How can you measure player engagement using user feedback?

1 Define your goals

Before you ask for user feedback, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to learn from it. What are the key aspects of player engagement that you want to measure? For example, do you want to know how players feel about your game mechanics, story, graphics, sound, or difficulty? Do you want to identify pain points, bugs, or suggestions for improvement? Do you want to test a specific feature or update? Having specific and measurable goals will help you design your feedback questions and methods.

2 Choose your methods

When it comes to collecting user feedback, there are various methods to choose from, depending on your goals, budget, and resources. Surveys are a popular choice; they help you acquire quantitative data on specific aspects of your game. Interviews are also helpful for gathering qualitative data and feedback on the overall experience of your game. Focus groups, meanwhile, offer diverse perspectives and feedback on the social and competitive aspects of your game. Playtesting is another option; it offers feedback on the usability, functionality, and performance of your game. With these methods, you can gain valuable insights into your game and make improvements accordingly.

3 Analyze your data

Once you have collected user feedback, it's time to analyze and extract meaningful insights. Excel, Google Sheets, Tableau, NVivo, Dedoose, and MAXQDA are all tools that can help you organize and visualize your data. When looking for trends, correlations, and gaps in the data, ask yourself questions such as: do players like or dislike a certain feature? Is there a correlation between player satisfaction and playtime, retention, or spending? Are there any unanswered questions or concerns that need to be addressed? By understanding the trends, correlations, and gaps in your data, you can gain valuable insights into how to improve your game.

4 Act on your findings

The final step is to use your findings to improve your game and increase player engagement. You can prioritize your actions based on the importance and urgency of the feedback. You can also communicate your actions to your players and thank them for their feedback. This will show them that you value their input and care about their experience. You can also ask for more feedback as you implement changes and updates to your game.

User feedback is a powerful tool for measuring and enhancing player engagement. By defining your goals, choosing your methods, analyzing your data, and acting on your findings, you can create a game that meets and exceeds your players' expectations and needs.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?