Sam Glassenberg

Retention Mechanics

The retention metrics on “your kid has diabetes” are better than any mobile game ever before created.

Game Design Background: 40/20/10 Retention

Normally, when we launch a free-to-play mobile game we measure player retention to determine if the game is going to be successful. Of the users who play your game, how many are playing the next day? 7 days later? 30 days later?

The 40-20-10 rule describes the targets you’re looking for at launch:

• Day 1 retention: 40%
• Day 7 retention: 20%
• Day 30 retention: 10%

Each metric measuring user activity on that day (as opposed to on that day or any day after).

The retention metrics on “your kid has diabetes” are better than any mobile game ever before created:

  • Day 1 retention: 100%
  • Day 7 retention: 100%
  • Day 30 retention: 100%
  • Day 90 retention: 100%
  • Day 365 retention: 100%
    ...you get the idea.

The game achieves this with a variation on a ‘daily reward’ mechanic. 

Daily Reward Example
Daily Reward Example

 

Game Design Background: Daily Rewards

Daily rewards are a game mechanic added to many games to increase retention and replay: Come back every day, get a reward. Come back many days in a row, get a bigger reward.

This game has the most valuable daily reward there is: Your child doesn’t @#*$% die. 

Every retention mechanic is therefore off-the-charts:

  • DAU/MAU:100%
  • Push notification opt-in rate: 100%

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