Problem statement

How might we increase the skill level of a player and further increase their win rate?

Overview

Given the hypothesis - “players that are more skilled at the game would play more and retain on the platform longer”, we currently lack in-game loops to improve the skill level for new players.

Towards that, any in-game expression of skill should be celebrated and rewarded while if the player makes actions that are net negative for winning the game, they should be taught what the better move/strategy should’ve been.

Keeping aside increasing win rate metrics, this project is more of a design led one as gamification requires thoughtful design to guide users through their journey and make rewards and progress easy to track. This project was an experiment to identify whether adding a layer of gamification would benefit user in improving their skill level and retain longer.

Research

• We conducted a working session with our team, including the game and technical artist, as well as the product manager, to delve deeper and gather key insights.

• Since this is a design-led project, we organised a competitor play-test and feedback session with the design team to explore how competitors (RMG and casual) have designed their Ludo products.

• While most RMG platforms are quite similar to ours, casual Ludo apps stood out significantly in terms of visuals and interactions. Many, like Ludo Supreme, Ludo Club, and Ludo Star, incorporate engaging animations and micro-interactions that respond to user actions, nudging players and reinforcing the core game mechanics. This results in a more immersive and engaging experience for the players.

Proposed solutions

• Nudge the player to make moves that are better associated with a positive game outcome

  1. This includes - progressing the pawn that is ahead to make it reach home, cutting player’s pawn, protecting pawns that has an opponent’s pawn behind it

  2. Create differentiation for such experiences for a cash player v/s a free game player to avoid influencing outcomes and build trust in the platform

• Reinforce skill-based actions with tasks within Unity (along with cash rewards as incentives)

Outcomes

• User win rate have shown an average increase of 4.4%.

• The customer support team have done a VOC for new users where they have given feedback about understanding the game better post rolling out in-game quests.