E72: How to Engage Players and Improve Retention through Flow with Kevin Scheepers

Welcome to Episode 72 of the Building Better Games Podcast! We’re getting back into flow, this time focusing on players and game design. Kevin Scheepers, the founder of FlowMate and GameWell, will be talking about how you can build flow into your games to improve engagement. Have you ever felt completely immersed in a game, losing track of time and becoming one with the experience? Or wondered how developers can intentionally craft this feeling for players? Knowing how flow works for players will help you create captivating and seamless gaming experiences that keep players hooked. Key Points: Understanding Flow: Flow is the state where players lose themselves in the game, merging action and awareness. It involves a loss of self-consciousness and time distortion, creating a deeply immersive experience. Flow in Game Design: Developers can foster flow by designing clear goals, balancing challenge and skill, and minimizing distractions. Personalized experiences tailored to individual player profiles keep the flow state active. Triggers and Blockers of Flow: Flow is triggered by the balance between challenge and skill; too much or too little breaks the state. Distractions or unclear mechanics can block flow, and understanding these factors is key. Designing for Flow Phases: There are four phases of flow: struggle, release, flow, and recovery. It’s crucial for games to guide players through these phases for optimal engagement. Games that understand and incorporate these phases can keep players coming back for more.   Future of Flow in Gaming: Kevin and I look into the future, discussing adaptive technologies that could personalize flow experiences for each player. Understanding different player types and motivations will be key to designing games that maintain flow over long periods. Mastering the concept of flow will give you a step up in crafting games that are not just enjoyable but profoundly engaging. Whether you’re a game developer aiming to create unforgettable experiences or a gamer curious about what makes some games so compelling, this episode is filled with insights you won’t want to miss. Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell for more episodes. Your feedback and support mean the world to us, and we’re excited to continue bringing you valuable content. See you next time! To learn more about Kevin Scheepers: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-scheepers-96229428/ • FlowMade Website: https://flowmade.org • GameWell Podcast: https://flowmade.org/gamewell   Our discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place that makes better games: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ   If you’re interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer, head here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production Subscribe to our newsletter for more game development tips and resources: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter   Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ Youtube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames