We supported a collectible card game studio in identifying why new players were dropping off and helped improve their first-time user experience. Through targeted testing and player behavior analysis, we delivered actionable insights that led to increased player retention and a more engaging onboarding process.
Customer
- A collectible card game (CCG) set in World War II that combines traditional CCG gameplay with innovative mechanics inspired by classic strategy games.
- A completely free-to-play game, available for both PC and mobile devices.
- An innovative game blends the traditional card game experience with the new core mechanism “frontline” that provides new tactical diversity.
Tasks
The client has asked for our assistance in identifying potential factors contributing to player dropouts and providing actionable recommendations to enhance player engagement.
Realization
- We measured the average playtime before players leave the game, finding it to be around 4 hours.
- Analyzed project documentation to develop a comprehensive test plan for our QA engineers.
- By monitoring player reviews and discussions through the official Discord channel, we found the major pain points and areas for improvement.
- We focused our testing efforts on onboarding experiences, including the tutorial, campaign missions, reward systems, account setup, and initial PVP battles.
- To gather deeper insights into the testing experience, we created a targeted survey for participants. The survey’s results were visualized in charts.
- In our lab, we thoroughly tested the game across various devices, including PCs, iPhones, and Android phones.
Team
Recognizing that checklist playtesting wouldn’t fully identify reasons for player drop-off, we divided our QA team into two groups of 3-4 testers who had never heard or played the game.
- Group 1: Followed a predetermined test plan, evaluating specific aspects of the game.
- Group 2: Tested freely, aiming to imitate new player behavior.
Results
- The game studio received the test documentation with evaluations of the project’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Based on the testing results, we suggested focusing on the improvements of tutorial hints. The CCG genre presents inherent complexity, so clear and concise guidance early on is crucial for player retention.
- Following our analysis, the client has implemented the recommendations and formed a dedicated team focused on onboarding first, then tutorial improvement and streamlining.
- We created a chart evaluating the core elements of the game, such as the tutorial, starter campaign, etc. This visualization helped to gain a clear understanding of the overall player experience and pain points.