UXpect Play Case Studies

Platform: Mobile (iOS & Android) / Web
Players: 10 first-time users
Session Type: Remote, unmoderated, think-aloud
Focus: First-session engagement and early retention

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The Problem

The game showed strong install volume, but early retention was weaker than expected. The team needed to understand why new players disengaged during the first session and which parts of the early experience were quietly causing drop-off. Analytics alone could not explain where players were getting stuck or why motivation declined.

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Study Setup

UXpect Play designed and ran first-time playtest sessions with newly recruited players who had no prior exposure to the game.

 

Sessions focused on:

• onboarding clarity

• the first hunt experience

• engagement during idle wait periods

• player understanding once tutorial guidance ended

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All sessions captured gameplay, audio, and player behavior for full review.

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What Players Did

Players responded positively to the game’s visual polish and initial onboarding. However, after the first few minutes, engagement began to decline across nearly all sessions.

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Common player behaviors included:

• completing early steps confidently

• hesitating once tutorial arrows disappeared

• waiting through long idle periods without interaction

• exploring menus without clear direction

• closing the app during inactive moments

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These behaviors appeared consistently, even among players who initially expressed interest.

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Patterns Identified

Across sessions, several recurring patterns emerged:

• Idle wait periods broke momentum

• Mandatory 15-minute hunt timers left players with nothing to do, reducing engagement and increasing the likelihood of closing the app.

• Guidance dropped too quickly

• Once tutorial prompts ended, players lost confidence in what to do next and began guessing.

• Progression feedback lacked clarity

• Players struggled to understand whether their actions were successful or meaningful, especially around equipment choices and upgrades.

• Early gameplay felt shallow before deeper systems unlocked

• Repetition set in before players understood what they were working toward.

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Key Insights

The issue was not lack of interest.
Players enjoyed the theme and presentation.

The problem was expectation management.

Players expected:

• clearer short-term goals

• feedback during idle moments

• reassurance they were progressing correctly

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When those expectations were not met, motivation dropped before the core loop had time to hook them.

 

Opportunities & Recommendations

The study highlighted several high-impact opportunities to improve early retention:

• introduce light interaction or speed-up options during idle periods

• extend subtle guidance beyond the initial tutorial

• surface clearer feedback around success, upgrades, and progression

• preview locked features earlier to maintain curiosity and motivation

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These recommendations gave the team a prioritized roadmap focused specifically on keeping players engaged through the first session.

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This study provided clear direction on what to fix first to reduce early drop-off and strengthen the new player experience.

 

Want insight like this for your game?

Email me at uxpectplay@gmail.com

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