My game has very poor retention analytics, but we are not sure why! Could some people check it out and let me know if anything obvious sticks out at you? Murder Mayhem - Roblox
We have implemented season passes, lots of variety in gameplay, many types of content, incentives for playing with and inviting your friends, regular updates, etc. Yet we still have very poor analytics for D1, D7, and D30 retention.
I played the game for longer, to check all features, updated opinion.
Just took a look at it, my verdict:
The game is fun, it’s ability-based but a casual player can have fun
The lobby is gorgeous, and having it as the main menu for shops - while also having the GUI shops at the ready on the screen - is interesting, the exploration is a nice different, low stakes change
Equipping the starter pack was ok, finding my way into getting more packs was relatively easy,
The directions were intuitive, and people with experience with this art direction / GUI style can get directly into action or find info easily,
Graphical performance is interesting. The game seemed to stay at high frame rates even at higher settings (I have a potato, so that is appreciated ^_^)
Now the cons:
[CHECKED: Problem solved by itself. I just got out and rejoined the game, it somehow fixed the lag and I even won some matches ^_^. It could be normal cache “feature” of joining a game the first time, happens to any game]
I am not sure if it was my connection, Roblox servers doing shenanigans at the moment (11/26-10:20) or if it’s the game’s coding, but even turning the graphic settings down I seemed to have a lag of 1 second from buttons being pressed and the actions happening on screen. I mainly used the “Toggle Camera” to navigate and it seemed to snap into specific angles and have lag too. Again, graphics were ok, but inputs had lag. That observation is shallow, I need to test it further.
It’s an ability-based game, to the most part. That alone comes with challenges when it comes to retention. People have a tendency to have some fun for a while, then leave when they meet a “sweat”, to never come back or come back only a few other times, at inconsistent intervals of time. Ability games rely on whales instead of stable user influx, keeping the “sweats” competing with each other for domination, while the casuals just leave. I am not saying it with authority, but the very type of game could lead to low retention despite all
Suggestions:
[CHECKED]::The option is appreciated ^_^, wonder if it refreshing after each match is intended.]::
Add the option for the player to opt in to go to matches or stay in the lobby, some players like to relax or test stuff in between matches
Try adding player vs machine (Co-Op vs AI) game modes. That retains the players that despise sweats. I have the game Transformers Fall of Cybertron in mind when I picture a player vs machine gamemode,
[CHECKED]::There are many mechanics/game modes in place to keep the casuals entertained. Still, consider the treasure hunt suggestion::
Try adding a low competition target practice mode, or a treasure hunt mode, that will keep the non-competitive players around. Implement it with the arms packs, having specific prizes for doing well, like receiving a limited for hitting all targets or finding the treasure very fast
Invest more on advertisement. Keep it relevant for longer. Try to get a youtuber to try it out, maybe enroll on some of Roblox’s foment projects, do not miss the opportunity to enter one of Roblox events, getting your game on the roster of warpable experiences from the main hub is GOLDEN.
I do not know much about technical stuff for player retention, I come from a point of view of a player analyzing if the experience is jarring or too different than the normal. All in all, the gameplay and graphical elements are pleasant. I maybe will try to think of something else, for now good luck and hope your game does well, it’s fun
Hi, @Whatevsah, thank you for your very detailed response!
Which universe did you play when you joined (Party, Duels, or Competitive)?
We are hoping to work towards some co-op and/or bot gamemodes to add into our party universe, as it is intended for more casual players. However, we still risk new players joining competitive universe or duels, and rage-quitting. I am not sure how to combat this, as we do not have the player base to separate into noob and pro lobbies. Also, we want players to still have the ability to try out all modes when the are first joining.
Did you have any lag issues / bugs that persisted? From your message it seems everything resolved itself, but I am not 100% sure.
