Turning a Design App into a Game and Improving Retention | Gili Dangeli (Playtika)

In this episode

• When the product is subjective, like design, you can't copy a win/lose mechanic: Redecor replaced a first-to-tenth ranking with one-to-three-heart scoring, gaining control over the player experience and lifting day-2 retention by 10 to 16 percent in testing.
• Redecor players don't call it a game; they say "I come to learn design." Understanding how users frame the product to themselves shapes both how you communicate with them and what you need to explain.
• Copying features from other games failed when they were too competitive and stressful. The audience comes to relax, so every feature is A/B tested to find the balance between engagement and pressure.
• Long-term retention is built through something the user builds and doesn't want to lose: a personal experience that leverages loss aversion, like the farm in Solitaire or the world in June's Journey.
• An excellent PM understands each stakeholder's work well enough to challenge it: look at the economist's spreadsheet and say "this looks hard," ask the data the right questions, and push back on estimates.
• Communication is half the job: keep everyone updated on the why behind decisions, adapt the channel to each persona, and lobby across departments before you get to management.