Player Engagement
Highlights
Progression systems helped our games find their depth
By experimenting with progression systems, we were able to add depth to our games and experiment new solutions that opened the road for new ideas
The games I worked on were originally built as “evergreen” titles. Their meta was intentionally light, designed for an era where the core experience was the primary hook. However, as meta systems became the industry standard, we had to find ways to bake in long-term engagement and give players a reason to keep coming back without losing the game’s original soul.
A series of arenas
To drive long-term progression and increase retention, we experimented with a few different hooks. Our first attempt was adding unique opponents, but it was a production nightmare and the “why” didn’t really land with the players.
The characters themselves were a hit, though. After some tweaking, we pivoted to a linear series of arenas where characters earned “Proficiency Titles.” Players loved the clear sense of mastery and challenge, and it’s kept them consistently engaged with the core loop.
Journey to treasures
I wanted to explore a progression framework that felt like a treasure hunt. We designed a system where the main resource (earned via the core loop) allowed users to clear environments and collect pieces to build a final “trophy” scene.
The goal was flexibility. I focused on creating a set of reusable assets and custom shaders to tint them, which gave us a massive amount of visual variety without bloating the build or the production schedule. I’m particularly proud of how much “juice” we got out of those shaders while keeping the system tech-responsible.