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Popular games (big & small) have 3 things in common:
Just-In-Time onboarding
Shareable
Virality
Thread
Just-In-Time onboarding Shareable ViralityThread
Just-In-Time onboardingThe best games I've played have a well thought through onboarding experience; Just enough information at just the right time for the absolute beginner.
Players need to be able to feel successful overcoming challenges while limiting their levels of frustration.
It's a difficult balance to get right.
It's a difficult balance to get right.
Hokori by @MachiToons is a great example of Just-In-Time onboarding:
Falling in the first pit shows a tip on how to jump.
When the next platform is frustratingly out of reach, there's another JIT tip for flying that gets you past the obstacle #pico8 https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=39305
Falling in the first pit shows a tip on how to jump.
When the next platform is frustratingly out of reach, there's another JIT tip for flying that gets you past the obstacle #pico8 https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=39305
ShareableShareability is giving something concrete for the player to share with their friends: a high score or a "Deepest dungeon level", etc that's easily written or screenshotted.
Keep it concise & consistent.
Got multiple possibilities? Pick the "best" one to show.
Show the shareable stats/images/etc immediately after a moment of success (completing a level) or failure (dying).
These are when the player has a natural pause point and will be more likely to share them come back.
These are when the player has a natural pause point and will be more likely to share them come back.
ViralityVirality comes when one person sharing your game results in two or more new people playing.
The key to viral sharing is giving the user a compelling reason to share in the first place, such as a high score to compare against friends, or an identity they can associate with (eg; "Racing Legend" for 1st place in a Kart game)
Direct invites to play are the best kind of virality (Eg; FarmVille); they have low friction to get a new user into the game who themselves can invite more users.
Hard to do for most console/ #pico8 games (requires hardware + internet), but can be huge for web based games.
Hard to do for most console/ #pico8 games (requires hardware + internet), but can be huge for web based games.
So next time you're putting your heart and soul into making a game, I'd encourage you to think onboarding, shareability, and viral paths you can improve.
Then start that viral loop by constantly telling everyone!
Then start that viral loop by constantly telling everyone!
Know any good examples of games with great onboarding, shareability, or virality? Let me know in the comments 
