What are the best mobile game mechanics to encourage repeat purchases?

1 Rewards and incentives

One of the most basic and effective ways to motivate players to buy more is to offer them rewards and incentives for doing so. Rewards can be anything from in-game currency, items, power-ups, cosmetics, or access to new content. Incentives can be discounts, bundles, limited-time offers, or bonuses for spending a certain amount. Rewards and incentives appeal to the players' desire for achievement, progress, and satisfaction, as well as their fear of missing out on something valuable or exclusive.

2 Social features

Another powerful way to influence players to buy more is to leverage social features in your game. Social features can be anything from chat, leaderboards, clans, guilds, friends, or multiplayer modes. Social features create a sense of community, belonging, and competition among players, as well as a source of social proof, validation, and feedback. Social features can also encourage players to buy more by creating peer pressure, envy, or emulation, or by enabling social gifting, trading, or sharing.

3 Customization and personalization

A third way to entice players to buy more is to provide them with customization and personalization options in your game. Customization and personalization can be anything from changing the appearance, style, or name of their character, avatar, or profile, to choosing the theme, music, or layout of their game environment. Customization and personalization appeal to the players' need for self-expression, identity, and uniqueness, as well as their sense of ownership, attachment, and pride.

4 Challenges and quests

A fourth way to stimulate players to buy more is to present them with challenges and quests in your game. Challenges and quests can be anything from daily tasks, achievements, goals, or missions, to special events, tournaments, or seasons. Challenges and quests appeal to the players' curiosity, interest, and excitement, as well as their sense of challenge, mastery, and accomplishment. Challenges and quests can also incentivize players to buy more by creating urgency, scarcity, or difficulty, or by offering rewards, incentives, or recognition.

5 Feedback and progression

A fifth way to inspire players to buy more is to give them feedback and progression in your game. Feedback and progression can be anything from scores, stars, levels, ranks, or badges, to statistics, graphs, charts, or reports. Feedback and progression appeal to the players' desire for feedback, learning, and improvement, as well as their sense of achievement, growth, and status. Feedback and progression can also motivate players to buy more by creating goals, milestones, or benchmarks, or by showing them their performance, potential, or gap.

6 Fun and enjoyment

A sixth and final way to persuade players to buy more is to make your game fun and enjoyable. Fun and enjoyment can be anything from humor, surprise, or novelty, to aesthetics, sounds, or animations. Fun and enjoyment appeal to the players' emotions, feelings, and moods, as well as their sense of pleasure, satisfaction, and happiness. Fun and enjoyment can also influence players to buy more by creating positive associations, memories, or experiences, or by reducing stress, boredom, or frustration.

7 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?