Game markets are flooded with various games of different genres.

💁‍♂️: Among these flooded games in the market, do game players download and play games randomly?

Just as games have unique characteristics based on their genres, players who engage with these games have their own tastes and characteristics.

Understanding and classifying these tastes and preferences is critical to effective game operations. What’s more, using this information in marketing can help target specific customer groups! 😀 (creating ads tailored to preferences, setting up persona-potential customer profiles, etc.)

Today, let’s explore the different types of players and their characteristics according to the following table of contents and understand why this is important to know.

Table of Contents

1️⃣ If we categorize all players in this world into just 8 types?

2️⃣ Understanding the features of my game

3️⃣ If you know the gamers, myself and the marketing, you will never be defeated!

Note: This article is based on the report “What Motivates Different Types of Game Plays?” from the game data analysis company GameRefinery.

1. If we categorize all players in this world into just 8 types?

• As you read, predict which type of players might enjoy playing your game!

(1) Expressionist
Enjoys expressing themselves freely through gaming, such as customizing, designing, and role-playing.

(2) Thrill Seeker
Prefers fast paced, thrilling content. They have no appetite for strategy games or slow paced games.

(3) Thinker
Finds pleasure in games that involve using the brain. Solving puzzles and problems gives them a sense of accomplishment.

(4) Treasure Hunter
Constantly explores new worlds with curiosity and enjoys collecting a variety of items and characters.

(5) Strategist
Enjoys formulating and executing complex strategies, and carefully placing resources in strategic locations.

(6) Networker
Thinks of games as a society, and finds camaraderie and satisfaction in building communities by socializing.

(7) Skill Master

Feels satisfaction when recognized by others for reaching higher levels, improving skills, or upgrading equipment.

(8) King of the Hill

Wants to win in competition. Enjoys competing with everyone, staying ahead, and deriving pleasure from survival.

Reference: 〈What Motivates Different Types of Game Players?〉, GameFefinery
〈The Target Market for Mobile Games: Who Plays Them and Why?〉, AMPLIFY XL

2. Understanding the features of my game.

Once the player types are classified, it’s time to think about “What about my game and how can I classify my game?” Using the player types identified in step 1, think about the tendencies of users who might enjoy your game!

① Let’s take a look at the first case.

This game is a match-3 puzzle game. Players clear puzzles and use earned resources to decorate their homes. The primary player groups for this game are likely casual gamer, puzzle gamer, and users interested in design and decoration. Those who enjoy puzzle games like this could belong to the (3) Thinker Type. Moreover, the aspect of decorating homes might motivate (1) Expressionists.

② Let’s move on to the second case.

This game is a collectible role-playing game. Players kill monsters, collect resources, and accomplish goals. The main groups of players for this game are RPG players, dedicated players with loyalties, and users interested in collecting resources. Those who enjoy collectible RPGs could be classified as the (4) Treasure Hunter type. In addition, the continuous growth of characters may appeal to (7) Skill Masters.

③ Lastly, let’s examine one more case!

Archero is a roguelike shooting game. Due to the roguelike genre’s nature, momentary judgment and choices play a crucial role, and the shooting genre adds a fast-paced element.

The main player group for this game might be the (2) Thrill-Seeker Type. Defeating enemies with rapidly fired bullets and unpredictable outcomes in each stage keep Thrill-Seekers engaged.

3. If you know the gamers, myself and the marketing, you will never be defeated!

We have classified player types and reflected on our game. Why is this important?

Knowing the users targeted by my game is crucial for effective marketing.

Finding users who will enjoy our game, delivering satisfying content to them after acquisition — both require understanding the user and our game.

✅ What themes can capture the interest of my target customers?

✅ What slogan can motivate target customers?

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Even if the same budget is spent, ads that have gone through such thinking and delivered a clear message will show marked differences in how they perform compared to those that haven’t. This applies not only to paid ads, but also to promotional materials for stores such as descriptions and videos!

Let’s take a look at one more case.

If you are game developers who play mobile games a lot, you’ve probably encountered this famous ad at least once.

The procedure is always the same. ‘Move the pin, solve the puzzle, and help the character avoid a disaster!’

The puzzles shown in the ad are very simple. Nevertheless, the result always ends in failure.

“Homescapes” is, as mentioned above, a match-3 puzzle genre game. The primary target audience for it is probably the “Thinker” types. These are individuals who can quickly find the correct answer and may derive satisfaction from doing so. (They are less likely to skip the ad).

This ad is intended to get a specific targeted customer immersed. In addition, it may make them think, “I can solve this problem; should I give it a try?”

Reference: 〈Mobile Game Marketing: The Ultimate Guide for 2022〉, udonis

🥇When users with the tendencies you targeted are properly acquired, user loyalty increases, and metrics such as retention and conversion rates improve.

But make sure the content of the advertisement (or promotion) matches the level of the actual content. If users who are lured into playing by the ad find that the game is significantly different from what they were expecting to see? Those users will probably leave.

Today’s topic was the quite well-known stories, but at the same time, it was also the easily overlooked ones!

Before we finish, I will show you the game screenshot of my colleague, who is a hardcore player for “Homescapes” for N years, immersed as the perfect expressionist.

Thank you 😊

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