Mastering Retention

In this episode Tom Hammond and Neil Edwards dive into the intricacies of mobile game retention and monetization, using the popular game 'Royal Match' as a case study. They explore the psychological aspects of game design, focusing on how 'Royal Match' enhances player engagement and spending through clever level design, emotional connections, and strategic use of in-game events and challenges. The discussion highlights the...

In this episode of the Mastering Retention podcast, host Tom Hammond welcomes Thiago Leite, a seasoned professional from InnoGames, known for their work on Forge of Empires. Thiago shares his journey from mechanical engineering to game design, offering unique insights into the world of LiveOps. The discussion delves into the nuances of player segmentation, the intricacies of designing engaging live operations, and the art ...

Tom Hammond from UserWise hosts a discussion with Anton Gorodesky and Dmitriy Byshonkov, from MyGames. They chat about the challenges and nuances of starting a game studio, raising funds, and navigating the gaming industry.

• Tom emphasizes the challenges aspiring entrepreneurs face in starting their own game studio, such as raising money and choosing the right game genre or platform.
• Anton and Dmitriy share their experi...

Yael Yakomi, a mobile gaming expert, dives into the significance of personalization in mobile games. She emphasizes the enhanced gaming experience that personalization can offer and discusses the challenges and innovative solutions in implementing it. Yael also provides insights into future trends, including AI-driven personalization, and highlights how platforms like UserWise are revolutionizing the industry by empowering...

Joakim Hoglund, Head of Studio at Fun Rock, shares insights on designing games for a target audience and the importance of understanding user needs. This episode doesn't disappoint. Tom and Joakim talk about:

• Designing games for a target audience and understanding player needs
• Challenges of creating games for a region you aren't familiar with
• Fun Rock's solution of hiring a team that understands the culture and audienc...

Tom Hammond interviews Meric Atesalp, Senior Product Manager at Pixelberry. They discuss game evaluation, ways to evaluate new games, and how to determine if a game will perform well. Meric also talks about his role as a product manager, the skills and competencies that are necessary to become a good game product manager, and what he learned from his experience in the gaming industry. They also discuss mechanics that he ha...

In the latest episode of the Mastering Retention Podcast, Neb Mitrikeski, a veteran game designer and product manager, talks about his journey into game design, from making super casual games to working on complex game economies. He also discusses the Ketchup mechanic problem in RPG and hero collector games and how games can address it. Plus, he shares insights on bucketing systems and bucketing user progression over time.

In the latest episode of the Mastering Retention Podcast, user experience expert Neil Edwards discusses the brilliant user experience design of Marvel Snap. Edwards is the co-founder and head of UX at a full-service design studio in the video game space.

Marvel Snap’s core gameplay is described as phenomenal, not just as an engaging, emotional, and compelling experience as a player but also as a brilliant product. Edwards n...

This week's guest is Alvaro Duarte, VP Casual Games at Voodoo. In this episode, Alvaro reveals Voodoo's business model, unique approach to game development, and the screening process for Voodoo's games. Voodoo has a unique approach to game development, releasing games that are in a "sooner state of product" and then iterating on them after they are live. The screening process for Voodoo's games is rigorous, and they look a...

In this episode of the Mastering Retention Podcast, host Tom Hammond speaks with Antanina Livingston, a product manager and liveops extraordinaire! Antanina shares her insights on how to approach feature and event planning, the importance of understanding player needs, and how to manage burnout in the liveops team. She also discusses the challenges of managing burnout and the importance of understanding different cultures ...

In this podcast, Tom Hammond, CEO at UserWise, and Sam Abbott, Head of Monetization at Rec Room, discuss how player segmentation can lead to stronger monetization in mobile games. They delve into the importance of understanding individual segments and creating tailored games that appeal to those segments. They also explore how to break down player behavior and analyze actions within the game to better understand and serve ...

In this episode of the Mastering Retention podcast, Dafna shares how LiveOps teams focus on events and promotions to engage players, drive retention, and monetize games. Successful LiveOps events are those that balance the core gameplay loop of a game while introducing new features, challenges, and rewards to keep players interested. She also highlights the importance of understanding player behavior, segmentation, and tim...

On today’s episode we're gonna talk about the great world of LiveOps. Join Oscar Clark as we dive into the three must-haves for games as services: capturing data, configurations, and selling.

• The meaning of Games as a Service from his perspective.
• The difference between LiveOps and Games as a Service.
• The first step to starting a LiveOps campaign.
• Games as a Service and LiveOps as promises to players.
• Tips for capturin...

On this week's episode of Mastering Retention, Tom is joined by Bakyt Aidaralieva (Head of Player Experience at Rovio) to discuss the many different types of tools and platforms used in the gaming industry, which tools are better than others, the importance of player feedback, and so much more!

Here are your cheat codes:

0:59 How did Bakyt Aidaralieva get into the video game industry?

8:29 What tools and platforms are needed to run a...

On this week's episode of Mastering Retention, Tom is joined by Jesse Kroon (Game Designer at Product Madness) and Stanislav Minasov (VP of Product at AppMagic) to talk about the process of creating a new game. The guys have a detailed discussion about where to look for inspiration, how to flesh out a game concept, what all goes into making certain decisions about your game, intellectual property, and so much more!

Here are your ch...

Creating a game is only half the battle - getting others to download and share your game is vital to the long term success of your game and/or studio. Acquiring users through marketing campaigns and engaging advertisements is no simple task. This week on Mastering Retention, Tom speaks with Janos Perei (Head of Growth at Voodoo) about many different forms of advertisements and marketing campaigns, their complexity, the importance o...