At the heart of every successful game is a well-designed gameplay loop. It’s the foundation that keeps players coming back for “just one more round,” turning first-time users into long-term players.
As high retention increasingly becomes one of the most important parts of successfully monetizing, designing a gameplay loop that keeps players returning is fundamental to driving revenue.
Let’s get into what gameplay loops are, what makes them compelling, and some actionable tips to help you turn your game into an engaging, profitable hit.
Understanding gameplay loops
A gameplay loop is the sequence of actions players repeatedly perform throughout the game that make up the gameplay. It's composed of multiple mechanics, or individual player actions, that work together to create a cohesive system. The most common system follows a three-step pattern: Perform an action, get a reward, use the reward to progress.
But what makes a gameplay loop compelling?
A compelling gameplay loop focuses on one key metric: player retention. In other words, it leaves the player feeling like they want more and motivates them to return.
The 4 key elements of a compelling gameplay loop are:
- Immediate understanding
- Clear feedback
- Balanced difficulty
- Immersive design
3 ways to make your gameplay loop more compelling
1. Accessibility and clear onboarding
Your tutorial should be intuitive and easy to understand. This is most true for players’ first experience with your game, your tutorial. Your game’s tutorial should be concise while also being clear and comprehensive.
If players can't quickly grasp your game's basic controls, they're not going to continue playing and if they don’t “get” your game within seconds, they’ll churn. Start simple but satisfying, showing the actions players need to take paired with clear rewards. Visual clues, like arrows pointing or a hand tapping are also an excellent way to make your tutorial easier to understand.
2. Immersive experiences
While solid gameplay mechanics are important, your game’s style, appearance, and sound design all have a big role to play in players’ overall experience of the game. Best practices for creating an immersive experience are to use a consistent art style throughout the game, sync animations and visual feedback with relevant player actions, and use haptic feedback to make your game feel real.
All these elements work together to create an engaging atmosphere that puts players in the world of your game - a world they won’t want to leave.
3. Strategic level and reward design
Fun is at the core of creating compelling gameplay experiences. One impactful way to inject fun into your gameplay is by making players feel like they’re accomplishing something just by playing. You can do this by strategically using level design and rewards to keep players engaged. Consider factors like your level length, progression indicators, clarity of goals, the balance between skill and challenge, and how and what players are rewarded.
A hack for using rewards to give players a sense of accomplishment is to layer smaller rewards at each stage of longer term goals, so that players consistently feel like they’re progressing even during long and challenging levels. Progress bars can also help with this. By illustrating how much they’ll lose if they stop playing, you make it less likely players will churn in the middle of a level.
Creating compelling gameplay loops isn't about manipulating players – it's about designing engaging experiences that provide genuine satisfaction and enjoyment. By focusing on accessibility, immersion, and strategic level design, you can create compelling games that keep players coming back for more.
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