This is an old revision of the document!
Social Games
Social games are multiplayer games on social network platforms. They are generally free to play and use a business model based on purchasing of items within the game for small amounts. Their distilled repetitive gameplay and integrated viral advertising make these games extremely popular and profitable.
Strategies
Social/Game Mechanics to Improve Player Engagement
* Social Cause Mechanic * Gifting Mechanic * Notification of New Features Mechanic * Notification of Reward Mechanic * Newsfeed Update Mechanic * Help My Friend’s Space Mechanic * Lotto Mechanic * Buy/Sell Mechanic * Battle Mechanic * Comments Mechanic * Show off on Profile Mechanic * Trading Mechanic * Tournament Mechanic * Passive Play Mechanic * Exploration Mechanic * Build My Team Mechanic * Quiz Mechanic * Meme Quiz Mechanic * Leaderboard Mechanic * Gambling Mechanic * Auction Mechanic * Collection Mechanic * Rating Mechanic * Donate Virtual Coins Mechanic * Social Tycoon Mechanic * Hire-A-Friend Mechanic * Mastery Mechanic * Griefing/Prank Mechanic * Story Mechanic * Game Photo Album Mechanic * Harvest Mechanic * Mini-Game Mechanic * Friend Data Mechanic * Internationalization
Social/Game Mechanics to Improve Virality
- Claim an Item Mechanic
- Interact With An Item Mechanic
- Viral Collection Mechanic
- Funny Content Mechanic
- Tagging Mechanic
- Gifting Mechanic
- Rating Mechanic
- Scratch Off Mechanic
- Help a Friend Mechanic
- Friend is Playing Right Now Mechanic
- Help a Cause Mechanic
- Trivia Question Mechanic
- Quiz Mechanic
- Take a Job Mechanic
- Social Curiosity Mechanic
Social/Game Mechanics to Improve Monetization
* Dual Currency Mechanic * Limited-Time/Quantity Item Mechanic * Blue Light Special Mechanic * Donation to a Good Cause Mechanic * Need a Refill Mechanic * Gift to a Friend Mechanic * Achievement Accelerator Mechanic * First-Time Buyer Bonus Mechanic * Repeat Buyer Bonus Mechanic
Links
Background
- Jesse Schell, essential viewing http://fury.com/2010/02/jesse-shells-mindblowing-talk-on-the-future-of-games-dice-2010/
Facebook development
- Principles and policies: http://developers.facebook.com/policy/