In tennis, a golden set is when you win a set without losing a single point. And that’s exactly what Wildlife Studios managed to do with Tennis Clash. At the time of release, it was the most downloaded mobile game in 78 countries. It has received an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 in the app stores. And it has been downloaded over 50 million times on Google Play alone.
So let’s see what we can learn from Tennis Clash.
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Make your game easy to play, hard to master
We all know the rules of tennis. Tennis Clash manages to translate these rules into simple controls. Swipe to hit the ball, tap to move. The further you swipe, the harder you hit. And the direction you swipe in determines which way you hit the ball. Everything is very simple.
Just like real tennis, it’s about tactics and split-second decisions. Where is your opponent? How hard should you hit it? Where should you reposition yourself? Getting it right – hitting the ball exactly where you planned – that’s why it’s satisfying.
But what about a short one? In real tennis, there are usually games, sets and matches. Four points wins the game. Six games to win a set. Two sets wins the match. (Of course.) That’s too long for a mobile game, so Tennis Clash simplifies the scoring system. The first to score seven points wins the match.
Tennis Clash is a great reminder to developers everywhere that you don’t need to overcomplicate your core loop. Two simple controls and a simple scoring system are all you need. Instead, encourage your players to master these simple controls by having them compete against each other or against increasingly complex bots.
Give your players a reason to revisit old content
There are two main ways that Tennis Clash encourages players to progress. The first is an RPG-like system. Players can get better gear – such as rackets, strings and shoes – which directly affects their character’s abilities. The better your character’s stats are, the more likely they are to do what you wanted them to do. You can upgrade your equipment by spending coins. Quite simply.
The second way is through their tours. In other games, this would be your worlds or levels. Interestingly, unlike most games – players have to bet coins for each match. The more matches you win, the harder rounds you can enter. And the more coins you have to put forward.
Since you can spend these coins to upgrade your gear, this creates a big dilemma for their players. Can you afford to upgrade your equipment now? What if you lose the next match? Will you run out of money starting over from the first round?
This means there is a practical reason to revisit old tours. Either you have spent all your coins or you don’t want to risk it. For other games, this can be a very useful system to force players to revisit old maps and levels – adding more replayability to your game.
Use advertising to reduce your losses and increase your winnings
Since players have to bet coins to participate in a match, they have also created an opportunity for themselves to display rewarded ads in a very natural way. If a player loses a match, they can watch ads to make up for lost coins. But if they win the match, they can watch an ad to double their winnings.
This greatly increases the likelihood that players will actually want to watch this ad. There are tangible benefits and it doesn’t feel like advertising is pushing them.
Think how else Tennis Clash could have added ads. They could make it so that there are ads after every match and players earn coins after every win. The result would be exactly the same. But by framing it as a bet — and only allowing players to receive rewarded ads a certain number of times per day — they’re rethinking the context. After seeing the ad, players are relieved, not disappointed.
If you notice players getting frustrated with your ad, ask yourself if you can change the context. Can you use them to reduce your losses and increase your wins?
Affiliate regularly to keep your game up to date
Tennis Clash has been regularly in the gaming news for its partnerships since its launch. They have teamed up with the French Tennis Federation, US Open, World TeamTennis, Laver Cup, WTA and ATP, as well as the Billie Jean King Cup.
These partnerships were simple tournaments, with winners often receiving in-game rewards and acknowledgments on the Wildlife Studio website. And they cemented Tennis Clash as the official tennis game. This was especially important during the pandemic when tennis matches were canceled because it allowed fans to still participate in the event.
They cooperated not only with tennis organizations. They even worked with Gucci to bring style and outfits to the game. A sponsorship that helped the Gucci brand stay relevant while giving Tennis Clash more content to entertain players.
Regular partnerships have helped keep Tennis Clash in the spotlight. And that’s a lesson that mobile developers everywhere should remember. The best way to keep your players is to keep giving them something new. But this new one doesn’t have to be too complicated. A simple tournament sponsored by a brand they love and respect can accomplish this.
Play to your demographic
Wildlife Studio regularly updates Tennis Clash with seasonal content. Valentine’s Day, Christmas, April 1, Mother’s Day, Lunar New Year. Most of them – like their partnerships – are open tournaments for which players must buy tickets. Another useful source of income.
But they also definitely think about their players. Two notable events were Tax Day and Celebration of Diversity. Apparently, Wildlife Studio has noticed that their demographic is young, enterprising and liberal. And that inspired them to create these events.
Of course, these are just guesses. But Tax Day is a very specific event. One that they had to be sure would be successful. Otherwise, why would they spend time creating it?
This is a lesson that all developers should learn. What other interests do your players have? How old are they? What level of education do they have? For example, if you find that most of your players like to read, perhaps you organize a World Book Day event. Do you have a lot of Scottish players? Maybe you’re celebrating Robert Burns’ birthday.
The more you can tailor your events and updates to specific audiences, the more they will feel a cultural connection to your game.
Use analytics to find out what makes your players tick
Information is power. The more you know, the more you can improve and repeat your game. So, if you want to know what’s working and what’s not, try our free analytics tool.