While the fundamentals of free-to-play game design seem simple, adapting to this model and understanding it to the depth required to make a successful game has proved a tough challenge even for the most experienced game creators. One effective way to tackle F2P design is to think of its various techniques as a "toolbox"; by building up a collection of design "tools" which you can use to acquire, retain and monetise your players, you can build a comprehensive understanding of how this new business model interacts with your existing game design talents. This lecture will give you concrete examples of F2P "tools" which you can apply to your design, and show you how to create your own tool-based approach.

1. The toolbox
approach to F2P
game design
Nicholas Lovell
#f2ptoolbox

4. Early stage
Late stage
Game design

5. Frameworks and
toolboxes

6. A disclaimer

7. Nobody knows
anything

8. 1. The funnel
A
M
R
Acquire
Retain
Monetise
Keep monetising

9. ARM yourself
• Hoping for the best is not good enough, you need
to ARM yourself
– ACQUISITION: How do I get people through the door
cost-effectively?
– RETENTION: How do I keep people coming back for
more?
– MONETISATION: How do I build money-making
strategies into gameplay
• Acquisition and monetisation are important
• Retention is the most important, by far.

10. 2. The pyramid
• The Core Loop is the
beating heart of
your game
• The Retention
Game is what keeps
players playing
• The Superfan Game
is where the
Superfans live

11. 3. The Curve
PRICE
Demand
Revenue
opportunity
Marketing opportunity

12. What AAA asks
“How can I get customers who don’t
want to spend $60 to spend $6?”

13. What F2P asks
“How can I get customers who do want to spend
$60 to love spending $600, or $6,000?”

14. There are many different
toolboxes
• 4. The Hero’s Journey (read The Writer’s
Journey by Christopher Vogler)
• 5. The psychology of marketing (read
Influence, the Principles of Persuasion, by
Robert Cialdini)
• Any number of game design books (e.g. A
Theory of Fun, Raph Koster, or A Book of
Lenses, Jesse Schell.)

15. Here are some of my
tools

32. Conclusion
• Use frameworks and tools that you find useful
• Have some for design AND some for business
• Find them from anywhere:
– Psychology
– Writing
– Marketing
– Economics
• Or just borrow mine 

33. Thank you
@nicholaslovell
@gamesbrief
www.gamesbrief.com
www.f2ptoolbox.com
#f2ptoolbox