What do you do if you're a Game Designer facing problem solving challenges in the mobile gaming industry?

Mobile games industry is a very challenging industry when it comes to creating good games. There is a lot of saturation in this industry and chances of failures have increased a lot recently. Industry is on the verge of a transitional shift so make sure you adapt to the changes as quickly as possible. Because mobile games and the users of mobile games are the most hard user base to understand that is why sometimes you think you have created what user wants but it turns out to be a failure.

Gain valuable insights into the root causes of issues by utilizing player analytics, and transform data into actionable solutions. Collaborate with a diverse team of designers, developers, and QA testers to brainstorm innovative approaches, leveraging their unique perspectives and expertise. Implement rapid prototyping to swiftly and iteratively test potential solutions, refining them based on real-world feedback. Foster a sense of co-creation and loyalty by engaging with your player community through forums and social media, gathering direct input. Stay updated on industry trends and emerging technologies that may provide new ways to solve existing problems.

Here are some resources where you can follow the latest trends in the mobile gaming industry: - Sensor Tower - data.ai - GameRefinery - ironSource - GameAnalytics - Udonis - UserWise - Mobile Marketing Reads - Tenjin Blog

Catching up with trends is a very cruical part in mobile games industry because trends create a short market cap and these market caps can genreate a lot of revenue in short time that is very difficult to generate in longer times. So follow the trends of users and make sure you capitalize them.

Keep track of market performance and player behavior patterns using analytics tools like App Annie or Sensor Tower. This will help you identify shifts in preferences and monetization strategies. Conduct A/B testing to explore how trending features, such as reward-based ads or battle passes, can enhance your game's engagement without compromising user experience. Study successful game case studies to gain insights into their problem-solving approaches and adapt those strategies to your own context. Additionally, actively participate in community forums and developer groups to exchange ideas and gather insights from peers who have overcome similar challenges.

Foster a culture of trust and transparency within your team to boost collaboration. Conduct brainstorming sessions and design sprints to gather ideas from artists, developers, and marketers. Utilize tools like Miro or Confluence for documentation and visualization. Emphasize continuous feedback and testing to refine ideas. Form cross-functional teams to address challenges and encourage knowledge sharing through workshops and sessions. Leverage your team's strengths for a more cohesive and innovative development process in the mobile gaming industry.

Creating user centric design is very difficult in mobile games industry because understanding the users of mobile games is very hard. Lack of user research and UX playability tests is the reason companies havent really found out what kind of user base they are tackling with.

Utilize analytics tools to collect quantitative data on player behaviour. Conduct qualitative research to gather deeper insights into player preferences and pain points. Implement usability testing sessions where players navigate specific scenarios within your game, providing real-time feedback on usability and enjoyment. Employ iterative design methodologies like Design Thinking or Lean UX, where continuous iteration and validation with real users drive product refinement. Leverage user personas and journey maps to empathize with your target audience and tailor the gaming experience to their needs and preferences.

Regularly conduct retrospectives to assess what's effective and what's not, enabling your team to adjust and pivot as necessary. Cultivate a culture of experimentation and risk-taking, where failure is seen as a chance to learn rather than a setback. Promote cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing to benefit from diverse perspectives and insights when tackling problem-solving challenges.