You have been tasked with making design decisions for an indie mobile game development team called "Pump 'Em Out".
Every two weeks they release a new mobile game, however they've noticed their games aren't gaining any attention. They don't understand it. They make lots of games. Surely people love variety!
That's where you come in. They brought you on board to help them gain an audience. You start tomorrow.
[[Make first game|Game 1 - 1st Decision]]**Game #1**
A fellow developer approaches you about a point-and-click game he's making. He wants to give the player absolute agency and make them feel like they're creating their own strategy, however he's worried the player won't know what they're supposed to be doing when presented with a problem.
He asks for your advice.
[[Make the items they need stand out a little. Giving hints won't give the player absolute agency.|Bad - 2nd Decision]]
[[Provide some small goals and hints to guide the player. Making the items clearer gives too much away.|Good - 2nd Decision]]**Game #1**
The point-and-click game being developed is a sci-fi game. The team have designed and named a whole new set of technology for the game as they thought the players may find it cool and interesting.
However, they aren't sure if the players will understand the terminology and are worried they'll get stuck.
What do you tell them?
[[That's part of the excitement. The players will figure it out as they go along, learning what each piece of equipment is and what they should use it for.|Bad - 3rd Decision]]
[[Suggest adding some sort of hint to explain what each piece of equipment is or what it looks like so the player somewhat knows what to look for.|Good - 3rd Decision]]**Game #1**
The point-and-click game being developed is a sci-fi game. The team have designed and named a whole new set of technology for the game as they thought the players may find it cool and interesting.
However, they aren't sure if the players will understand the terminology and are worried they'll get stuck.
What do you tell them?
[[That's part of the excitement. The players will figure it out as they go along, learning what each piece of equipment is and what they should use it for.|Bad - 3rd Decision(1)]]
[[Suggest adding some sort of hint to explain what each piece of equipment is or what it looks like so the player somewhat knows what to look for.|Good - 3rd Decision]]**Game #1**
As this sci-fi point-and-click game is going to be free to play, the development team decided to add an "energy" system so the player can only make a certain number of decisions before having to wait for more "energy". This means if the player wants to play more and do not want to wait, they'll have to pay.
The team aren't sure how long the player should have to wait for more "energy".
What do you suggest?
[[Make the wait time for more "energy" around 5 minutes. It isn't too long to wait, but long enough that if the player wants to spend money, they can.|Good - End 1]]
[[Make the wait time for more "energy" around 30 minutes. The game is free to play, so encouraging microtransactions is important.|Bad - End 2]]**Game #1**
As this sci-fi point-and-click game is going to be free to play, the development team decided to add an "energy" system so the player can only make a certain number of decisions before having to wait for more "energy". This means if the player wants to play more and do not want to wait, they'll have to pay.
The team aren't sure how long the player should have to wait for more "energy".
What do you suggest?
[[Make the wait time for more "energy" around 5 minutes. It isn't too long to wait, but long enough that if the player wants to spend money, they can.|Good - End 3]]
[[Make the wait time for more "energy" around 30 minutes. The game is free to play, so encouraging microtransactions is important.|Bad - End 4]]**Game #1**
As this sci-fi point-and-click game is going to be free to play, the development team decided to add an "energy" system so the player can only make a certain number of decisions before having to wait for more "energy". This means if the player wants to play more and do not want to wait, they'll have to pay.
The team aren't sure how long the player should have to wait for more "energy".
What do you suggest?
[[Make the wait time for more "energy" around 5 minutes. It isn't too long to wait, but long enough that if the player wants to spend money, they can.|Good - End 5]]
[[Make the wait time for more "energy" around 30 minutes. The game is free to play, so encouraging microtransactions is important.|Bad - End 6]]**Game #1**
As this sci-fi point-and-click game is going to be free to play, the development team decided to add an "energy" system so the player can only make a certain number of decisions before having to wait for more "energy". This means if the player wants to play more and do not want to wait, they'll have to pay.
The team aren't sure how long the player should have to wait for more "energy".
What do you suggest?
[[Make the wait time for more "energy" around 5 minutes. It isn't too long to wait, but long enough that if the player wants to spend money, they can.|Good - End 7]]
[[Make the wait time for more "energy" around 30 minutes. The game is free to play, so encouraging microtransactions is important.|Bad - End 8]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[BuygrushWeepthrood says:
"Why were all the items standing out? This made the game too easy. I'd rather not instantly know to pick something up in case I need it later."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[FimGrandango says:
"I didn't know what I was supposed to be looking for at all. The Active Gravity Phaser? Zapper of Widows? What are those? I give up with this game."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[SchimTafer says:
"I didn't feel like I had to wait too long for energy! Love it!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way?]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[BuygrushWeepthrood says:
"Why were all the items standing out? This made the game too easy. I'd rather not instantly know to pick something up in case I need it later."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[FimGrandango says:
"I didn't know what I was supposed to be looking for at all. The Active Gravity Phaser? Zapper of Widows? What are those? I give up with this game."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[SchimTafer says:
"I had to wait too long for energy! Absolute money grab! Uninstalled!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 2]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[BuygrushWeepthrood says:
"Why were all the items standing out? This made the game too easy. I'd rather not instantly know to pick something up in case I need it later."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[FimGrandango says:
"The new tech was fun to discover. The hints were just enough to help me find what I needed."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[SchimTafer says:
"I didn't feel like I had to wait too long for energy! Love it!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 3]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
Player feedback
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[BuygrushWeepthrood says:
"Why were all the items standing out? This made the game too easy. I'd rather not instantly know to pick something up in case I need it later."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[FimGrandango says:
"The new tech was fun to discover. The hints were just enough to help me find what I needed."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[SchimTafer says:
"I had to wait too long for energy! Absolute money grab! Uninstalled!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 4]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[BuygrushWeepthrood says:
"The game provided a good challenge, while giving enough info to guide me on my journey. Recommended!"]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[FimGrandango says:
"I didn't know what I was supposed to be looking for at all. The Active Gravity Phaser? Zapper of Widows? What are those? I give up with this game."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[SchimTafer says:
"I didn't feel like I had to wait too long for energy! Love it!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 5]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[BuygrushWeepthrood says:
"The game provided a good challenge, while giving enough info to guide me on my journey. Recommended!"]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[FimGrandango says:
"I didn't know what I was supposed to be looking for at all. The Active Gravity Phaser? Zapper of Widows? What are those? I give up with this game."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[SchimTafer says:
"I had to wait too long for energy! Absolute money grab! Uninstalled!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 6]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[BuygrushWeepthrood says:
"The game provided a good challenge, while giving enough info to guide me on my journey. Recommended!"]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[FimGrandango says:
"The new tech was fun to discover. The hints were just enough to help me find what I needed."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[SchimTafer says:
"I didn't feel like I had to wait too long for energy! Love it!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 7]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[BuygrushWeepthrood says:
"The game provided a good challenge, while giving enough info to guide me on my journey. Recommended!"]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[FimGrandango says:
"The new tech was fun to discover. The hints were just enough to help me find what I needed."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[SchimTafer says:
"I had to wait too long for energy! Absolute money grab! Uninstalled!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 8]]**Decision 1**
Instead of giving the player a goal to work towards or a hint to guide them, you made the player feel they were randomly picking up items and guessing when they should be used.
Heuristic: The game should provide clear goals.
**Decision 2**
You gave the player new terminology with no hints or explanation as to what they are, and that will confuse and frustrate them.
Heuristic: The player must understand the terminology.
**Decision 3**
You made the player wait too long for energy and frustrated them by making them feel you are trying to siphon their money.
Heuristic: The player should not have to wait too long to gain lives/energy/upgrades.
[[Develop next game|Game #2]]
**Game #2**
Now that the first game has been released, the team has decided to work on a new game. This game is an online racing game using toy cars. Players can play with their friends or people around the world, but can also play against AI.
The team aren't sure if they want to let the player customise their car as this could mean a longer development time.
What do you think?
[[Give the player the ability to customise.|Good - Decision 1]]
[[Agree that this could be a lot of work and time would be better spent making sure the gameplay is perfect.|Bad - Decision 1]]**Decision 1**
Instead of giving the player a goal to work towards or a hint to guide them, you made the player feel they were randomly picking up items and guessing when they should be used.
Heuristic: The game should provide clear goals.
**Decision 2**
You gave the player new terminology with no hints or explanation as to what they are, and that will confuse and frustrate them.
Heuristic: The player must understand the terminology.
**Decision 3**
Good! You didn't make the player wait too long for energy. Doing this will frustrate them and make them feel you are trying to siphon their money.
Heuristic: The player should not have to wait too long to gain lives/energy/upgrades.
[[Develop next game|Game #2]]
**Decision 1**
Instead of giving the player a goal to work towards or a hint to guide them, you made the player feel they were randomly picking up items and guessing when they should be used.
Heuristic: The game should provide clear goals.
**Decision 2**
Good! You gave the player enough information to help them reach their goal. You didn't confuse or frustrate the player by providing them with new terminology with no hints or explanation as to what the terminology means.
Heuristic: The player must understand the terminology.
**Decision 3**
Good! You didn't make the player wait too long for energy. Doing this will frustrate them and make them feel you are trying to siphon their money.
Heuristic: The player should not have to wait too long to gain lives/energy/upgrades.
[[Develop next game|Game #2]]
**Decision 1**
Instead of giving the player a goal to work towards or a hint to guide them, you made the player feel they were randomly picking up items and guessing when they should be used.
Heuristic: The game should provide clear goals.
**Decision 2**
Good! You gave the player enough information to help them reach their goal. You didn't confuse or frustrate the player by providing them with new terminology with no hints or explanation as to what the terminology means.
Heuristic: The player must understand the terminology.
**Decision 3**
You made the player wait too long for energy and frustrated them by making them feel you are trying to siphon their money.
Heuristic: The player should not have to wait too long to gain lives/energy/upgrades.
[[Develop next game|Game #2]]
**Decision 1**
Good! You gave the player a goal to work towards or a hint to guide them instead of making the player feel they were randomly picking up items and guessing when they should be used.
Heuristic: The game should provide clear goals.
**Decision 2**
You gave the player new terminology with no hints or explanation as to what they are, and that will confuse and frustrate them.
Heuristic: The player must understand the terminology.
**Decision 3**
Good! You didn't make the player wait too long for energy. Doing this will frustrate them and make them feel you are trying to siphon their money.
Heuristic: The player should not have to wait too long to gain lives/energy/upgrades.
[[Develop next game|Game #2]]**Decision 1**
Good! You gave the player a goal to work towards or a hint to guide them instead of making the player feel they were randomly picking up items and guessing when they should be used.
Heuristic: The game should provide clear goals.
**Decision 2**
You gave the player new terminology with no hints or explanation as to what they are, and that will confuse and frustrate them.
Heuristic: The player must understand the terminology.
**Decision 3**
You made the player wait too long for energy and frustrated them by making them feel you are trying to siphon their money.
Heuristic: The player should not have to wait too long to gain lives/energy/upgrades.
[[Develop next game|Game #2]]**Decision 1**
Good! You gave the player a goal to work towards or a hint to guide them instead of making the player feel they were randomly picking up items and guessing when they should be used.
Heuristic: The game should provide clear goals.
**Decision 2**
Good! You gave the player enough information to help them reach their goal. You didn't confuse or frustrate the player by providing them with new terminology with no hints or explanation as to what the terminology means.
Heuristic: The player must understand the terminology.
**Decision 3**
Good! You didn't make the player wait too long for energy. Doing this will frustrate them and make them feel you are trying to siphon their money.
Heuristic: The player should not have to wait too long to gain lives/energy/upgrades.
[[Develop next game|Game #2]]**Decision 1**
Good! You gave the player a goal to work towards or a hint to guide them instead of making the player feel they were randomly picking up items and guessing when they should be used.
Heuristic: The game should provide clear goals.
**Decision 2**
Good! You gave the player enough information to help them reach their goal. You didn't confuse or frustrate the player by providing them with new terminology with no hints or explanation as to what the terminology means.
Heuristic: The player must understand the terminology.
**Decision 3**
You made the player wait too long for energy and frustrated them by making them feel you are trying to siphon their money.
Heuristic: The player should not have to wait too long to gain lives/energy/upgrades.
[[Develop next game|Game #2]]**Game #2**
One of the team members approaches you to ask you about advertisements. As it is toy racing, the player does not need to be as focused as they would be if it were racing normal cars, so she feels adding advertisements during the gameplay wouldn't be too intrusive.
You see she isn't entirely sure what to do, but we need advertisements in the game.
[[Agree that adding some during gameplay would be a good decision. This will be when the player is most focused on their screen.|Bad - Decision 2]]
[[Suggest having the adverts somewhere else in the game where the player would be focused, such as the main menu.|Good - Decision 2(1)]]**Game #2**
One of the team members approaches you to ask you about advertisements. As it is toy racing, the player does not need to be as focused as they would be if it were racing normal cars, so she feels adding advertisements during the gameplay wouldn't be too intrusive.
You see she isn't entirely sure what to do, but we need advertisements in the game.
[[Agree that adding some during gameplay would be a good decision. This will be when the player is most focused on their screen.|Bad - Decision 2(1)]]
[[Suggest having the adverts somewhere else in the game where the player would be focused, such as the main menu.|Good - Decision 2(1)]]**Game #2**
The team have decided they want to add a daily login bonus to encourage the player to play every day. They're discussing giving the bonuses some sort of pattern that alternates between coins to buy items such as boosts during gameplay, or the power-ups themselves.
They turn to you and ask what you think.
[[Agree that there should be some sort of pattern or structure to the bonuses.|Good - Ending 1]]
[[Disagree that there should be a pattern, but make it completely random.|Bad - Ending 2]]**Game #2**
The team have decided they want to add a daily login bonus to encourage the player to play every day. They're discussing giving the bonuses some sort of pattern that alternates between coins to buy items such as boosts during gameplay, or the power-ups themselves.
They turn to you and ask what you think.
[[Agree that there should be some sort of pattern or structure to the bonuses.|Good - Ending 3]]
[[Disagree that there should be a pattern, but make it completely random.|Bad - Ending 4]]**Game #2**
The team have decided they want to add a daily login bonus to encourage the player to play every day. They're discussing giving the bonuses some sort of pattern that alternates between coins to buy items such as boosts during gameplay, or the power-ups themselves.
They turn to you and ask what you think.
[[Agree that there should be some sort of pattern or structure to the bonuses.|Good - Ending 5]]
[[Disagree that there should be a pattern, but make it completely random.|Bad - Ending 6]]**Game #2**
The team have decided they want to add a daily login bonus to encourage the player to play every day. They're discussing giving the bonuses some sort of pattern that alternates between coins to buy items such as boosts during gameplay, or the power-ups themselves.
They turn to you and ask what you think.
[[Agree that there should be some sort of pattern or structure to the bonuses.|Good - Ending 7]]
[[Disagree that there should be a pattern, but make it completely random.|Bad - Ending 8]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[KuzamaRikyu says:
"I enjoy being able to customise my car. It really makes it feel like it's mine."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[MoroGajima says:
"Why were there adverts in the middle of the game? It totally took me out of it!"]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[CircuitTakuma says:
"I love seeing what prizes I get every day! Sometimes I'll score a big boost that sends me flying around the course!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? Game 2]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[KuzamaRikyu says:
"I enjoy being able to customise my car. It really makes it feel like it's mine."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[MoroGajima says:
"Why were there adverts in the middle of the game? It totally took me out of it!"]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[CircuitTakuma says:
"I hate the login prizes! My friends always seem to get the good items and I only get coins? Why?!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 2 Game 2]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[KuzamaRikyu says:
"I enjoy being able to customise my car. It really makes it feel like it's mine."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[MoroGajima says:
"Usually in free to play games ads always get in the way of the game, but these are okay. It doesn't feel like you just want my money!"]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[CircuitTakuma says:
"I love seeing what prizes I get every day! Sometimes I'll score a big boost that sends me flying around the course!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 3 Game 2]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[KuzamaRikyu says:
"I enjoy being able to customise my car. It really makes it feel like it's mine."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[MoroGajima says:
"Usually in free to play games ads always get in the way of the game, but these are okay. It doesn't feel like you just want my money!"]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[CircuitTakuma says:
"I hate the login prizes! My friends always seem to get the good items and I only get coins? Why?!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 4 Game 2]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[KuzamaRikyu says:
"Why can't I customise my car? They all look the same. It's boring."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[MoroGajima says:
"Why were there adverts in the middle of the game? It totally took me out of it!"]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[CircuitTakuma says:
"I love seeing what prizes I get every day! Sometimes I'll score a big boost that sends me flying around the course!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 5 Game 2]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[KuzamaRikyu says:
"Why can't I customise my car? They all look the same. It's boring."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[MoroGajima says:
"Why were there adverts in the middle of the game? It totally took me out of it!"]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[CircuitTakuma says:
"I hate the login prizes! My friends always seem to get the good items and I only get coins? Why?!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 6 Game 2]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[KuzamaRikyu says:
"Why can't I customise my car? They all look the same. It's boring."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[MoroGajima says:
"Usually in free to play games ads always get in the way of the game, but these are okay. It doesn't feel like you just want my money!"]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[CircuitTakuma says:
"I love seeing what prizes I get every day! Sometimes I'll score a big boost that sends me flying around the course!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 7 Game 2]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[KuzamaRikyu says:
"Why can't I customise my car? They all look the same. It's boring."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[MoroGajima says:
"Usually in free to play games ads always get in the way of the game, but these are okay. It doesn't feel like you just want my money!"]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[CircuitTakuma says:
"I hate the login prizes! My friends always seem to get the good items and I only get coins? Why?!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 8 Game 2]]**Decision 1**
Good! You gave the player the option to customise their car, making them have a more personal connection with the game.
Heuristic: The game should give rewards that immerse the player more deeply in the game by increasing their capabilities (power-up) and expanding their ability to customise.
**Decision 2**
You interrupted gameplay to play an advertisement. This can be very frustrating to the player and turn them away from your game, making them feel you care more about money than the game itself.
Heuristic: Advertisements do not obstruct gameplay.
**Decision 3**
Good! You didn't make the player feel they were constantly getting bad bonuses due to the system being completely random. You gave them a chance to get good prizes once in a while.
Heuristic: Random prizes should be fair.
[[Develop next game|Game #3]]
**Decision 1**
Good! You gave the player the option to customise their car, making them have a more personal connection with the game.
Heuristic: The game should give rewards that immerse the player more deeply in the game by increasing their capabilities (power-up) and expanding their ability to customise.
**Decision 2**
You interrupted gameplay to play an advertisement. This can be very frustrating to the player and turn them away from your game, making them feel you care more about money than the game itself.
Heuristic: Advertisements do not obstruct gameplay.
**Decision 3**
You made the player feel they were constantly getting bad bonuses due to the system being completely random. You did not give them a chance to get good prizes once in a while.
Heuristic: Random prizes should be fair.
[[Develop next game|Game #3]]
**Decision 1**
Good! You gave the player the option to customise their car, making them have a more personal connection with the game.
Heuristic: The game should give rewards that immerse the player more deeply in the game by increasing their capabilities (power-up) and expanding their ability to customise.
**Decision 2**
Good! You went out of your way to not interrupt gameplay to play an advertisement. This can be very frustrating to the player and turn them away from your game if gameplay is interrupted, making them feel you care more about money than the game itself.
Heuristic: Advertisements do not obstruct gameplay.
**Decision 3**
Good! You didn't make the player feel they were constantly getting bad bonuses due to the system being completely random. You gave them a chance to get good prizes once in a while.
Heuristic: Random prizes should be fair.
[[Develop next game|Game #3]]
**Decision 1**
Good! You gave the player the option to customise their car, making them have a more personal connection with the game.
Heuristic: The game should give rewards that immerse the player more deeply in the game by increasing their capabilities (power-up) and expanding their ability to customise.
**Decision 2**
Good! You went out of your way to not interrupt gameplay to play an advertisement. This can be very frustrating to the player and turn them away from your game if gameplay is interrupted, making them feel you care more about money than the game itself.
Heuristic: Advertisements do not obstruct gameplay.
**Decision 3**
You made the player feel they were constantly getting bad bonuses due to the system being completely random. You did not give them a chance to get good prizes once in a while.
Heuristic: Random prizes should be fair.
[[Develop next game|Game #3]]
**Decision 1**
You did not give the player the option to customise their car. This means the player does not have a personal connection with the game.
Heuristic: The game should give rewards that immerse the player more deeply in the game by increasing their capabilities (power-up) and expanding their ability to customise.
**Decision 2**
You interrupted gameplay to play an advertisement. This can be very frustrating to the player and turn them away from your game, making them feel you care more about money than the game itself.
Heuristic: Advertisements do not obstruct gameplay.
**Decision 3**
Good! You didn't make the player feel they were constantly getting bad bonuses due to the system being completely random. You gave them a chance to get good prizes once in a while.
Heuristic: Random prizes should be fair.
[[Develop next game|Game #3]]
**Decision 1**
You did not give the player the option to customise their car. This means the player does not have a personal connection with the game.
Heuristic: The game should give rewards that immerse the player more deeply in the game by increasing their capabilities (power-up) and expanding their ability to customise.
**Decision 2**
You interrupted gameplay to play an advertisement. This can be very frustrating to the player and turn them away from your game, making them feel you care more about money than the game itself.
Heuristic: Advertisements do not obstruct gameplay.
**Decision 3**
You made the player feel they were constantly getting bad bonuses due to the system being completely random. You did not give them a chance to get good prizes once in a while.
Heuristic: Random prizes should be fair.
[[Develop next game|Game #3]]
**Decision 1**
You did not give the player the option to customise their car. This means the player does not have a personal connection with the game.
Heuristic: The game should give rewards that immerse the player more deeply in the game by increasing their capabilities (power-up) and expanding their ability to customise.
**Decision 2**
Good! You went out of your way to not interrupt gameplay to play an advertisement. This can be very frustrating to the player and turn them away from your game if gameplay is interrupted, making them feel you care more about money than the game itself.
Heuristic: Advertisements do not obstruct gameplay.
**Decision 3**
Good! You didn't make the player feel they were constantly getting bad bonuses due to the system being completely random. You gave them a chance to get good prizes once in a while.
Heuristic: Random prizes should be fair.
[[Develop next game|Game #3]]
**Decision 1**
You did not give the player the option to customise their car. This means the player does not have a personal connection with the game.
Heuristic: The game should give rewards that immerse the player more deeply in the game by increasing their capabilities (power-up) and expanding their ability to customise.
**Decision 2**
Good! You went out of your way to not interrupt gameplay to play an advertisement. This can be very frustrating to the player and turn them away from your game if gameplay is interrupted, making them feel you care more about money than the game itself.
Heuristic: Advertisements do not obstruct gameplay.
**Decision 3**
You made the player feel they were constantly getting bad bonuses due to the system being completely random. You did not give them a chance to get good prizes once in a while.
Heuristic: Random prizes should be fair.
[[Develop next game|Game #3]]
**Game #3**
After the release of your last game, the team jump right back into development of another. This time they're creating a tower defense game.
They've decided to strongly monetise this game, making it difficult to upgrade defenses and offensive weapons after a certain point without spending money. They won't be adding advertisements to this game, so the team has to make money from somewhere.
They ask if you think this is a good idea.
[[Tell them to only make some of the highest level items cost money.|Bad Decision 1]]
[[Suggest making the higher level items quite hard to buy with in-game currency and only make cosmetic items cost real money.|Good Decision 1]]**Game #3**
Due to this game being a tower defense, players will be able to attack other player's bases. However, the team have noticed that the player's health does not show when attacking, but the enemy player's does. They aren't sure if this will be an issue.
They turn to you for guidance.
[[The enemy's health should be enough information for the player to see how close they are to winning. The team should focus on finishing other parts of the game.|Bad Decision 2]]
[[Tell the team the player's health should definitely be showing and this is something that needs to be fixed.|Good Decision 2]]**Game #3**
Due to this game being a tower defense, players will be able to attack other player's bases. However, the team have noticed that the player's health does not show when attacking, but the enemy player's does. They aren't sure if this will be an issue.
They turn to you for guidance.
[[The enemy's health should be enough information for the player to see how close they are to winning. The team should focus on finishing other parts of the game.|Bad Decision 2(1)]]
[[Tell the team the player's health should definitely be showing and this is something that needs to be fixed.|Good Decision 2(1)]]**Game #3**
The game is almost ready to be released, however you notice there are a few typos in some of the menus. These errors are practically unnoticeable and the release date is very close. The team is working on polishing up other aspects of the game and need your guidance to make sure the game runs smoothly.
What do you do?
[[Leave the typos. There are more important things to be working on.|Bad Ending 1]]
[[Offer to fix the typos while others work on other parts of the game.|Good Ending 2]]**Game #3**
The game is almost ready to be released, however you notice there are a few typos in some of the menus. These errors are practically unnoticeable and the release date is very close. The team is working on polishing up other aspects of the game and need your guidance to make sure the game runs smoothly.
What do you do?
[[Leave the typos. There are more important things to be working on.|Bad Ending 3]]
[[Offer to fix the typos while others work on other parts of the game.|Good Ending 4]]**Game #3**
The game is almost ready to be released, however you notice there are a few typos in some of the menus. These errors are practically unnoticeable and the release date is very close. The team is working on polishing up other aspects of the game and need your guidance to make sure the game runs smoothly.
What do you do?
[[Leave the typos. There are more important things to be working on.|Bad Ending 5]]
[[Offer to fix the typos while others work on other parts of the game.|Good Ending 6]]**Game #3**
The game is almost ready to be released, however you notice there are a few typos in some of the menus. These errors are practically unnoticeable and the release date is very close. The team is working on polishing up other aspects of the game and need your guidance to make sure the game runs smoothly.
What do you do?
[[Leave the typos. There are more important things to be working on.|Bad Ending 7]]
[[Offer to fix the typos while others work on other parts of the game.|Good Ending 8]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[FormidableDefender says:
"This game is so unfair. Just because I don't want to pay means I can never beat players that do? Uninstalling."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[WallCrusher says:
"I didn't have a clue when I was going to die when challenging another player. How am I supposed to know how good I need to be?!"]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[MightyCannon says:
"There are so many typos in this game. So unprofessional! How can I trust this company to make a good game when they can't even spell!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? Game 3]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[FormidableDefender says:
"This game is so unfair. Just because I don't want to pay means I can never beat players that do? Uninstalling."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[WallCrusher says:
"I didn't have a clue when I was going to die when challenging another player. How am I supposed to know how good I need to be?!"]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[MightyCannon says:
"Just started playing. Super fun!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 2 Game 3]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[FormidableDefender says:
"This game is so unfair. Just because I don't want to pay means I can never beat players that do? Uninstalling."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[WallCrusher says:
"Love being able to challenge other players. Makes me more determined to make my defenses impenetrable."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[MightyCannon says:
"There are so many typos in this game. So unprofessional! How can I trust this company to make a good game when they can't even spell!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 3 Game 3]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[FormidableDefender says:
"This game is so unfair. Just because I don't want to pay means I can never beat players that do? Uninstalling."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[WallCrusher says:
"Love being able to challenge other players. Makes me more determined to make my defenses impenetrable."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[MightyCannon says:
"Just started playing. Super fun!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 4 Game 3]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[FormidableDefender says:
"Finally a game that isn't pay to win! Very enjoyable."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[WallCrusher says:
"I didn't have a clue when I was going to die when challenging another player. How am I supposed to know how good I need to be?!"]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[MightyCannon says:
"There are so many typos in this game. So unprofessional! How can I trust this company to make a good game when they can't even spell!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 5 Game 3]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[FormidableDefender says:
"Finally a game that isn't pay to win! Very enjoyable."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[WallCrusher says:
"I didn't have a clue when I was going to die when challenging another player. How am I supposed to know how good I need to be?!"]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[MightyCannon says:
"Just started playing. Super fun!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 6 Game 3]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[FormidableDefender says:
"Finally a game that isn't pay to win! Very enjoyable."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[WallCrusher says:
"Love being able to challenge other players. Makes me more determined to make my defenses impenetrable."]
(css: "color: #ff3d3d;")[MightyCannon says:
"There are so many typos in this game. So unprofessional! How can I trust this company to make a good game when they can't even spell!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 7 Game 3]]The development cycle has reached its end. The game has been released onto the market. You decide to check the player reviews after a couple of days.
**Player feedback**
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[FormidableDefender says:
"Finally a game that isn't pay to win! Very enjoyable."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[WallCrusher says:
"Love being able to challenge other players. Makes me more determined to make my defenses impenetrable."]
(css: "color: #3bf942;")[MightyCannon says:
"Just started playing. Super fun!"]
[[Why do the players feel this way?|Why do the players feel this way? 8 Game 3]]**Decision 1**
You made it impossible for the player to upgrade to the best items in the game without spending money. This can be very frustrating if the player did not intent to spend any money. It makes them feel the game was only created to take player's money.
Heuristic: The game is not pay-to-win.
**Decision 2**
You did not let the player see their own health when attacking another player's defenses. This is frustrating as the player cannot see if they are going to win or lose.
Heuristic: A player should always be able to identify their score/status and goal in the game.
**Decision 3**
You did not fix the typos in the game. This is seen as unprofessional as it's the easiest mistake to fix.
Heuristic: Content-wise, a game should be error-free.
[[End]]**Decision 1**
You made it impossible for the player to upgrade to the best items in the game without spending money. This can be very frustrating if the player did not intent to spend any money. It makes them feel the game was only created to take player's money.
Heuristic: The game is not pay-to-win.
**Decision 2**
You did not let the player see their own health when attacking another player's defenses. This is frustrating as the player cannot see if they are going to win or lose.
Heuristic: A player should always be able to identify their score/status and goal in the game.
**Decision 3**
Good! You fixed the typos in the game. Not fixing these can be seen as unprofessional as it's the easiest mistake to fix.
Heuristic: Content-wise, a game should be error-free.
[[End]]**Decision 1**
You made it impossible for the player to upgrade to the best items in the game without spending money. This can be very frustrating if the player did not intent to spend any money. It makes them feel the game was only created to take player's money.
Heuristic: The game is not pay-to-win.
**Decision 2**
Good! You fixed the error with the player not being able to see their own health when attacking another player's defenses. You avoided frustrating the player as they can now see if they are going to win or lose.
Heuristic: A player should always be able to identify their score/status and goal in the game.
**Decision 3**
You did not fix the typos in the game. This is seen as unprofessional as it's the easiest mistake to fix.
Heuristic: Content-wise, a game should be error-free.
[[End]]**Decision 1**
You made it impossible for the player to upgrade to the best items in the game without spending money. This can be very frustrating if the player did not intent to spend any money. It makes them feel the game was only created to take player's money.
Heuristic: The game is not pay-to-win.
**Decision 2**
Good! You fixed the error with the player not being able to see their own health when attacking another player's defenses. You avoided frustrating the player as they can now see if they are going to win or lose.
Heuristic: A player should always be able to identify their score/status and goal in the game.
**Decision 3**
Good! You fixed the typos in the game. Not fixing these can be seen as unprofessional as it's the easiest mistake to fix.
Heuristic: Content-wise, a game should be error-free.
[[End]]**Decision 1**
Good! You made it possible for the player to upgrade to the best items in the game without spending money. Making the player spend money can be very frustrating if the player did not intent to spend any. You made them feel you care about the player's experience.
Heuristic: The game is not pay-to-win.
**Decision 2**
You did not let the player see their own health when attacking another player's defenses. This is frustrating as the player cannot see if they are going to win or lose.
Heuristic: A player should always be able to identify their score/status and goal in the game.
**Decision 3**
You did not fix the typos in the game. This is seen as unprofessional as it's the easiest mistake to fix.
Heuristic: Content-wise, a game should be error-free.
[[End]]**Decision 1**
Good! You made it possible for the player to upgrade to the best items in the game without spending money. Making the player spend money can be very frustrating if the player did not intent to spend any. You made them feel you care about the player's experience.
Heuristic: The game is not pay-to-win.
**Decision 2**
You did not let the player see their own health when attacking another player's defenses. This is frustrating as the player cannot see if they are going to win or lose.
Heuristic: A player should always be able to identify their score/status and goal in the game.
**Decision 3**
Good! You fixed the typos in the game. Not fixing these can be seen as unprofessional as it's the easiest mistake to fix.
Heuristic: Content-wise, a game should be error-free.
[[End]]**Decision 1**
Good! You made it possible for the player to upgrade to the best items in the game without spending money. Making the player spend money can be very frustrating if the player did not intent to spend any. You made them feel you care about the player's experience.
Heuristic: The game is not pay-to-win.
**Decision 2**
Good! You fixed the error with the player not being able to see their own health when attacking another player's defenses. You avoided frustrating the player as they can now see if they are going to win or lose.
Heuristic: A player should always be able to identify their score/status and goal in the game.
**Decision 3**
You did not fix the typos in the game. This is seen as unprofessional as it's the easiest mistake to fix.
Heuristic: Content-wise, a game should be error-free.
[[End]]**Decision 1**
Good! You made it possible for the player to upgrade to the best items in the game without spending money. Making the player spend money can be very frustrating if the player did not intent to spend any. You made them feel you care about the player's experience.
Heuristic: The game is not pay-to-win.
**Decision 2**
Good! You fixed the error with the player not being able to see their own health when attacking another player's defenses. You avoided frustrating the player as they can now see if they are going to win or lose.
Heuristic: A player should always be able to identify their score/status and goal in the game.
**Decision 3**
Good! You fixed the typos in the game. Not fixing these can be seen as unprofessional as it's the easiest mistake to fix.
Heuristic: Content-wise, a game should be error-free.
[[End]]Thank you for playing! You can choose to start again, or review the heuristics that were presented in this game.
[[View Heuristics]]
[[Start again|Beginning]]**Gameplay Heuristics:**
The game provides clear goals
The game should give rewards that immerse the player more deeply in the game by increasing their capabilities (power-up) and expanding their ability to customise
A player should always be able to identify their score/status and goal in the game
**Usability Heuristics:**
The player understands the terminology
Content-wise, a game should be error free
Advertisements do not obstruct gameplay
**Game Mechanic Heuristics:**
The game is not pay-to-win
Random prizes should be fair
You should not have to wait too long to gain lives/energy/upgrades
[[Start again|Beginning]]This game is intended to teach game designers a new set of playability heuristics for free-to-play mobile games.
You will be given feedback on your choices, with good choices shown as green and bad choices as red.
Please take the time to reflect on your decisions.
[[Start|Beginning]]