As we’ve talked about earlier than, the hyper-casual market is being pressured to alter. With extra competitors, larger CPIs and tightening margins, builders want to extend their retention in the event that they’re going to proceed being profitable, now greater than ever. And to do this, they need to layer extra mechanics and components into their video games.

We’ve explored how and why builders can – and may – shift from hyper-casual to hybrid-casual. But if you happen to’re nonetheless struggling to see how that is perhaps doable, let’s take a look at a couple of video games which have used meta mechanics to make their recreation extra participating. Here are six video games which have a brief, easy and satisfying core loop, however have layered in meta options to extend their retention. Let’s dive in.

1. Archero: How so as to add development techniques effectively

Developed by Habby, launched twenty fourth March 2019.

This was one of many first hybrid-casual video games. The gameplay is actually a roguelike – you play as an archer, making your manner by ranges. Each stage has monsters to kill and traps to keep away from. But the one mechanic is that you simply both transfer to dodge assaults or keep nonetheless to robotically fireplace your bow.

Players can improve their character completely to make future runs simpler in Archero.

Pretty easy. But Archero provides a number of layers on high of this core gameplay. First, you may stage up throughout a run – firing extra arrows or including elemental assaults. Second, you earn precious forex each time you kill an enemy. You can spend this forex between runs to offer your character passive skills, unlock different characters and improve your gear. All of which make your subsequent run simpler, making it simpler to progress by the degrees. And, finally, make the entire expertise extra enjoyable and addictive.

This mixture of straightforward core gameplay, with easy meta development, makes Archero a basic template for a profitable hybrid-casual recreation.

2. Match Masters: Adding easy mechanics is all you want

Developed by Candivore, launched eighth June 2017.

A basic mechanic you’re in all probability all too aware of – match three gems to earn factors. In Match Masters, nevertheless, you’re pitting your self towards different gamers in a type of duel. Still, it’s a easy core mechanic. One that gamers are very aware of.

Filling a web page within the sticker album unlocks skills that gamers can use in Match Masters.

But Match Masters goes one step additional with collectibles. As you progress, you may unlock particular skills within the type of playing cards – issues like wiping out random gems or a whole row. You unlock these playing cards as you play or by buying and selling for stickers to refill varied albums.

While the meta mechanics are easy, it elevates Match Masters into a really replayable and satisfying expertise, with out an excessive amount of additional effort from the developer.

3. Gold and Goblins: Taking a easy function and working with it

Developed by AppQuantum, launched sixteenth Sepetmber 2020. 

Merge mechanics work finest when there’s a secondary motivation – different than simply merging for the sake of merging. Take Gold and Goblins. Your goblins must mine their manner by the extent, and upgrading them makes them higher miners.

Devilishly easy. But this permits Gold and Goblins so as to add a couple of easy base-building mechanics into the sport. Do you improve your goblins or your computerized mine? One passively will get you cash, resulting in extra goblins. The different will get you thru the extent faster. As a last layer, Gold and Goblins additionally introduces passive skills within the type of unlockable playing cards. Unlock and stage up the playing cards and also you enhance your mines and goblins.

Unlockable playing cards in Gold and Goblins give gamers an purpose and sense of development.

This is a helpful instance of the way you don’t want an enormous variety of meta options to show a easy mechanic into a real hybrid-casual recreation. Simple additions can go far.

Developed by Zynga, launched 1st March 2017. 

This is one other match three recreation, however a single-player model. It additionally provides a component of ways. Players should determine which ‘gems’ – shields on this case – they’re going to match. Matching three of a color releases an assault on the enemy in the identical row. You can’t simply match something on the board, as your assault may merely miss. On high of that, every color corresponds to a distinct hero you management – including a rock-paper-scissors factor to the sport.

But Empires and Puzzles isn’t nearly matching three of the identical factor. As the identify suggests, it’s about metropolis constructing, too. Using two primary sources – meals and iron – you have to improve your base to coach new troopers, mix them to stage up your favorite characters, and make use of their skills.

There are loads of different objects in Empires and Puzzles to gather and improve your armies.

This base constructing is a basic option to rework a hyper-casual mechanic into a completely fledged hybrid-casual recreation. It’s a easy option to construct in development. Definitely value testing.

Developed by Super Nutty Games, launched ninth June 2018.

You don’t at all times must utterly overhaul your hyper-casual recreation and add in a dozen options to push it into hybrid-casual territory. Word Nut cleverly solely provides a couple of additional options, however which just do sufficient so as to add an enormous quantity of depth to the expertise. The core recreation provides you a couple of letters, and you have to swipe to spell out all of the doable phrases these letters can create. Simple sufficient.

But as you progress, you unlock cash which you need to use to get hints. You additionally unlock playing cards representing pets. Equipping a pet provides you a passive skill, like lowering the price of a touch. While these are very minor additions to an already addictive idea, it implies that the sport begins to attraction to extra forms of gamers – the achiever or completionist, for instance.

Collecting pets  unlocks passive skills that will help you in Word Nut.

Word Nut additionally appeals to the aggressive participant, just by including a leaderboard. It’s an excellent instance of find out how to construct on a strong core concept and enhance it to attraction to totally different sorts of avid gamers.

6. Fish Eater.io: How to mix two hyper-casual mechanics collectively

Developed by Mobibrain Technology, launched twenty eighth December 2021. 

Similar in idea to video games like gap.io – in Fish Eater.io you’re a fish and also you eat your aquatic rivals to evolve and get greater. The core gameplay is just shifting round till you discover a prey you may chomp away at and develop greater.

But outdoors the core recreation, Fish Eater.io has added a merge mechanic into the primary menu. Buying and merging fish builds up your character, and implies that you begin a match in a superior state. You may also unlock skills for passive skills.

Certain skills in Fish Eater.io will make you stronger on your subsequent recreation.

This is a intelligent option to mix two hyper-casual mechanics collectively to create one thing greater than both could possibly be individually.

It’s all about watching the numbers rise

Whatever you’re creating, it’s necessary to ensure your core mechanic is brief, easy and satisfying. But after some time, gamers will develop bored of seeing the identical factor.

So give the participant a motive to maintain going. Getting them to push for the following tier of constructing or unlocking one other character will be sufficient to hook the participant and provides them a motive to proceed. That’s all you have to enhance your retention.

Do you wish to hold monitor of your key metrics? Then keep in mind to make use of GameAnalytics. It solely takes a couple of minutes to arrange and can make it easier to study extra about your video games and gamers.