender Guru is the channel to follow. He offers guides and tutorials for beginners and advanced artists alike.

1. Polligon. Created by Blender Guru, you can find Blender textures, models and more in the free section.
2. CRTLpaint. This site has a bunch of free video series that teach you how to get into digital painting for yourself. From concept art to the principles of design. You can also follow their YouTube channel.
3. Proko. If you want to learn the basics of drawing, particularly characters, then this channel will help you get there.
4. 2DGameArtGuru. Learn all the most useful tools, such as Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw. There are absolutely loads of tools here.

Music and sound-free resources

Your music can define the tone and atmosphere of your game. It’s vital to make your game come alive. These resources can help you produce that soundtrack, from composing your melody to putting it all together. If you need an open-source tool, check out Ardour, MuseScore (if you know sheet music), and Audacity.

1. Sonniss: Free archive. This is one of the biggest libraries of sound effects out there. Every year they give out free samples at GDC. This is the link to their 10GB archive of all those free sound effects.
2. Bensound. A huge collection of royalty-free music that you can filter and organise by mood.
3. Music Matters. If you’re completely new to music theory, this channel has tons of videos that will get you up to speed in no time.
4. Spitfire Audio. Not only does this channel talk you through music theory and crafting tracks from multiple instruments, but they also show the process behind actually composing a track from start to finish. They also have a free library of instrument samples called BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover.
5. Ryan Leach. Ryan creates videos about how to compose music for TV, film and games. He covers not only basic music theory, but how to easily turn that into an orchestral masterpiece.

Narrative game design resources

Storytelling and narrative design are quite different from writing a novel or script. You need to consider not only the character and plot, but what actions the player might take. It’s all about choices. If you need a tool to help you plan out your story’s flow, look into the open-source engine Twine.

1. Emily Short. This blog is a huge list of books and blogs that you should read if you want to learn about interactive narratives.
2. Screencraft: Write for video games. This article explores the various types of writing you might need to cover, from cut scenes to side quests.
3. Game Developer: Storytelling in games.This article is the first in a series that dives deep into what narrative design is and how to think about it.

Game marketing and monetization resources

Once you’ve developed your game, it’s time to start getting it out to the masses. Here are a few resources to help you get the word out.

1. Kickstarter: Tips for games. Unsurprisingly, Kickstarter has a section on their site about how to set up your project, entice people in, and get funded. A lot of the advice works well for your general marketing, too.
2. Helpshift’s marketing guide. Focused on mobile gaming, this ten-step guide walks you through what you need to do as well as in-depth case studies.

1. Game Marketing Genie. These guys have a great guide and overview about how to market your game, from understanding your competitors to using Steam.
2. AskGameDev. This channel has a specific playlist all about how to market your video game. There are 17 videos here that will surely help.
3. Steambase: If you want to research other games, Steambase is a really useful resource. It tracks Steam sales, so you can know when to best discount your own game.

How to keep track of gaming industry trends?

Not only is it important to market your game, but to keep an eye on trends in the industry. What’s working? What isn’t? Here are a few resources that can help you out.

1. GWI’s gaming playbook. This free report from GWI goes into the stats and figures that you need to know about the industry.
2. GameAnalytics. Our free tool can help you track and research your own game, but we can also give you insights into the industry.

Francesco and the Privacy Team at GameAnalytics play a pivotal role in protecting player information. With a deep understanding of EU law and privacy management, coupled with the CIPP/E certification, they oversee compliance operations for over 100,000 games. This team manages compliance related to standards such as ISO 27001, SOC2 Type II, COPPA, GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, and CCPA. Their dedication ensures game developers using our services are meeting top-tier data privacy and security standards.

The role of privacy professionals in today’s digital age can’t be understated. They’re essential in managing privacy threats and ensuring information assets remain secure. The IAPP has set global standards in education and testing for privacy, with the CIPP certification being a prime example. The CIPP/E focuses on European data protection laws, enforcement models, and best practices for data protection. By acquiring this certification, Francesco aligns with an international network of professionals upholding these standards.

“Privacy is of paramount importance in the digital age, especially in industries that handle vast amounts of user data, like the gaming sector. Earning the CIPP certification not only highlights our commitment to data protection but also underlines the strategic importance of privacy professionals in our organization.” – Allison Bilas, COO at GameAnalytics

What is IAPP?

Established in 2000, the IAPP serves as a leading global information privacy community. As a not-for-profit organization, it sets benchmarks, provides resources, and supports the privacy profession worldwide. For more details, visit IAPP’s official website.

GameAnalytics is thrilled to announce its inclusion in the prestigious Legal 500 GC Powerlist 2023. This distinguished edition held in Vienna, Austria highlights the top in-house legal teams that have showcased exceptional legal knowledge and made a strategic impact on their organization’s success.

“Our Privacy & Data Security Team has successfully navigated through dynamic and challenging periods over the past year. We’ve adapted to evolving business and regulatory landscapes while always prioritizing privacy and information security. The team has truly excelled in ensuring compliance with regulations and implementing best-in-class cyber security and data protection technologies,” states GameAnalytics’ COO, Allison Bilas.

“This recognition reflects our continued commitment to data ethics and excellence in the analytics sphere. The dedication and expert legal knowledge of our team have been instrumental in developing creative solutions that align with the needs of game developers and the highest transparency standards.”

As our industry continues to evolve, GameAnalytics will remain at the forefront, driving growth and success through product excellence, adaptability, and innovative ethical solutions.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in 2016. As it’s been a while since we’ve explored what the best tools are that you should be using, we thought we would go ahead and give this post a refresh. Let us know if you think we’ve missed anything important. 

How can you lower acquisition costs, improve engagement and drive more purchases? Where will you find the time? From basement to studio, game developers manage a growing remit of technical skills… yet the hours in a day stay fixed.

For sure, there are thousands of time-saving apps and services that you can make use of – but figuring out which are best is tricky. That’s why we’ve curated a list of the top game development tools, as voted for by game developers, to help steer you in the right direction and free-up your time to focus on doing what you love.

What’s here?

We’ll cover a wide range of different tools relevant to the development and marketing of mobile games. If you’re looking for something in particular, feel free to jump to that section:

• Advertising & Monetization

• Analytics & Error Logging

• Collaboration & Workflow

• Engagement & Retention

• Creativity

• Sound & Audio

• Other useful tools

Advertising & Monetization

Adjust

Cost: Adjust’s pricing is based on install volume as well as features
Supports: All major platforms

Adjust has multiple tools that’ll help you simplify your marketing, find out how players reach your game, and what each lead costs. Follow users through your campaigns, automate tasks, segment audiences, and stop fraud in its tracks.

As featured partners of GameAnalytics, we actually have a couple of special terms and offers with these guys, specifically for our users. Request a quote through the GameDev Toolbox here to learn more.

TopOn

Cost: Get in touch to learn more
Supports: iOS, Android, Unity, Cocos, Adobe Air

Make sure you’re getting the most out of your advertising. TopOn brings together services like Facebook and UnityAds so you can monetize your game and across multiple platforms and formats. You’ll be able to A/B test, get insight on how your adverts are performing and flow them through a process like a waterfall.

Unity Ads

Cost: $0
Supports: All platforms

Not only a game engine, Unity Ads is a market leading mobile ad platform built with game developers in mind, and focused on showing content across platforms and games. Unity only pays you when users install the advertiser’s game. That means that showing the ad in the right place, at the right time, without breaking a player’s game flow, will actually result in more revenue than showing too many ads.

If you’re looking for more ways to grow your user-base take a look at this post: How to Expand your Audience with Game Accessibility

Analytics & Error Logging

GameAnalytics

Cost: $0
Supports: All major platforms

GameAnalytics is a free analytics tool built by game developers, for game developers. It helps you make sense of player behavior, improve engagement and drive monetization with real-time insight into more than 50 gaming metrics out-of-the-box. You can set it up in just a few minutes, with SDKs for every major platform and engine. What’s more, you can now A/B test in our tool. Get the latest info here. 

Crashlytics

Cost: Free to start (calculator on site for heavy users)
Supports: Android & iOS platforms

Start monitoring your app’s errors in real-time with Crashlytics. How do you improve engagement? Create a loyal player following with a UX free from annoying bugs. Crashlytics helps you achieve this by dealing with player issues proactively, before tickets flood your support team and eat up your bandwidth.

Benchmarks+

Cost: From $375 a month
Supports: All major platforms

Get real-world aggregated data on how players are behaving. What genres are they playing? How long are they playing for? How many are converting? Benchmarks+ shows you what’s happening in the industry and what the trends are. Filter by platform, region, or kind of spend to find out what’s happening and create your next chart-topping hit.

GameRefinery

Cost: $0 for basic plan
Supports: All major platforms

With the rise of F2P games and increasing market competition, GameRefinery is a tool that can help you stay ahead of the pack. With industry-leading feature level analytics, as well a market insights and benchmarks for the global mobile games industry, both developers and publishers can develop the best strategies for their individual titles or portfolios based on accurate information.

AppTopia

Cost: From $2,000 a month.
Supports: All major platforms

With AppTopia you can find out how specific apps are performing. Track your competition, benchmark your game against the industry, monitor every move your competitors make and use the insights to make better decisions. While AppTopia isn’t specifically for the gaming industry, it’s based on mobile apps – so it’ll still work.

If you’re new to game analytics you should definitely check out this post (it’s one of our most popular): 15 Metrics All Game Developers Should Know

Collaboration & Workflow

iOS Project Builder for Windows

Cost: $50
Platform: Unity

If you’re a Unity developer primarily working on PC, the iOS Project Builder for Windows is an extension that you need to add to your arsenal. No joke. This tool is an absolute gem. With it, you no longer need to switch to your Mac and launch Xcode to build your games for iOS. Save time and build them directly from Windows.

GameFlow

Cost: Free
Platform: Unity

GameFlow is a visual programming toolkit that helps simplify game development. With it, you can create complex game logic, effects and interactions, in a visual editor without having to write a single line of code. Bring powerful time-saving features to your development, including macros and keyboard shortcuts to automate tedious tasks.

Are you a game designer? You may find this article of interest: Squeezing more juice out of your game design!

Trello

Cost: $0 for basic plan
Supports: All major platforms

Trello is an excellent lightweight project management tool that provides you with simple ways to define and track projects. Through a digital dashboard, you can create and arrange various actions for yourself and other team members. What’s more, this tool easily integrates with a variety of platforms and has its own nifty little iOS and Android app!

Assembla

Cost: $10/month for basic plan
Supports: All major platforms

Built as a set of programs designed to improve task and code managements assignments, Assembla offers a number of incredibly handy features for game developers such as built-in code repositories. It also allows both individuals and teams to manage every aspect of mobile game’s life cycle in one unified place and now comes with integrations with Trello, Slack and JIRA.

HacknPlan

Cost: $0 for basic plan
Supports: All major platforms

HacknPlan is a specifically designed tool for game development, similar to Trello or other project management software. With careful consideration of the needs that developers have, HacknPlan focuses on simplifying a process that has many different moving parts. This may be for you if you’re struggling to unify and collaborate across several different projects and teams.

Engagement & Retention

Discord

Cost: $0
Supports: All major platforms

Every gamer worth their salt is using Discord to chat while they play these days. So savvy developers are setting up their own channels to get engaged with their community, roll out demo versions of their games, and stream prototypes or developer QandAs to their fans.

Twitch

Cost: $4.99/month for basic plan
Supports: All major platforms

Twitch is the world’s leading video platform for online games, with over 2 million broadcasters and 100 million monthly viewers. With it, you can build gaming experiences that give audiences the ability to interact with live sessions, through dynamic gifting and commenting. And it lets you broadcast quality visuals for different datastreams, including kill counters, player stats, and minimaps.

Lootlocker

Cost: $0 (for first 10,000 players)
Supports: All major platforms

Built for indie developers by indie developers, Lootlocker is the way to build, ship and launch your game to the masses. Easily add loot boxes, leaderboards, achievements, currencies and levelling systems to your game, then manage your players and assets once you’ve launched.

Megacool

Cost: $59/month (if less than $200 000 in funding or revenue)
Supports: All major platforms

Not necessarily a time-saving tool, but definitely something you shouldn’t overlook. The Megacool SDK provides GIF capturing and sharing via multiple channels. Users simply capture and share gameplay moments with their friends, with a link back to your game. The best part for developers is this tool comes with access to analytics, and offers you a way to spread the word about your game in a visual and organic way.

Smartly.io

Cost: €5,000 a month
Supports: All major platforms

This is best for bulk advertising. You can design, create, and animate stunning adverts for your brand, and then launch a campaign across whatever social media platforms take your fancy. Once you’re live, you’ll be able to track exactly how your ads have performed and make sure you’re making a return on your investment.

Is your churn rate embarrassingly high? Learn how to get it down to a respectable level: 16 Reasons Why Players Are Leaving Your Game

Creativity

AppOnboard Studio

Cost: $0
Supports: All major platforms

Similar to their no-coding engine – Buildbox – AppOnboard Studio lets you create simple interactive experiences, which you can share on social or as an advert, like a short choice-based adventure. All without needing to code.

Luna Labs

Cost: $0
Supports: Unity

Nothing is better than a quick demo of your game. So link Luna Labs up with Unity to create a playable advert or a quick video of your gameplay. Encourage players to try out your game, without needing them to commit. It’s the perfect way of making sure that people get to experience your creation before making a decision.

Synative

Cost: $1,999 a month
Supports: All major platforms

If you don’t have Unity, Synative is the app for you. You can either convert your game directly into an advert, or work from their studio to create a completely interactive game, showcasing the moments you think are best. Meanwhile, you can track how players interact with the advert to see what’s working or as a testing platform for new concepts.

Piskel

Cost: $0
Supports: All major platforms

You’ll always need artwork. So Piskel offers free 2D pixel art support and animation development tools in its simple and straightforward open-source platform. Whether you’re a new game developer, hobbyist or throwing around some ideas for simple game art, Piskel allows you to quickly create sprites and animations through its clean and understandable interface.

Adobe Photoshop

Cost: $25/month
Supports: All major platforms

Adobe Photoshop is arguably still one of the best ways to texture various game assets when creating 3D models. As a tool used by creative professionals in all different industries, it comes packed with comprehensive creation features that offer developers everything they need to craft inspired game concepts into sophisticated digital realities.

GIMP

Cost: $0
Supports: All major platforms

GIMP is a great free alternative to Adobe Photoshop, and comes with a wide range of professional-quality functions. Whether you’re looking for filters, tools, rendering effects or formatting capabilities, GIMP offers great features for fine-tuning your game assets. And all this without having to spend a penny!

Substance

Cost: $19.90/month for basic plan
Supports: All major platforms

Substance by Allegorithmic is a popular tool among 3D and digital artists, as well as many AAA studios crafting sophisticated UIs for their games. The impressive features of this software include scan processing, smart masks, smart materials, integrated 8K bakers, texturing and rendering. You can also create in Substance Painter and get real-time feedback in Unity through a live link.

Need some inspiration for your game’s artwork? Take a look at this article on 7 Incredible Game Design Examples And Why They Work.

Sound & Audio

Freesound

Cost: $0
Supports: All major platforms

Freesound.org has a large collection of CC licensed audio samples, that can give your game that special touch you’ve been looking for. What otherwise may be costly or difficult to source, is readily available on Freesound.org. All you need to do is a little bit of digging into its huge database, and you’ll have access to some great synthesised sounds, field recordings, snippets, bleeps and all manner of other sound bites.

Audacity

Cost: $0
Supports: All major platforms

Audacity is an open source audio editor that rivals many premium paid-for applications. Whether you’re making your own recordings for your game actions, dialogue, or special effects, Audacity is a good place to start. Many of its most useful and powerful features are available through its intuitive interface, making it practical for both audio wizards and sound-tech newbies.

FL Studio

Cost: $80 for basic edition
Supports: All major platforms

Being a bit pricier on the market, many developers now use FL Studio to create video game music. If you’re adding bespoke sound content to your title, this is a reliable and practical tool that will help you tune your audio landscape to perfection. The most important thing is that FL studio is flexible, well equipped and relatively straightforward, allowing you to finish your masterpieces and export to relevant formats with ease.  

Struggling to perfect your games sound and audio? Check out our 9 Sound Design Tips to Improve Your Game’s Audio here.

Other useful tools

Skillz

Cost: You get paid
Supports: All major platforms

Run and host competitions and encourage your players to strive and battle it out for the top spot. Skillz is the way to turn your game into an eSport, with over 30 million mobile gamers. It’s a great way to monetize your game, without bloating your interface with adverts.

GameScribes

Cost: $0
Supports: All major platforms

If you want to expand your game into other markets, you need to get it translated. GameScribes don’t just translate your text, but your audio as well. And they make sure that it fits in with the local culture, so you’re not accidentally making any faux pas in the process. They can do pretty much any language, too. From European languages like French or Spanish to Chinese or Japanese.

You don’t know what you don’t know

And if you think we’ve overlooked any gems, reach out to us on Twitter with your thoughts – we’d love to hear from you.

You know the word, and you know it’s important. But what does GDPR really mean? And why do you need to care about it? To help new developers and studios located outside of the EU, we’ve outlined a list of important steps that can keep your game and company fully GDPR compliant.

TL;DR – Your GDPR checklist

• Step 1: Ask for consent
• Step 2: Find out where you data comes from
• Step 3: Put safety first (Data Protection Impact Assessment)
• Step 4: Don’t be clingy (Allow your users to withdraw)
• Step 5: Know how GDPR affects overseas developers
• Step 6: Be clear but creative with your forms
• Step 7: Embrace full compliance

So, what exactly is GDPR?

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and this new European law has changed the game on how companies manage personal data. While most mobile game developers have now adapted since its introduction on 25th May, some are still unsure about how EU user data should be handled.

The reality for everyone – whether you’re an EU-based studio hoping to release your first smash hit, or an international game developer with dozens of titles – is that toeing the line when it comes to GDPR is a must.

User activity tracking has been integrated into the core functionality of pretty much every digital platform. And games that monetize through ads have long relied on data tracking to optimise various aspects of user acquisition (UA). While GDPR doesn’t necessarily call for a complete overhaul of this, expect some work when it comes to mapping your flow of data, as well as being as clear as possible on how personal information is gathered and used.

Ultimately, the world of mobile gaming has not escaped the wide net that GDPR has cast over the tech industry. And with penalties that could amount to 4% of your company’s revenue, or €20 million (whichever is greater), there’s a high price to pay if you don’t follow the rules.

Step 1: Ask first – it’s more than just polite

You may already be aware of this new rule, but one of the biggest steps of GDPR compliance is getting consent from your players to use and store their data. This is pretty simple to do and can be done in a number of ways, but an electronic opt-in box is often the chosen method for mobile games.

An example of how King & Big Fish have implemented consent into their game’s UI on first launch. Players are not allowed to move on any further until they agree.

When it comes to language, convey your request in a clear and concise way, breaking down essential information into understandable chunks. There’s definitely room for using language and visuals that suit your brand, but before you move on to this stage, make sure your message is as straightforward as possible.

By keeping it crystal clear on how your players data will be controlled, as well as giving them easy options to opt out, you’ll be complying with GDPR’s Right to be Forgotten principle.

Step 2 – Find out where your data comes from

User data is personally identifiable information, which can include someone’s name, email address, or device ID (IDFA/GAID). Essentially, it’s anything that can be associated with one person, even if you cannot identify them in the real world.

And you can’t prove that you’re following the rules if you don’t understand how your platform gets that data. You’ll want to make sure to first identify what personal information you’re collecting, and how that data is being extracted from your users. You’ll then need to map the various transfers into your database.

You may find that some information is unnecessary or redundant, and should be removed to tighten up the amount of data you store – another principle of GDPR. And if nothing else, this process should help you hone your tracking and measurement skills when it comes to optimising your platform’s game analytics.

Step 3 – Put safety first

As GDPR is all about protecting the personal data of EU citizens, enforcing strong barriers against manipulation or fraud is a must. Think about how third-parties may access the information you gather and what they’re using it for. You’ll be liable for anything a third party controller does with this data.

An example of how Rovio has implemented consent into their game’s UI on first launch. Players are not allowed to progress any further until they agree.

A data protection impact assessment (DPIA) is highly recommended before you begin a project where user data is involved. This means you should review your process of data collection and identify any areas that may lead to risk of serious impact on individuals. Although we haven’t found a specified format to follow for a full DPIA which supports the GDPR’s accountability principle, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has a helpful checklist you can use.

Step 4 – Don’t be clingy

Under GDPR, the Right to Erasure clause requires that users should be able to remove their personal information from your system should they so wish. If there isn’t already an easy way to do this, you may want to seriously consider making one.

It might be a shame to relinquish useful player analytics that can be used to support your UA strategy, but saying goodbye when necessary is a requirement of GDPR compliance. So be ready for a few farewells.

An example of how Voodoo has given access to its users to remove any data they may have, within the settings of their games.

As Jason M. Lemkin says, ‘Making it hard to cancel doesn’t reduce churn, it just modestly delays it’. Meaning you won’t save yourself from losing users in the long run by making it hard for them to withdraw their data. Those who really want to leave, will, in the end, do just that.

Step 5 – Know your territorial boundaries

Even if you’re a developer coding away on the opposite side of the world, if you have a presence in Europe, then you’re going to be affected by GDPR.

Although at the moment GDPR is only bound to the EU, it could one day be the model for countries across the globe. And in anticipation of this change, we’ve seen multiple companies adopting this policy worldwide in efforts to save future time and money. This could be good practice if you’re thinking of launching your games into other markets.

Interestingly, not all countries are actually bound to implement GDPR in the same way. Finland for instance, has taken advantage of the new law’s margin of manoeuvrability. Countries are essentially allowed to integrate GDPR principles into their existing privacy protection framework, which means rules could vary slightly.

With this being said, it’s definitely worth double checking the relevant laws in the countries you wish to launch, just to make sure everything matches up.

Step 6 – Be clear, but creative (when appropriate)

As shown in our examples from King, Rovio and Voodoo, there are lots of different ways to you can put consent into your game. And fitting this to your company’s identity doesn’t always require a lot of words. As long as you’re including the right message and giving your players the option to withdraw, you’re free to add some creative flare to your data request forms.

Not that you need to go over the top, but there is certainly room for various visuals to accompany your opt-in screen or GDPR emails. This is a great way to add some consistency to your user experience while you gather your all-important user consent.

An example of how Lion Studios has given access to their users to manage their data in their Happy Glass game.

Keep in mind however, if your creative idea makes any of your forms unclear or difficult to understand, then you may be compromising your compliance under the GDPR law.

Step 7 – Embrace full compliance

Whether you need to conduct a full evaluation of your portfolio, or are working on your upcoming title, this is one situation where it’s better to grab the bull by the horns and make sure you’re fully compliant.

The end result is often a shiny new terms of service (ToS) document that you can send to your users, and a ‘hard wall’ interface, requesting consent before access to platforms is granted. This may even go unnoticed by your actual players, who are already accustomed to clicking ‘accept’ in various apps. But if you really want to make sure your company and mobile game stay protected, embrace the requirements of full compliance.

If you’re interested to learn how GameAnalytics stays compliant, check out the GameAnalytics GDPR FAQ page here.

Funnels are a way of visualizing and measuring how your players move through a sequence of events, or ‘steps’. A well-configured funnel gives insight into which of these steps lose the most players, whether your paths to conversion are optimized, and whether your players are progressing through your game as intended.

The aim of this post is to give you all the insights you need to make the most of GameAnalytics funnels. We’re going to start with some background and cover the basic concepts, before ‘diving deep’ into some of the more advanced practices to help supercharge your setup, including how to create and track custom events.

Plan your custom events with this free tool…

We’ve also created a worksheet for you to use for inspiration when creating your custom event IDs. View it in Google Sheets here (click ‘file’ > ‘make a copy’ to edit). We’ll continue to update the tool over time with more examples. Feel free to share it with your friends ? ?

[bctt tweet=”How to improve player engagement and drive more in-app purchases with funnels  ? #GameDev” username=”GameAnalytics”]

The fundamentals of funnels

The graphic below visualizes a very basic funnel to help report on First Time User Experience (FTUE) and conversions. By default, every player of your game is added into this linear reporting flow when they complete the first step of the funnel (installing your game). This is important. The players that you want to measure must meet the first condition of the report. It’s therefore a good idea to pick a broad criterion for your first step, as going too granular at this stage can limit practical insight.

So, what can we learn from the example funnel above? In it, we see that only 30% of players complete the tutorial, with just 5% finishing level five. Why is this the case? Perhaps the game intro isn’t engaging enough. Is the opening pace too slow? Are the levels too long? Is the learning curve too steep? Already, funnels are raising appropriate questions led by data.

Here’s a detailed post about creating a great FTUE in your game.

When should you use a funnel?

Funnel reports are most appropriate when you need to visualize a linear process that has a series of connected stages. It makes sense to use a funnel in the following cirumstances:

• Your data is linear and moves through at least 4 stages
• You want to measure retention and conversion on a per stage basis
• You want to reveal bottlenecks and issues in your desired user flow
• You want to track and measure paths to conversion for optimisation

Why use a visual report?

Visualising the data is about more than aesthetics; the visual nature of a funnel report means that – with just a quick glance – you a get a snapshot into the health of your game. The shape of the funnel should match the example below. If the shape is different (or pear shaped), then you know straight away that there’s an issue – and at which step the issue is occurring.

With funnels, each stage represents a percentage of the total unique players. A well configured funnel should have a predictable shape. The first “intake” stage should always be the largest, with each stage thereafter smaller than its predecessor.

Planning your tracking

1. Ask the right questions!

The first question that you should ask before using a funnel is whether your data is in a linear format. If not, consider using one of the different analysis tools within game analytics, such as cohorts or custom segments.

The next thing you should do is question what you want to measure, so that you can properly define the core game KPIs, data and events that you’ll track for each of your steps. The questions that you ask yourself will shape your future tracking and insight. As an example, in your time developing games, have you ever asked yourself the following?

•      Have I created an engaging game intro?
•      Are my players grinding? If so, where?
•      Is my game design creating a good UX?

You can begin to answer these questions with a simple funnel setup, shown below. This funnel report is available in the GameAnalytics demo game.

In this example, we can see that the drop-off between level 1 and level 2 is pretty high (at more than 17%). More focus should be placed on engaging users in this area.

2. Setup your first funnel and keep it simple

If you haven’t created a funnel in GameAnalytics yet, we recommend that you start with a basic structure to get started. You can then identify areas for improvement and layer new steps into your reports over time. It’s easy to duplicate funnels in GameAnalytics, so you can experiment with their structure, while storing all results. Just note that any changes you make to existing funnels will require reprocessing.

Here’s an example of a very basic funnel for reporting on the flow of a tutorial (a design event):

Here’s a more detailed funnel to get you started tracking both your progression and first-time conversion effectiveness. Results are broken down by each step of the funnel. At each step, we count the unique user that completed or dropped-off, together with the average time for completion.

Funnel intake:
① Installed game
② Game first launched

Tutorial progress:
③ Tutorial started
④ Tutorial completed

Level progress:
⑤ Level 1 started
⑥ Level 1 completed
⑦ Level 2 started
⑧ Level 2 complete

Monetization event:
⑨ Resource special offer

Conversion:
GOAL: 1st time converter ?

When creating your steps, make sure to give them humanly readable names, as demonstrated above. This will ensure that when you go to explore your reports, the data is clear and makes sense at a glance.

Important: Keep in mind that funnels work like one-way traffic, or water through a sieve (as the name implies). Users can move forward to the next stage of the funnel, but never backwards. This is a fundamental principle of funnels, so you should always consider whether they are appropriate for your desired tracking.

3. Start fixing the leaks in your funnel

In order to improve the quality of your conversion funnels you’ll need to experiment with each element of player interaction. If you notice an issue at a specific stage, such as bottlenecks or particularly high drop-off rates, you should optimise these areas by reworking the design. The more players you get to the later stages of your funnel, the greater your game’s chances of engaging users – ultimately increasing conversions and driving monetization.

Improving your funnel reports with custom events

In GameAnalytics, you can create funnels with custom events to measure practically any sequence of your game, from level progression to first purchase flows. Funnels excel at providing actionable data, if setup correctly with custom events tailored to your game experience, They’ll then help you identify areas of your game with the most opportunity for improvement.

Important: In GameAnalytics, 4 types of custom event categories work with funnels. You should keep these categories in mind when planning your tracking. The event types are: business, design, progression and resource. Below, we’ve listed some possible event IDs that may ‘live’ within each event type.

Business Events

Examples: Coins, Lives, Spin

Business events are ways of tracking real-world monetization. Although you may get this functionality from the respective app stores, we would also recommend that you setup business events within GameAnalytics.

This isn’t a needless duplication of data. Configuring your business events in this way means you’ll have a central platform to report on all of your monetization metrics, across all of your channels. Below is an example of purchase event triggered in the iOS SDK.

[sourcecode language=”plain”]string receipt= “MIIT8AYJKoZIhvcNAQcC…2LJuwKuaCXT4Y=”; // raw receipt from the purchase platform provider[/sourcecode]

[sourcecode language=”plain”]GameAnalytics.NewBusinessEventIOS(“USD”,249,”Shop item”,”Minigun Purchase”,”Shop_01″,receipt);[/sourcecode]

Design Events

Examples: Gameplay, Kills, Purchase, Social, Tutorial, Player

An example design event could be tracking kills of neutral players, alongside the number of kills achieved. The code below outlines how you could fire this event for tracking:

[sourcecode language=”plain”]GameAnalytics.NewDesignEvent (“Achievement:Killing:Neutral:10_Kills”, 123);[/sourcecode]

Progression Events

Examples: Attempts, Complete, Fail, Start, Win %

One of the most common progression events to track within games is level completion. In addition to this, you might also want to capture more information, such as the score each user reach per level. The coded example below outlines level tracking, with and without an associated score:

[sourcecode language=”plain”]GameAnalytics.NewProgressionEvent (GAProgressionStatus.Start, “World_01”, “Stage_01”, “Level_Progress”); // without score[/sourcecode]

[sourcecode language=”plain”]GameAnalytics.NewProgressionEvent (GAProgressionStatus.Complete, “World_01”, “Stage_01”, “Level_Progress”, 200); // with score[/sourcecode]

Resource Events

Examples: Flow (transactions), Sink (transactions), Source

Resources events are split into 2 categories: sink and source. They represent whether your virtual resources are lost or gained, respectively. Below is a coded example for source event (grenade reward following a boss kill), and a sink event (grenade thrown in combat):

[sourcecode language=”plain”]GameAnalytics.NewResourceEvent (GAResourceFlowType.Source, “Grenade”, 2, “Looting”, “BossKilled”);[/sourcecode]

[sourcecode language=”plain”]GameAnalytics.NewResourceEvent (GAResourceFlowType.Sink, “Grenade”, 1, “Combat”, “GrenadeThrow”);[/sourcecode]

For more detailed information about custom event tracking, check out our ‘Planning your Tracking’ page for a breakdown of each event type, with some coded examples to help your implementation.

Summary and Key Points

When continually analyzed and measured, funnels are a great way of determining specific areas for improvement within a strictly defined process. Funnel analytics allows you to tweak settings at particular stages and measure whether your changes have a positive outcome, which ultimately brings more of your players towards your desired goal. This setup means that they are especially useful within gaming, as they are primed for understanding how to re-engage users and drive more conversions.

Top 6 GameAnalytics questions:

1. Can I use the same pair of keys for all platforms I am targeting?

2. What common KPIs should I track using design events?

3. I have sent events but I cannot see them in the tool. Where are they?

4. I’ve setup IAP validation but all my monetization data is still invalid. Why?

5. Can I automate the data export feature?

6. Why did my funnel report fail to process?

If none of the above concern you – good stuff. Maybe check out our recently updated post: how to increase your game revenue by 510%

1. Can I use the same pair of keys for all of the platforms that I am targeting?

Short answer: This is possible but we don’t recommend it.

Long answer: We suggest that all users create a unique game entity for every platform that they target. Each entity will have a separate key. Here’s an example of the recommended account structure…

Setting up your account this way offers at least 4 advantages. These benefits far outweigh not having all the data in a single report, as you’ll see below.

• More detailed filtering options for your data
• Understanding cross-platform behavior and trends
• Better and quicker error reporting
• Seamless Unity integration

2. What common KPIs should I track using design events?

Short answer: Almost anything that can be easily quantified.

Long answer: Here are a few of the most common metrics that our users track. We recommend using the below to help understand what you can achieve:

• First-time user experience (FTUE) in your game
• Interaction with elements of the user interface
• Tutorial engagement (from start to finish)
• Granular progression throughout the content of the game
• Length of time watching advertisements
• Usage of in-game resources

Important note: always make sure that you generate “controlled” design events. This means that you should avoid programmatic dynamic generation using numbers inside the event’s name.

3. I have sent events but I cannot see them in the tool. Where are they?

Short answer: Minutes away…

Long answer: All events get aggregated and processed by our servers before you can view them on your dashboard. This takes a little time (minutes rather than hours). The real-time dashboards update live data in under 10 minutes. This is assuming that there aren’t any technical issues causing delays in processing.

All other dashboards display data after a wait of 24 hours. When this data has processed you’ll then be able to view your events. You can view events by using the ‘Explore Tool’. Alternatively, you can create custom widgets and organize these within your custom dashboards.

4. I’ve setup IAP validation but all my monetization data is still invalid. Why?

Short answer: The format of the receipt in the business event is wrong.

Long answer: More often than not an incorrect receipt format is the cause of this issue. It’s a relatively simple fix, but the solution differs depending on the platform.

Below you’ll see a sample of correctly formatted code for Android and iOS.

Android:

{
 "json": "{\"packageName\":\"com.company.game\",\"productId\":\"com.company.game.product\",\"purchaseTime\":1451511226660,\"purchaseState\":0,\"purchaseToken\":\"ihidppjnefbnncdcjacmpbio.AO-J1Ow-NBkPkukgVK5XnxVVGwBy7pESKlUUXtnbuLKj8FbJcJdEQ01Ja8B7LCUZD7D8P53gRBNzl65OM86mn9DQQtVj4-f7UF0SEm2MwAi-8KwsSDg7Wtyqtu8cffVZzM2xU5SUnJK_nrGdmD4n3avcJn2UI-bPc1V0N36wvka3q2BM9Q5Bf54\",\"autoRenewing\":true}",
 "developerPayload": "",
 "signature": "Pd04zWPXnXJPo0+x\/tpJbO1\/vm2HjQwybQ\/tmuTzaqGg3d2\/NDINOhZnnwlfqony\/ReYmKfehksq6mb+Xq4O+lpqdbSGjFNcrfSMicFbf4TBlncLu5i20Sl2jlIfQJD4uVA2D2dOALtSbL+Co7dgyaYEYvSXJBD4J5XUTbJOPa0L7AwjSLXYI\/3BE8ubuJ5zetVjkm3pz7mGXooVqs24YwFLE4UP4dCebOoSnFNJO\/ZmDIjogBF+ARcolzaGaEsffqrFD73NDghkaARylpcxZzWPfeeIbBXZQ79364UQaMrTQNH5KFg9R2IY4DEQJl8f7euxgjmbgaz7uppxwCE5Ng=="
 }

Only the value under “json” should be added in the receipt field. For more information, please refer to the Android developer documentation.

iOS:

{\"Store\":\"AppleAppStore\",\"TransactionID\":\"1000000245238955\",\"Payload\":\"MIITyQYJKoZIhvcNAQcCoI......Ku11p8=\"}

Only the value under “Payload” should be sent. That said, the ‘autofetch receipt’ call method is a viable alternative. For more information, please refer to the Apple developer documentation.

5. Can I automate the data export feature?

Short answer: This is possible but NOT recommended.

Long answer: We definitely advise against doing this. This kind of automation is not supported by our engineers and could expose your data to theft. Our team cannot guarantee the safety of something we did not craft.

The manually generated download URLs or the Linux terminal widget commands are the safe, preferred method of export.

6. Why did my funnel fail to process?

This usually happens due to the following reasons:

a. The date range selected includes dates within the last two days. It takes at least two days for data to become available in funnels.

b. One day in the selected date range may not able to retrieve a certain string of information from the database. This could be due to a temporary issue our end.

You can check whether this is the case quite easily. Just switch from the funnels report to the export tool and select the same date ranges, as shown below.

Generating the download URLs allows you to learn the cause of the issue. The number of .json URLs should equal the number of days selected in the report x 48.

Using this example:

CORRECT: 6 (days) * 48 (.json URLs) = 288 URLs

WRONG: 6 (days) * 48 (.json URLs) <= 240 URLs

(one entire day’s worth of URLs are missing)

If an incorrect number gets returned you should contact our support team. We can normally resolve this issue within a few hours.

We hope you find this post helpful. If we failed to answer any of your questions be sure to contact our team at support@gameanalytics.com

There are two critical parts of any creation that leave a trail in the viewer’s mind: the introduction and the conclusion. In the case of a game, the first impression is even more important. The user can decide to leave at any moment. In particular, before they got a taste of the game’s best moments.

In other words, your game’s intro can make or break its retention.

Where does it start, where does it end?

By introduction, I do not only mean the first level of your game. I am thinking about the whole experience from the moment the user launches the application to the first level of your game. A long, boring loading will hurt the user’s experience as much as a bad tutorial would.

The introduction encompasses your game’s title screen, loading, tutorial, etc.

There are plenty of little changes we can make to improve the user’s experience outside of the actual levels. As well as in your first level.

Keeping players entertained during your loading

Your games may be lightweight and have a fast loading. Great!

But if you make online games like me, for a wide variety of users and platforms, your loading time can vary a lot. I work on HTML5 games. On mobiles, with a 3G Internet connection, a 2MB game will take a whole minute to download!

Waiting for 60 seconds is extremely boring. Frustrating even. The player may only have to go through the loading screen once. Yet, this is the first taste he will ever have of your game. And we human beings unconsciously make judgments within split seconds (scientific paper here).

If our first experience is frustrating, the game is frustrating. If the loading screen looks ugly, the game is ugly.

It is that simple. We have to polish our loadings. But how?

First of all, your loading screen needs to give a taste of your game’s aesthetics. You can put your best artworks on it! Don’t hesitate to reuse content from the game. There is no need to create a unique illustration just for the loading.

The only unique asset you may want to add is a progress bar. Having any progress indicator is critical. And with progress bars in particular, you can make your game’s loading feel faster.

However, progress bars are not enough. People don’t like to wait. People Want to Get Started! As game designers, we have a wide arsenal of tools we can use to even make fun loadings!

We can make a game in the game. Be it a unique one or a lean version of our actual project. Few titles used that approach in gaming history. This is nothing new though: on the Commodore 64, Skyline Attack had a mini game in its loading screen. But we rarely exploit that opportunity to set our game apart from others.

It is a small detail that can make a big difference.

We only have to load a subset of our game’s assets before downloading everything else. Then, we have to make a choice. We can:

• make a small, unique minigame
• reuse our game’s gameplay in a simplified way

The first option is pretty straightforward. We can design a game that will only be playable from the loading screen. It only has to be lightweight. And so basic it can be picked up within seconds. Don’t forget: the player will spend at most a few dozens of seconds on the loading screen. He won’t have the time to learn a complex set of rules.
Reusing your game’s core mechanics will not work for all types of games. If your game is complex, like an RTS or an RPG, for instance. We need to extract a unique, simple mechanic from the full game. The minigame has to work without a tutorial.

However, reusing your core gameplay is an exceptional occasion for the player to:

• get a taste of the actual game immediately;
• start training for his first gameplay session.

And as designers, this is a great exercise. It forces us to come up with an efficient and creative design. By the way, it is not necessary to spend a lot of time on the minigame. It only has to be simple and entertaining.

Some Nintendo DS and Wii titles offer an outstanding reference for small, efficient mini games. I.e. party games like WarioWare. Bayonetta offers a great example of a game that lets the player train during loadings.

Once they got past the loading screen, the next important step all players will go through is your title screen.

On our way to the main menu

With most projects, the players will have to go through your main menu every time they play. They will even have to go through your splash screens every time they play.

Like many other players, you have certainly stared at boring splash screens for never-ending seconds. In particular in AAA games. Splash screens are boring to the point where players even come up with solutions to skip the un-skippable.

Forcing your logo into the mind of players is not necessary. Give them what they are coming for first. You can always showcase your company’s logo later in the intro credits. And after that outstanding finale. That way, the players will actually care about your logo. They will remember you. Without you even asking for it.

You get the point. Forget splash screens! If you must have splash screens, at least make them skippable in an instant. Splash screens are but a source of frustration.

A striking title screen

At some point, the player arrives to the title screen. Once again, we have the power to offer him either a fluid or a frustrating experience. Title screens ought to leave a mark on your mind!

The first time a person plays your game, you don’t need her to go through multiple layers of menus. The same idea always holds true: people want to get started. The user shouldn’t have to go through the whole menus on the first play. Although this is UX design 101, lots of games still have the player waste time in superfluous menus. Rogue Legacy is a game that does it right.

You want your player to be able to press the start button and get going. On the first play, you don’t need to show a level selection screen. What is the purpose of the level selection if you only have one available? When the player presses the play button, he should be able to play right away.

Actually, the first time the player launches the game, you could even skip the main menu altogether. Or offer a deep emotional experience as in The Last of Us or Xenoblade. Powerful, yet sober.

Unless your game requires the player to pick a mode, or to learn a complex set of rules, get the game going! You can always put a button to access the game’s options in-game. On top of that, skipping the title screen the first time somebody plays your game only takes minutes to code. One warning though: you should still leave some space for the player not to lose right away. You should either wait for the player input or put him in a safe zone.

You still have to make a title screen though. When the player comes back to your game a second time, he may want to load a previous save. Maybe he wants to start a new game as well.

Your main menu’s feel

Your main menu is like the rest of your game: it should share its feel. Once again, it is an occasion to give the player a taste of your project. A bland menu won’t cut it.

Your main menu is like a restaurant’s room: it is an appetizer. It answers a fundamental question: why should I press the play button?

First of all, make it move! The menu has to feel alive. You can use particles, animated characters from the game, or simply a scrolling background. Whenever the player is not touching the buttons, animate them!

Your menu should also respond to the player’s inputs. For one, whenever the player touches a button, the button should always react. You can basically scale it up when it’s touched, and scale it down when the touch is released.

You can also make other UI and background elements interactive. Simply tween them on touch. I am talking of any type of game assets in that case. This could be a tree in the background, a character, the game’s logo or title, etc. Just have it trigger a nice, simple animation. No need to spend hours on it! You can reuse tweens, particle systems and animations from the rest of the game.

Each and every of your tweens and animations should “snap”. The concept of snap is specific to animation: an animation that snaps is just like a snap of your fingers. It is reactive and fast. It is both appealing and efficient. I think that the image of a finger snap works well. To give you specific numbers, a button scale tween should take between 0.2 and 0.4 seconds. It doesn’t give too much time for the eye to see it, but it is enough for the player to feel it.

Once again, Rogue Legacy offers a strong example of an efficient start menu. It has a solid, clear visual composition. One button press, and you are either in the options or in the game.

A touch of originality: Playable main menus

You can make an original menu by making it playable. That is to say using your main character to navigate through the options. Implementing a playable main menu is an approach that designers rarely take.

It is hard to find an example of a game that does it right. Braid is one of the few game titles that managed to pull it off. Its “menu” is meaningful and offers a deep emotional experience. It pulls you into Braid’s world. It puts you in the right mood to solve the game’s tough problems.

In Dustforce, the level selection zone actually serves as a warm-up area. This first area is a huge hub and acts as a menu. It even makes it hard for you to move your characters to the later levels! The game being very hard and technical, this choice makes sense.

If playable menus are rare, it is for a good reason though. You still want your player to get into the actual game very fast. Moving the character to a given door to access a level or option will always be slower than navigating a basic UI.

Starting in medias res

In medias res is a Latin expression that means “in the action”. It is mostly used in the literature, to describe a story that starts in the midst of action. The idea is very simple: in the case of a game, you want the player to start the game hands on. As soon as he gets in, he can already play. No longer intro cinematic, direct gameplay. This echoes back to the idea that people want to get started. You can start first with a phase of gameplay, and introduce the story later. At least if you are not making a story-driven game.

Limbo is an exceptional example of a game starting in medias res. And of the principles outlined above. One button press, and the player is in the game. He doesn’t know where he is. He is lost. He discovers the world a little more with each step he takes. This design decision works beautifully with Limbo’s dark setting.

Journey offers a similar kind of outstanding experience. Its main menu is lean and flows nicely into the game’s introduction and gameplay.

Starting in medias res is once again not right for all games. But it is an option to consider and keep in mind as a game designer.

A lesson from F2P games

Free to play games actually tend to throw the player in the middle of the game world straight away. Most of the time, they start with a slow step-by-step tutorial. This is actually not what they do best in terms of getting people started. However, there is one interesting twist that they offer: they give the player a taste of the end game.

In general, when we start a F2P game, we have access to more options than in the actual later parts of the early game. Well, free to play games are not the only ones to do that. I am pointing at F2P titles mostly because they generalized this practice. On Super Famicom, Tales of Phantasia started with a team of powerful heroes facing a cool overpowered boss. Right away, as a player, you knew what the end game had to offer. You knew that it would get epic. And it felt great!

I don’t like the way free to play games tend to do it. They offer a fluid gameplay experience that they then take away from you. In a single player game, you don’t want to show what the game has to offer that way. You still want the early game to feel compelling. Giving a glimpse of the end game also has to work with your concept and story.

When should you break those rules

All games are different. All projects have different requirements. As a designer, you should have a clear goal as far as your game’s feel is concerned. Maybe you want your game to have a lingering feel of mystery. Maybe you want it to feel peaceful and slow. The principles I outlined above can be interesting for all sorts of games. In particular for casual games.

However, those principles focus on making your game slightly more accessible and smoother. They are about providing instant fun. Depending on your specific audience, you may want to break or adapt the rules outlined above. What matters is that you do it on purpose, for good reasons. It should be a coherent design decision, and not a plain oversight.

Also, I firmly believe that our understanding of what makes games accessible and fluid is interesting to learn for any designer. Once we understand the principles of accessibility, we can pick the ones we need and leave others aside.

If you want to create a powerful intro for your game:
• Make it fit your game’s feel and rhythm
• Get the player playing

All in all, the idea is always the same: people want to get started. Get them started.

The fear of losing the fun of your game when you start implementing analytics is ever present. But taking a look at the classics from which most developers get their inspiration, will reveal seamless ways of integrating game design and analytics.

One of the problems when you start looking at data for your game is that you might get lost in it. Usually, a game developer starts designing a game based on that single spark of inspiration. A radical ambition of creating a fun and memorable experience for players.

All too often, the use of analytics and data gets added as an afterthought. A necessary caveat to make informed decisions, not really to make the game better, but to make the game better at putting butter on your bread.

To many game creators, therefore, the use of analytics seems alien and imposed. It seems like a sign of big business encroaching on the territory of fun. But truth be told, analytics have always been a natural part of game design.

A look through time

Looking at the history of video games, we can trace the first commercial demand for analytics. When Nolan Bushnell and Al Alcorn put the very first Pong machine up in Andy Capp’s Tavern, only a few days passed before the owner, Bill Gattis, phoned up Alcorn, complaining that the machine had stopped working. Alcorn investigated only to find out the machine was brimful of quarters.

The problem was not that Pong didn’t work; it was that Pong worked staggeringly and surprisingly well. The filled quarter-drawer was a basic way of tracking something related to DAU and daily revenue. It also gave the general insight that there was an excellent conversion rate from people just hanging out in a bar to paying Pong customers.

Monitoring

The proto-analytics of arcade machines were not improved in a technical way until the advent of the modern internet some 20 years later. However, this doesn’t mean that there was no monitoring going on.

Looking to the experience of classical software development, extensive testing was brought to bear on the game development process. Instead of algorithms and databases, clipboards and questionnaires were used to monitor the progression and actions of test players. While a big part of the testing process was technical in nature, isolating and fixing bugs in code, savvy game developers also charted the interests of players to better cater to them.

Although the iterative process involved in extensive testing is time consuming and slow, this is basically tracking how players interact with your system and reacting to it in a financially sound way.

Technical assistance

This process was mainly evolved in two ways during the last decade.

One was the procedurally generating games that respond directly to player input. While these have yet to prove commercially viable as a main revenue model, considerable technical advancement has been made, for example in the old Mario AI competitions.

But what has proven commercially viable is the use of analytics data to help game developers make decisions. The processing power of modern devices along with the near-instant updates on monitored player activity, game creators can make gameplay adjustments far quicker than through a testing cycle conducted the old-fashioned way.

It all begins with people playing your game

What all forms of analytics have in common is that they stem from players playing your game because you made a good game. From the earliest arcades, to the latest mobile games, analytics have been there to measure what people find fun.

Now, with tools like GameAnalytics, you can pinpoint exactly what makes your game enjoyable. Beyond the crucial, but in game terms, ancient focus on DAU, revenue and conversion rates, you can track the actions players seek out in your game and how they relate to your financial doings.

Summing up

Throughout the history of digital games, analytics have been there. Far from being a latter-day, unnatural addition to the process of making fun games, analytics are at the heart of fun design. Whether you use top-tuned analytics tools or whether you stick to clipboards and questionnaires, the process of natural analytics is the same:

1. You design a fun game;
2. Players play your game;
3. You monitor what they enjoy doing in the game;
4. You re-design the game to emphasise the fun and attract more – and happier – players.

A great infographic on why players keep coming back for more…

Source: Online-Psychology-Degrees.org

[This post was written in collaboration with Christian Bauckhage and Rafet Sifa.]

In this fourth and last post in the cluster analysis series, we provide a couple of examples showing how cluster analysis operates in practice on player data, as well as how to present the results of cluster analysis, in order to make them actionable. Grab a cup of coffee and sit down in a comfy chair for this one!

We have talked ad libitum about the foundations of cluster analysis, the multitude of models and algorithms and the specific challenges associated with running such analysis on behavioral data from games. Given the heavy emphasis on human decision-making, running a cluster analysis can seem like a daunting prospect, the time has come for an example to show how this process can operate in practice. This should hopefully indicate that with a bit of preparation and reading, running a cluster analysis is possible even for non-specialists. By the way, this is also the case for prediction analysis, as documented by Dmitry Nozhnin.

We will in this post use examples from this paper, which focuses on the MMORPG Tera Online, and uses a baseline algorithm, k-means clustering, which we introduced in the second post in this series. In brief, k-means clustering tries to partition all the observations made into k clusters, in which each observation belongs to the cluster with the nearest mean value, which forms the prototype of that cluster (for a rigorous walkthrough of k-means consult Daniel MacKay’s book “Information Theory, Inference and Learning Algorithms”).

For additional examples, this paper looks at how to use neural nets for developing player profiles in a previous Tomb Raider game; and this paper employs cluster analysis as a function of time. Finally, here we show a visual example of players migrating between clusters as a function of time, using D3 and Sankey diagrams.

This post is going to be a bit extensive, as we want to properly document the different steps taking place before and after running the actual cluster algorithms on the data –expect about a lunch break’s time or so. We will not cover the math itself (generally we can let software handle the calculations), for that please refer to this paper and the references contained therein.

Tera Online

Let us start by introducing Tera Online. As mentioned in previous posts, understanding the game being analyzed is pretty vital to understanding the results of analytics processes. Tera (abbreviation for The Exiled Realm of Arborea) is an MMORPG that was released by Enmasse Entertainment in South Korea in January 2011, and in North America/Europe the following year. The game is currently free-to-play, and has typical MMORPG features such as a questing system, crafting and player vs. player action, as well as an integrated economy. Players generate one or more characters, which fall within one of seven races (e.g. Aman, Baraka, Castanic). In addition, players choose a class (e.g. Warrior, Lancer, Beserker), each tuned to specific roles in the game (e.g. having a high damage output or being able to absorb high amounts of damage).

A player can have multiple characters in Tera; therefore, the dataset will probably represent a number of players lower than the number of characters. From the perspective of behavior clustering, the discrepancy between number of players and characters is not important in this case, where we are interested in behavioral groups as a function of characters, not players.

Dataset

The dataset from Tera is from the game’s open beta (character levels 1-32 only), and contains the following behavioral variables (or features in data mining terminology):

Quests completed: Number of quests completed
Friends: Number of friends in the game
Achievements: The number of achievements earned
Skill levels: Level in the Mining and Plants skill, respectively
Monster kills: The number of AI-controlled enemies killed by the character (combining small, medium and large monsters in one feature)
Deaths by monsters: The number of times the character has been killed by AI-controlled enemies
Total items looted: The total number of items the character has picked up during the game
Auctions house use: The combined number of times the character has either created an auction or purchased something from an auction
Character level: Ranges from level 1 to 32. We will in this example focus on level 32 players (if we just used all the players the cluster analysis will, of course neatly give us clusters that are level dependent, given how the values of the different variables changes with character level. I.e. a level 32 character will have completed, say 1000 quests, a level 1 character, 2).

Data preparation and analysis

Behavioral telemetry sadly has a tendency to be both dirty and noisy. On top of that, feature selection, as also discussed in the third post in this series, is potentially highly challenging. These are key problems we face as analysts trying to streamline analytics processes – and eventually remove the analyst as a link in the most processes (as recently discussed by Nils Pihl). In the current case, we carefully went through the potential behavioral features in the dataset and selected those close to the key mechanics of the game, as the goal here was to gain a general understanding of how the players handled their high level characters. We were notably interested in class imbalances, or if there were groups of players who performed very badly (or … suspiciously … well). Any incomplete records were removed and various types of analyses were performed on the data to find any weird outliers and to check the distribution of the data for each feature (behavioral variable).

Normalizing input data

A typical problem of behavioral analysis in games is the mixing of data types. This is incredibly common as soon as we want to analyze multiple variables (or behavioral features) at the same time, e.g. multiple regression. Doing so often requires the adoption or normalization strategies, which is however, a step in the analysis process that is often overlooked, with potential disastrous results.

This feeds back to the point we have made in earlier posts that these days it is easy to run e.g. a cluster analysis using standard analytics or statistics packages, but that these are not so automated processes. Data mining (still) requires human input and decision-making.

Normalization strategies have names such as Min-Max and variance normalization (or zero mean normalization, ZMN). This may sound arcane [analysts love making simple things sound complex ;-)] but what it actually means is that we try to take data that varies in their ranges and types and convert them into a format that will not mess up the cluster analysis. For example, if we had a range of variables that ranged in value from 3-10, and one variable ranging from 0-1, the latter can have a disproportionate impact because it is a binary value. In this case, it can be an advantage to normalize all variables into a 0-1 range. The data mining literature is brimming with ways of normalizing data, but to take a few examples, ZMN normalizes the field values according to the mean and the standard deviation values. Min-max normalization transforms the data into a defined range normalized min value (α)and normalized max value (β). See here for more on these processes. While the choice or normalization strategy is very case dependent, we find that Min-Max normalization is pretty sensitive to outliers, so we recommend variance normalization when you are dealing with datasets with outliers. Below, we present the results using variance normalization (there was not much difference in the results using the two techniques).

Threshold definition

A key element of human decision-making in a cluster analysis is deciding how to determine the number of clusters. The thing is that a cluster algorithm can give you as many or as few clusters as you want, up to the point where each data point is a cluster! It depends on the threshold value that we decide should determine when something is a cluster or not. There are ways to obtain an idea about the best number of clusters in an analysis, notably mean squared error estimates, cross validation and the popular Scree plots; but essentially, deciding how many clusters there are in a dataset is ultimately up to the human running the analysis. Sometimes it makes sense to use the number of clusters a mean squared error estimate tells us is the best “fit”, sometimes it gives us better information to use fewer or more clusters. It depends on the specific goal of the analysis. In practice, we will be trying out different numbers of clusters, to see what gives us the best and most interpretable results. Most analytics or statistical packages will generate several “fitness” plots automatically when you run a cluster analysis that helps enormously with interpretation. For Tera, irrespective of which level range we looked at, we found that 6-7 clusters provided the best fit. These clusters do not adhere to character classes, but rather to specific behavior ranges. This is perhaps not surprising given how much freedom you have as a player to impact the playstyle of any character class. More on this below.

Clusters of behavior in Tera

The k-means analysis resulted in 6 clusters. We see one cluster with the highest values across all or most of the behavioral variables, and another with abysmal values across the board. The remaining four clusters contain players who perform averagely but have different sets of high or low scores, i.e. different things they emphasize in the game.

Elite players: These had the highest scores across all features, but were not killed often by AI opponents. Also these players had very low skill levels in Plants and Mining. This indicates players focused on performance, without interest in skills not impacting their performance (Plants and Mining provide access to resources and equipment, however, resources can also be obtained via solving quests or auctioning off found items). These players are of direct interest not only because they are dedicated, but also because of their strong social networks (high number of friends): retaining them assists with ensuring a sustainable community.

Stragglers: the players with the lowest score for all features (including deaths from monsters), comprising 39.4% of the players. These players, even though they have reached level 32, perform rather badly in the game, and possibly a group that is at risk of churning.

Next to these interesting clusters there are two clusters with successively better scores, Average Joes and The Dependables, the latter with the highest scores except for the Elite. Investigating other features such as playtime in connection with this cluster might help gaining insights into how these players can be helped progressing into the Elite profile. Both of these groups of players exhibit low Plants and Mining skills; however, they are matched by the last two groups, the Worker I and Worker II. These have scores similar to the Average Joes and The Dependables respectively, but with high Mining and Plants skill, and comparably higher loot values, i.e. they have looted more items.

The fact that only two of six clusters of players appear to spend time on learning non-combat skills could indicate a design problem for Tera (keep in mind these are data from the beta and thus not representative of the current game). Resource-gathering skills like these are fundamental to the economy of an MMORPG, and with only roughly 25-35% (depending on the level bin) of the player base having high values in these skills, the flow of new raw materials may not be sufficient. Additionally, from a cost-benefit perspective, core gameplay features such as the non-combat skills should be utilized by most of the player base.

Acknowledgements
We are indebted to several colleagues for sharing their insights and feedback on this post, including but not limited to Christian Thurau, Fabian Hadiji and Shawn Connor.