The gaming industry is rife with competition. There are a hell lot of games all trying to get the attention of the same users.
But getting the users’ attention, eventually leading them to play your game, is a fundamental step. Many developers can do that.
The more significant challenge is retaining the players days after they have first played the games and keeping them playing for the long term.
Many have achieved to make users try their games. However, fewer have managed to make them play for longer.
If you have to join the ranks of the latter group, the ones who retain their players long after the players have tried the game for the first time, then you need a proper retention strategy.
There are many ways you can achieve this. Of course, each game developer can add their own opinions on achieving it. But a few tried and tested methods still help you ensure retention long after your players have had the first play of the game.
Below, we list some of these top HTML5 game platform retention strategies:
You can overcome many retention problems with simple tweaking to improve the player experience. But unfortunately, you might have missed out on some of these during the initial development stages.
Overall, we can focus on three critical areas of improvement that give us the most return on time and effort investment: bug fixing, onboarding, and balancing.
Many players will stop playing your game if it is filled with bugs. Because even if your html5 game development has a cool concept a player is interested in, if your game is filled with bugs, repeated crashes, and performance issues, then the player would stop playing. They would just move on to another game.
Therefore, even after you release your game, you should conduct comprehensive testing of all the elements in your game. It will help you discover different bugs that can cause your players to lose interest in the gameplay.
Many users are lost in the initial stages of games because the developers haven’t taken the proper steps to make onboarding a smooth process. Because if the first impression of a game is wrong, then most players won’t find any point in sticking around for long.
To avoid the same fate, you must tweak your game’s onboarding process. So, look closely at your game’s tutorials, early stages, etc., and see if it accurately portrays the game experience. Also, conduct playtesting and gauge the reactions of the testers. Then, ask them for areas of improvement and implement their feedback.
A game that is not balanced correctly won’t be an exciting experience. Often, the game might be too easy for some players.
So, devote time to balance your game correctly in all the elements. Again, playtesting is a solid strategy to ensure this. You can get the opinion of players on what things need to change for a better-balanced game, then implement them, and test the outcome.
LiveOps is updating your game with new content to keep your players engaged and retain them for the long term. You understand the preferences of your players and then serve them the experience they want.
Common methods of LiveOps include introducing additional characters with unique powers, skins that make players stand apart from others, and new quests that would keep your players playing for a longer time.
Yet another option is events. You can introduce seasonal events in the game when your audience receives certain perks or some unique competition. If done perfectly, it can turn into something the users look forward to.
Predatory monetization tactics that disregard the users’ wishes backfire big time. Because if the monetization strategy turns out to be forceful, then players will move on to another game. The theory holds for both in-game ads and IAPs.
In terms of in-game ads, you must ensure that the frequency is reasonable. For instance, if you repeatedly serve your players ads to the point that it hampers their enjoyment of your game, it will turn them away. So instead, opt for strategically placing ads at a frequency the players wouldn’t find turned off.
In terms of IAPs, on the other hand, you ensure your game doesn’t turn into a pay-to-progress game, meaning you shouldn’t gatekeep your game’s progress behind a paywall so that people who don’t pay can’t progress further. This can put off a lot of players, some of whom would even be willing to make purchases in your game down the line.
Rewards reinforce behavior. The same holds for digital rewards. Therefore, rewards can motivate your players to re-engage with your game.
So, experiment with adding rewards in certain areas of your game. For example, you can reward your players when they complete a certain level in your game or achieve a milestone. Strategies such as these can lead them to keep playing your game.
Retention is a significant challenge that a lot of HTML5 game development services face. Most top developers try their hardest to ensure their players stay on for the long term in their game.
To have a successful HTML5 game platform, you must do the same. You must devise a careful strategy that aids you in retaining your players. The four tops listed here can just be a start for that.
Juego Studios has a team of experienced HTML5 game developers. Our team has built successful HTML5 game platform across a wide variety of genres. In addition, we have hands-on experience with unity3d game developer & top HTML5-based game engines such as PlayCanvas, Pixi.JS, three.JS, and more.
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