Maximize LTV without hurting retention?

Founder: “How to maximize LTV w/o hurting retention?”
Me: Use 👏 a 👏 proven 👏 economy 👏 model!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 ‘𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻’ 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀?, 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱?

This is the easy part.

𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 have seen broad adoption and success.

You are likely familiar with all five:

1. Puzzle Progression + Loss Aversion (Royal Match)
2. Energy-gated recipe redemption (Gossip Harbor)
3. Legendary Gacha: collection & fusion (AFK Journey)
4. Sprawling Tech Trees (Whiteout, Clash of Clans)
5. Casino Progression (Coin Master, Monopoly GO)

When founders use language like “we haven’t quite figured out our monetization strategy,’ this is usually a clear signal that we’ve a problem on our hands. 😅

Failing to use a proven economy model, capable of producing $25k (casual) / $200k (core) spend depth is one of the most common points of failure I’ve seen when working with F2P game teams and products.

What makes these models special, and advantaged?

The key is how each model’s economy geometry scales to efficiently provide $25k (casual) or $200k (core) of spend depth within 6-8 months of launch. 😀

For example, a “Sprawling Tech Tree” economy might have:

• 25 Upgradeable buildings
• 25 Upgradeable tech trees
• 50 Levels of upgrade per building or tree, $1000 ea. to max (top levels are pricey)

= $50k spend depth

These days, games increasingly combine 2+ models:

• modern 4X games go deep on both #3 and #4.
• casual puzzle and casino games leverage #3 in their album collection features

That’s all for today, but I’ll write a more detailed article soon! 🫡