Naughtyfications

In the mobile apps market, notifications walk a fine line between being a helpful nudge and an annoying poke. As game developers, we often grapple with this: how to remind players about our game without making them wish they’d never downloaded it in the first place?

Notifications are like the modern-day town crier of the gaming world. And here’s the choice we face: do we want to be seen as the wise, informative advisor or the crazy person yelling in the town square?

Let’s be clear: players don’t have amnesia. They don’t need to be reminded every hour that they played your game. They know, believe me. They were there. So, when we choose to use notifications (which, let’s face it, is often the lesser of two evils), we need to be smart about it.

The key is to add value. If you’re going to interrupt someone’s day, make it worth their while. Tell them something useful. Update them on timers, delayed tasks, or unpredictable events in the game – things that would otherwise require them to keep the game running constantly to check manually. That’s being a helpful advisor, offering timely and relevant information.

What we should avoid at all costs is turning into that loud, obnoxious voice that screams such a dumb shit like “Come back! Hurry up! The world needs saving!” After such messages your players will think the opposite. It’s not just ineffective; it’s counterproductive. These kinds of messages make players roll their eyes, at best. At worst, they push them to the uninstall button. Remember, we’re vying for a spot in their day, not trying to hijack it.

So, my advice is simple: treat notifications as a tool for enhancing the player experience, not a megaphone for desperation. Use them to inform, not to irritate. Be the voice of reason, not the noise of nuisance.

Let’s make our games a welcome presence in players’ lives, not an unwelcome interruption.

Stay thoughtful,

PixelWraith

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