Hey everyone!
I recently launched my game Grow Slimes (just two days ago!) and have been running some test sponsorships to figure out which icon and thumbnail combinations get the most attention. Alongside that, I’ve been closely observing how new players engage with the game—things like whether they follow the tutorial, when they tend to leave, or if something in the gameplay might be causing them to drop off early.
The core loop of the game is super simple and designed to be easy to follow:
- Buy eggs
- Hatch the eggs
- Harvest the slimes when they’re fully / a bit grown
- Sell them
- Use the money to buy better eggs
- Repeat!
Despite having a clear tutorial—with text, guiding arrows, and even a beam pointing players in the right direction—I’ve noticed that a significant number of players are skipping the tutorial entirely. Instead of following the intended path, they just start wandering around the map, missing the entire core gameplay. As you can imagine, this is a bit frustrating, especially since it results in a cost per bid without much return.
Here’s a link to the game if you’d like to check it out or give feedback:
I’ve been thinking about a couple of possible reasons this might be happening and would love to hear your thoughts:
-
Global Sponsorship Targeting
The game is currently being sponsored globally. Could it be that some players don’t understand the tutorial text, even with visual cues like arrows and beams? -
Age Group Targeting
Right now, the game is sponsored across all age groups (13–17, 18–25, 25+). Maybe I need to narrow this down to the age range that’s more likely to understand and engage with this type of gameplay?
If you’ve experienced something similar or have any ideas, insights, or suggestions on how to improve onboarding or retain players more effectively, I’d really appreciate your input. Hopefully, with some collaboration and creative thinking, we can make the experience smoother and more engaging for everyone!
Thanks so much! 