Introducing players to Totem

Our goal as a collective is to introduce players to the amazing Totem indieverse, so they can get unique experiences playing our interconnected games. As of right now, people still don't know what Totem is, so all of our players are brand new to the experience.

So when is the right time to introduce them to Totem? How do we get them to log in? How do we convince them that buying shared assets will be beneficial for them?

When

When launching your game for the first time, the player is there for one thing - they want to have a good time. They decided to dedicate their precious time to an experience they hope will be worthwhile.

At this stage, keeping them excited is in your best interest. DO NOT pop up a login window and direct their attention away from the game at this stage! It's probably best to keep this for later. Otherwise, you may see people leaving your game before getting a chance to decide if they even like it.

Now we need to try to asses if a player is into your game and wants to spend more time playing it. It really depends on the game, audience, and platform, but at some point, be it after beating the first level, 10 minutes of gameplay, playing a session, or after returning to play a day after day, we're going to be able to get their attention with an interesting offer. The better your offer is, the earlier you can propose it.

image-20230223121248-1.png

A popup screen at the start of Nightshift Survival suggests connecting to Totem before playing

How

After a player has already got a chance to experience your game, this is a good time to propose a unique type of experience - get your unique Avatar and Item by logging in to Totem.

As of right now, players get Totem Assets for free upon logging into the system for the first time, so use this in your messaging! This is a FREE character that you can use, that's unlike any other! It has a special power and provides a new way to experience the game!

There's much to explore and test here - messaging and visual language may vary. I recommend keeping the message short and simple and providing a visual to explain what's in it for the player.

Recommended message: "Log in to Totem to receive a FREE Avatar and Item to play with! You can take those assets into other games and even unlock new content!"

Cross Promotion

Our current mission in Totem is to prove that players are interested in using their assets in more than one game, so it's important to explain to the player that the Assets they get can serve them in other games as well. We still don't know the effect this will have - Are players only interested in exploring games of a similar genre? Will players go check a PC game through a promotion in a Mobile game? We believe players will embrace interconnected experiences, and even be willing to pay money for assets.

It's in our best interest to make this concept clear, so using visuals can help. A great way to do so would be to show the player how their owned Assets would look in other games, which we found to also be the best way to explain Totem.

Closing thoughts

Let's continue this discussion in our Discord, and if you have any ideas, insights or takeaways from your own experience, please share them with us!

Totem Game Development Network 2022