Simple ways to attract more players
Introduction
The goal of creating a game is to craft an experience for others, and no game is truly complete until it has players. But in a crowded ocean of games, you have only a few seconds to grab someone’s attention and convince them to give yours a chance.
While building Flowlab through the years, I’ve noticed that there are a few simple patterns among the games that tend to attract lots of plays.
Screenshot/Cover Image
Capturing or creating an attention-grabbing cover image is the single best way to make your game stand out from the crowd, and convince someone scrolling by to stop scrolling and play your game.
Before you create your cover image, try to put yourself in the shoes of someone browsing through a long list of games, and consider what sort of cover would make them stop and take notice. There is no universal rule for what makes a cover image good, but here are a couple of things that great game covers typically have in common:
- Bold, high contrast graphics
- Appealing and consistent color palette
- A theme that matches the mood of the game itself
The job of this image is to spark curiosity so that the potential player wants to click on your game and try it out. Don’t worry too much about trying to convey a lot of information about your game by adding lots of text, logos, or other details. Stick with just a few key elements from your game.
There’s no shortcut to making a great-looking cover image, but it’s worth spending a bit of time to make the best first impression you can.
Also keep in mind that you can evolve and improve your cover image over time, so if you don’t yet have any cover image at all, you can start by just clicking the “Cover” button under your game to create and upload a screenshot.
Name
Your game’s name should evoke curiosity, and be unique enough that it’s easy to find for players that are searching for it online.
Most people understand intuitively that having a catchy name can make a game sound more appealing or interesting. The specifics can vary depending on the genre of your game, but here are some tips to keep in mind when deciding on a name:
Keep it (kind of) short.
Don’t try to pack in a bunch of detailed information about the game or its lore. If the name is too short, it will be difficult to make it unique, but shorter is usually better.
Keep it easy to pronounce (and spell).
If players don’t know how to pronounce or spell your name, it will be harder for them to remember, share, or even find it again later.
Match the tone of your name to the feeling or mood the game is trying to convey.
If your game has a whimsical theme, consider using alliteration or rhyming (e.g. the title of this article) to make the name sound catchier. As an example, “Diner Dash” is more memorable than “Flo Hart’s Dish Serving Challenge”.
Keep it unique.
So do a little research and at least a web search on the name you want before committing. You don’t want to find yourself in the position of always trying to explain that your game is “no, not that ‘Among Us’”
One way to make sure that your game is distinct, memorable, and searchable is to just make up your own word. It can be tough to create a new word that is catchy and easy to remember, but it works well if you can manage to pull it off. Metroid is a great example of this style of name, it’s meaningless but still manages to evoke the feel and theme of the game.
Description
Your game’s description is an often overlooked mechanism for making it more discoverable and bringing in players.
It’s obvious that having a detailed description (including instructions) can be useful for drawing people in, and helping them decide whether your game will appeal to them. What’s less obvious is the second important function of your description: making your game more discoverable.
If you have described your game well, and included phrases and keywords that your potential players might be looking for online, then chances are good that people searching online for games like yours will come across it in search results.
In order to improve your game’s chances of being found, consider adding extra details like the genre, theme, and details about the gameplay. Also keep in mind that when your game is shown in search results, only the first few sentences of your description will likely be shown. Make sure to pay special attention to the introduction of your description, and use it to entice your potential players to give your game a try.
Summary
There are a few easy tweaks you can make to get your game more attention. Focus on making your game stand out, and spark curiosity by having a high quality cover image, a catchy, memorable name, and a description that makes it easier to find.