Hearts Facebook/Mobile

Objective is to launch popular game on social platform and make revenue

2013

Ankit Gupta A

7/18/2013

Contents Part 1 Sequence of events & user engagement ...................................................................................... 2

Social ............................................................................................................. 2

Game modifications ......................................................................................... 2

Heuristics 1 .................................................................................................. 2

Heuristics 2 .................................................................................................. 2

Introduction of coins - monetization & economy aspect ........................................ 3

Earning coins ................................................................................................ 3

Spending coins ............................................................................................. 3

Additional monetization strategy ........................................................................ 4

Part 2: Game Guide ................................................................................................................................ 4

Gist ................................................................................................................ 4

Detail Explanation ............................................................................................ 4

Hints .............................................................................................................. 5

Wireframe (layout)................................................................................................................................. 5

Part 1 Sequence of events & user engagement

Game has to start as a journey where each level is clearly visible as a path User can be depicted as a con man entering casino. Next step will be similar to available on Zyngapoker/ rummycircle.com where user chooses type of game (instant, tournament) and table type (novice, intermediate or expert)

The two most important entity to precede the game and differentiate from windows heart can be

1. Time limit (eg users who finished in < 2 minutes, <10 minutes etc...)

2. No of games taken to reach winning score (eg minimum 4 games have to be played in windows heart game to reach score of 100). Different type of tables can be designed based on number of attempts taken by previous users to reach winning total.

Social

1. User shall be asked to post on wall- stage each friend is present – their points 2. Levels each friend exists and leader board who leads the board.

3. Reminder emails/notification - remind user of constant challengers in particular level and advancement of friends to next level to prompt player to come again and play more.

4. At each invite friends to play along player will get coins to when user invited by one player plays, and wins first game i.e. scores 0.

5. Coins can be redeemed to reduce loss caused in game (i.e. when user scores 50 and on 100 game ends, user can give some coins and reduce score to remain in game for longer time).

Game modifications

Heuristics 1 Game level (Novice, intermediate, expert) depending on how less time/ chances it took player to reach score of X (X is 100 at present)

Heuristics 2 Game levels 1, 2, 3 (there may be innovative names to each of them) Level 1 will have standard 1 point to each heart and 13 to Queen of spades

Level 2 can be with two additional cards kind of trump card where Ace of spades will help player pass or put cards out of game and that particular chance no penalty even on getting a heart of queen of spades. Trump cards can be used even if heart has not been broken.

Level 3, player gets two trump cards and in addition queen of clubs and diamond also give negative penalty of 13 points. Trump can be used even if heart has not been broken.

Level 4, each heart card has a value equal to its denomination i.e. 3 has value of 3 and 1 has value of 1 and score is added accordingly. In this level however scoring and rules for reaching Novice, intermediate, expert shall change. Also it can be done that only expert players can unlock Level 3.

Heuristics 3 Game can also be modified with number of players allowed in a game eg with 3 players 17 cards each to be distributed and one (2 of clubs) kept out. Similarly if there are five players 10 (=52/5) 2 cards are kept aside ( 2 of spade and clubs)

Introduction of coins - monetization & economy aspect

Earning coins User gets points on completion of level, inviting friends, sharing scores on social media etc. At completion of each level/game players can be given coins/discount coupons of popular e-commerce sites. In return their product/brand ads can be shown as banner ads and/or referral links.

Spending coins Coins can be redeemed to reduce loss caused in game (i.e. when user scores 50 and on 100 game ends, user can give some coins and reduce score to remain in game for longer time) User can use the coins to see cars discarded in previous hands played. Eg x coins to visit immediate previous hand, or y coins to see per hand played.

Users can use coins to buy discounts coupons of online and offline retail stores At the end of each game the coins player accrues get deducted from the coin balance player has at the end of game.

Buying virtual eatables/gifts at table- user can buy drinks/ eatables at table or buy and give it to fellow player or a friend. Or user can be served food products (burger/confectionary/bakery eg McD, Pizza or Marigold), alcoholic/energy drinks (JW, Pepsi, RedBull) and the brands can endorse & hence pay for marketing their products via game.

Player can gift drinks etc to other player.

Additional monetization strategy Strategic time out - during the game a small duration can be used for strategic time out where users will be shown few seconds commercial (audio or video) or some products from sponsors. This can be positioned between games or completion of one round, or when player taking too long to play his turn. Choosing some funky name along a customized avatar can be other aspect where users might pay money.

Display a banner ad or small video clip on completion of each level/game.

Part 2: Game Guide

Gist

Objective is to finish own cards at the earliest. All cards of one of the selected suit (hearts) are cursed. Each fetch a player penalty of a point, well that’s not enough, if player lay hand on Queen of spades player gets penalty of 13 points.

Player with highest denomination of card wins among the four cards played in each chance. if player does not have card of that suit, other player will have option to drop highest value card and the winner of that chance will have to bear the grudge (if other player gives his heart suit card).

But there is a clause, player can’t put heart unless any other player other than who started the game puts heart (also known has heart broken, a broken heart is displayed at centre)

Detail Explanation

The game has 4 players, each is distributed equal number of cards i.e. 13 (=52/4). If three players are playing each is given 17 (=52/3, 2 of spade is kept aside)

Player with a selected card (Ace of spade) starts the game and hand over 3 cards to person at west side then north and then east in consecutive chances of game.

Player with highest card wins the chance, if other player does not have any card of that suit, any other suit can be played (preferably heart or highest denomination of any suit). Winner (highest denomination of card) of the last chance gets to start the new chance

Chances involving heart or Queen of spade are the most crucial one’s winner player gets the point depending on level (type) of game (1 point for each card of heart and 13 for Queen of spade), thus in one chance maximum player can earn is 26.

No player can shoot other player in the first chance of each game.

Game ends when one of the player accrues 100 (or let’s say X) points. Player can use coins (accrued by winning previous games or buying them) to settle points gained during the game.

Hints (to be displayed as tooltip during the course of game):

Avoid keeping king or ace of spade, or queen of spade with high card of spade.

Try to exhaust any of particular suit as early as possible.

It’s advisable to dispose of cards of higher denominations first.

Can’t play that card (of different suit) unless you have exhausted all cards of that suit.

You have X more minutes to beat the best time taken by any player to complete this game.

You have Y minutes to reach average time (among Z players at this level) to complete this level.

Hints can also be suggested by payment of some coins.

Hearts have to be broken first before you can use this card.

Wireframe (layout)

Hearts.mht