Designing with Data: What Daily Quests Actually Do to Your Game Metrics
Recently, I discussed an interesting topic with a fellow game designer, and I would like to share my thoughts here.
These are the kinds of questions I wonder why nobody talks about, and maybe I’ll occasionally post content like this when I’m in the mood.
The question is:
What are the expected KPI changes when a Daily Quest Feature is added to a game?
How will Daily Active Users(DAU), Retention, Session Length, and IAP Rate Change?
All of the below are my personal experiences and thoughts, no heart feelings😊
Daily Active Users (DAU)
In a casual game, you would typically expect a 5–10% increase. Daily login Quests attract players to log in every day.
Retention
Expect a minor increase. Don’t hope for a 10% jump just because you have added Daily Quests; that would be a miracle. (Of course, this varies depending on how repetitive or engaging your core mechanics are…)
If you get a 1–2% increase, take it and be grateful.
Session Length
Setting clear goals in early steps supported by good UI and readable, simple objectives can increase session length.
The key is understanding where players get bored, and inserting small refreshers or new elements so that engagement outpaces fatigue.
IAP
In a well-integrated scenario where the game successfully hooks the player, you may see an increase in IAP.
Players might want to boost themselves or their characters to complete quests faster.
BUT!! Let’s be realistic, not every scenario is ideal.
For example:
If IAP increases by 0%, the first instinct shouldn’t be:
“Well, that didn’t work”. Instead, we should replay the game and ask ourselves.
- Is there a clean link between the quests and the IAPs?
- Can purchases help complete quests faster?
- If players did not buy cosmetics, did they play long enough to become attached to the game? Or were they already bored?
Another scenario:
We expected %25 D7 but we hit %22. Maybe the quests started to feel repetitive?
Would more variety have helped?
Did players stop feeling like there was more to unlock or look forward to?
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most and benefited from the most in my career is brainstorming different scenarios.
What if the increase wasn’t %10 but %5? What would that mean to me?
Was there a spike in data at the 22nd minute?
Did we have enough users for our A/B tests?
What was the Z-score?
How many users would have given us statistically reliable results?
Asking questions is our job.
And the questions we ask show how clearly we are thinking.
Instead of jumping to big conclusions from small problems, dig into what fundamental issue may be causing them!
Once you fix the core, then go ahead and add your battle pass, polish your daily quest system, or launch that gacha box you think will make millions.
With Respect and Love,
Thanks for reading.
Emre
