alexey rehlov, creative mobile oÜ

Cycles, Rituals and Unconscious in modern

free-to-play games

Aleksey Rehlov | External Producer

Players don’t know, why they do it

28-01-2016Cycles, Rituals and Unconscious in modern free-to-play

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Unconscious


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Sigmund Freud

Habits and rituals


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Konrad Lorenz

Classic game cycle


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Process

Progress

Efforts

Refill

Thinking

The result of cycle forming


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0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Day

Rolling Retention

After Before

The result of cycle forming


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-5.00%

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Day

Ratio of After to Before

Example of cycle forming daily quests


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The main attributes of a cycle

• Frequency usually decreases during time

• Complexity usually increases during time• Adding new cycles

• Cycles substitution

• Expending cycles

• Duration usually increases during time


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Adding or substituting a cycle


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Process I Progress Process II

Examples


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CSR Racing Summoners War

Expending a cycle


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Process I

Progress Process II

Progress

Examples


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Ez Pz RPG Heroes Shop

Ritual

• Ritual is a symptom of addiction

• Cycle creates a ritual

• Special events in a cycle help to create a ritual

The easier and clearer a cycle and the more “cyclic” and “ritualic” life of a player, the easier to form a ritual.


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Addiction forming stages

Light dedication

Dedication

Addiction

Bonding


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Addic

tion

Time

Addiction Stages

Light dedication

Dedication

Addiction

Bonding

The process of a cycle learning

• Information intussusception;

• Information understanding, ideas appearing;

• Consolidation and developing of knowledge, skills forming;

• Practical application of received knowledge and skills;

• Reaching of mastering limits.


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When cycles have to be changed?

• The cycle is mastered or became boring

• The cycle doesn't give a progress feeling

• The cycle was developed only for the first sessions

• The cycle doesn't make necessary monetization level anymore

• The cycle motivates to leave the game at the certain time


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Cycles Ideology

• The base cycle has to be simple and clear for understanding

• Game mechanics have to help to support the cycle:• Daily quests• Strong differentiation between game modes• Management of a cycle length• Ability to make very own cycle on the late game stages

• Changing the cycle, when a player is tired or mastered it

• Integration of monetization and advertisement into the game cycle


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The Advice

Do not leave the cycle development to the end of the project.

The scheme of cycles has to be developed simultaneously with all other main elements, such as monetization, core gameplay,

etc.


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Cycles, Rituals and Unconscious in modern free-to-play games

Questions?Aleksey Rehlov | External Producer

alexey rehlov, creative mobile oÜ

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