player engagement

AppWizard
June 16, 2025
Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic was released last week and quickly became the top-selling game on Steam, briefly surpassing Dune: Awakening. Although it has since declined in ranking, it remains among the top 100 games by current players. The game's success highlights the strong market presence and loyal fan base of the franchise, which began in 2014.
AppWizard
June 14, 2025
Two Point Museum is a management simulation game developed by Two Point Studios, recognized for its innovative expedition system that allows players to send specialists on quests to retrieve ancient artifacts. A recent summer update introduced a memorial exhibit feature for adventurers who go missing, along with 30 new posters for museum aesthetics. The update also refined security simulations, making it easier to identify thieves and adding strategic elements to gameplay. Additionally, it included balance adjustments and bug fixes, such as proper installation of robot staff perks and synchronized subtitles for the in-game radio show. The game has been positively reviewed, described as one of the most approachable management sims in recent memory.
AppWizard
June 11, 2025
Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto Online has 20 million monthly active players as of April 2025, its highest engagement since June 2022. Many of these players also engage with other popular games, particularly Fortnite, Roblox, Call of Duty, and Minecraft, with an 11% overlap of GTA Online players with Minecraft. Despite its large user base, there has been a 19% decline in average playtime among gamers who play both GTA Online and Minecraft on PlayStation. This trend suggests that player engagement with GTA Online can fluctuate based on the popularity of competing titles.
AppWizard
June 5, 2025
Jagex has stated that recent layoffs are not related to the cancellation of Project Zanaris, which aimed to create community servers for Old School RuneScape. The layoffs primarily impact non-development and non-player-facing roles, with some developers also leaving the company. Jagex is restructuring its operations to reduce complexity and increase agility, focusing on enhancing teams that contribute directly to player experiences. The company is committed to supporting affected employees during this transition.
AppWizard
June 4, 2025
Steve Allison, general manager of the Epic Games Store (EGS), acknowledged ongoing challenges in improving the platform, stating that there is still significant work to be done. Upcoming features aimed at enhancing the EGS include preloading, gifting options, and game-independent voice and text chat. Despite these improvements, the EGS struggles to match basic functionalities offered by Steam, which may not be enough to attract users already invested in Valve's ecosystem. Epic has disbursed over a billion dollars to developers and publishers and offers a revenue-sharing model with a 12% cut, compared to Valve's 30%, along with a 0% fee for games until they reach a million in revenue. However, convincing players to switch to the EGS remains challenging due to the large libraries they have already built on Steam.
AppWizard
June 4, 2025
Destiny is set to release a new expansion titled The Edge of Fate on July 15, following the success of The Final Shape. The expansion aims to revitalize player engagement and introduce innovative gameplay mechanics, including an expanded buildcraft space and a new gear tiering system for armor and weapons. Bungie is working on enhancing Darkness subclasses and introducing Solo Ops for single-player experiences. The developers emphasize balancing challenge and reward, ensuring that players earn rewards through meaningful challenges. A new World Tier system will apply to the Kepler destination, allowing casual players to navigate the campaign at their own pace. Bungie is cautious about introducing a rarity tier above exotic items to maintain a balanced loot system. The team is also considering the return of class items from the original Destiny.
AppWizard
June 2, 2025
Elden Ring Nightreign features a fast-paced, randomized gameplay experience that contrasts with traditional FromSoftware titles. Players face high-stakes encounters against powerful bosses, with a focus on survival and defeating Nightlords. The game lacks a progression system, leading to frustration when players are defeated without rewards. Critics have labeled it a cash grab, but it diverges from genre conventions. The absence of difficulty adjustments and varied gameplay experiences limits player engagement, though there is hope for future content that could introduce new characters and mechanics.
AppWizard
May 29, 2025
David Gaider, former lead writer at BioWare, expressed concerns about the overuse of "trashmob fights" in gaming, advocating for a balance between combat and narrative. He was influenced by the combat-free level in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, which emphasized tension through storytelling rather than action. Gaider argued against the necessity of frequent combat encounters, believing that narrative depth and political intrigue could engage players just as effectively. Despite his vision for a combat-free masquerade ball in Dragon Age: Inquisition, the design team opted to include combat, highlighting the ongoing challenge of balancing player engagement with narrative flow. Gaider emphasized that storytelling can keep players interested without relying solely on fighting.
AppWizard
May 27, 2025
Nine Sols is a standout gaming experience of 2023, noted for its stunning art direction, compelling narrative, and finely tuned combat mechanics. It represents a shift within the "soulslike" genre, leaning towards the intricate design seen in Sekiro, which redefined combat expectations by focusing on breaking an enemy's posture rather than just depleting health. The game emphasizes timing and precision in blocking, enhancing player engagement.
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