Designing for Live Gamesor

How to be a Complete Game Designer

Anshumani RuddraStudio Head, Tiny Mogul Games

A Few Questions

Experience – Running Games (Originally Designed by Others)

As Game Design Lead at Zynga India

FishVilleVampire WarsYoVilleTreasure IsleMafia WarsCafé World

Experience – Designing + Running Games

As Studio Head at Tiny Mogul Games

Song QuestShiva: The Time BenderMagic TempleDadi vs JelliesQuiz AddaMagic Temple 2: Mage WarsCricket Match

Making a Game

Running a Game

Running a Game

Running a Game

Running a Game

Design Challenges on Live Games

Challenge #1

Unexpected Users – always a moving target

• Who they are? Hello, Demographics!• Word of mouth – viral growth• Users evolve. Game evolves. Chicken and egg?

Design Challenges on Live Games

Challenge #2

Unexpected User Behaviour

• What are they playing? • Content completion• Difficulty curves! What difficulty curves?• Core experience

Design Challenges on Live Games

Challenge #3

Reality check – It’s alive! Oh shit. • Engagement vs Retention • Lifetime value• Delight• More. More. More.• This was supposed to be easy.

Design Skills for Running Games

Skill #1

Data – Make him your friend

• Tools for analysis – GA, excel sheets• Set targets – chase targets

Design Skills for Running Games

Skill #2

You are the voice of the players – get to know them

• Demographics• Reviews• Customer Support• New users vs Old users vs Returning users – experience

Design Skills for Running Games

Skill #3

Learn to experiment

• A/B Testing• Cohort Analysis• Strong gut. Stronger numbers.

Design Skills for Running Games

Skill #4

Learn to balance

• Game economies can be complex• Players love breaking things and finding loop

holes

Design Skills for Running Games

Skill #5

Create an arsenal

• Design playbook• Product playbook

Design Skills for Running Games

Skill #6

Be pragmatic

• MVP – it is an approach/ methodology – not the end result

• Principles are supposed to liberate you, not hold you back