How to Make “Snackable” Casual Games

With more games on the market than ever before, it’s clear that creators must be more creative than ever when creating the next big blockbuster hyper-casual title. Yet, there are a few easy game design features to consider that might boost your chances of success. The idea of “snackability” is something we’ve been talking with Our partners to help solve this with practical approaches.

Many casual gamers only play mobile games while they’re out and about, whether they’re commuting, queuing, or just waiting for the microwave to complete. When looking at the biggest demographic of gamers, the majority like games that they can pick up and put down without feeling unduly committed, yet with enough thrill to keep them going back for more.

Snackable games come into play here. In a sense, these are titles that are simple to learn but difficult to master. These are games that individuals of all skill levels and ages can fit into their daily lives.

We’ve launched hundreds of games at Voodoo, several of which have had such “snackable” appeal that they’ve been at the top of the App Store rankings for weeks on end.

After spending the previous six years perfecting our publishing talents and working with some of the world’s greatest developers, we’ve developed a rapid method for finding the most promising’snackable’ games. We search for “the three S’s” to do this.

These three characteristics are critical in our view, and we urge that you keep them in mind while building your next successful game.

1. Keep it Brief (to require less effort from your players)

Snackable games should be brief. When you consider some of the world’s most popular casual games, you’ll notice that their sessions are quick (an optimal average session time is between 40 and 45 seconds), and players may obtain prizes or advance in a single short gameplay.

Both Helix Jump (left) and Roller Splat! (right) were released by Voodoo and spent many weeks at the top of the App Store rankings throughout the world.

Both Helix Jump and Roller Splat are indefinitely snackable games. They don’t need much work or commitment from players; each level may be completed in as little as 45 seconds. Moreover, the fact that the ball is continually moving in Helix Jump and must move in Roller Splat! makes it tough for players to halt mid-play.

The smooth but brief sessions of both games not only keep players interested, but they also improve their potential LTV. This is due to the fact that shorter levels provide more possibilities to display advertisements whether the player fails or advances. Also, more advertisements help generate more cash from interested players or raise the likelihood of users purchasing in-app payments to eliminate the ad function. In a word, short-session games offer tremendous revenue potential since the gameplay allows for interstitial and rewarded adverts between stages.

2. Maintain SATISFYING (so your players enjoy completing the level)

The finest “snackable” games continually reward players and provide them with as much pleasure as possible in as little time as feasible. You may lure players by rewarding them for every choice and success they reach in the game, or simply by using aesthetically appealing and dynamic UI components and animation. Including level growth is a terrific approach to assist your gamers refine their talents while also providing that vital sense of accomplishment.

Roller Splat and Helix Jump, for example, exhibit the second key feature of a snackable game: enjoyable. Apart from their basic and clear user interfaces, both games provide players with a steady mix of feeling rewarded and challenged.

For example, in Helix Jump, the progress indicator encourages players to continue conquering levels no matter how challenging they get. In both games, visual signals (such as point bonuses and positive messages) inspire and urge players to continue playing. The blasts of confetti that players get after finishing a level in Roller Splat eventually leave them feeling happy and successful.

We would award players with perks (e.g. enhanced speed + power for Helix Jump) in these games for short-term demonstrations of skill and response. We’ve even included the ability for players to unlock rewards after completing a challenging level in Roller Splat.

3. Maintain SIMPLICITY (so your players can play it anywhere)

Lastly, snackable games should be simple and quick to play regardless of where your players are or how much time they have. The mechanics are simple and do not need much participation from your players. The game should be simple enough that players can play it whether they have two minutes to kill while waiting at the doctor’s office or twenty minutes to kill while waiting for the next bus.

No matter how great a game is in principle, if players don’t comprehend it immediately away, they’re likely to leave.

Crowd City and Hole.io are addictive because of their straightforward player objectives. By moving their finger, participants in separate games must lead and develop their crowds, or trap people in a hole, using a swerve mechanism.

Thus, one method to keep things simple is to gently adjust a mechanism that has previously worked well for your games. The physics of Crowd City and Hole.io are almost similar, as seen by the samples above. All players in both games must do is guide an item through a metropolis with one finger as simply as possible.

In a nutshell

Quick, pleasant, and simple (the three S’s, if that helps).

Keep in mind that you will still need to experiment with a lot of things (for example, art and design, ad formats, and ad frequency). Yet, if you stick to these three S’s, you’ll be well on your way to producing a really snackable game that gamers won’t be able to resist.

If you’re nearing the end of your game, please get in contact with us. We are always eager to train game creators and assist them in completing their projects.