Overview
Our post-launch plan for Words With Friends 2 was just as ambitious as the launch. Users kept asking "why should I care?" about new features. Despite saying they didn't want anything new, their behavior was changing — powerup consumption and coin economy engagement was increasing. This led us to pursue Tile Styles: one of the boldest ideas in WWF history. We had barely touched tile styling across two redesigns. The gameboard was sacred — and we were about to make a big change.
Feature Goals
- Increase engagement in systems that reward Tile Styles
- Appeal to a large portion of our audience
- Prove user interest in cosmetic rewards and items of expression
Research
We brainstormed reward vectors of all types and put them in front of users. Tile Styles topped the list. We validated through a MaxDiff survey, in-game click tests, 3 rounds of Consumer Insights interviews with Flinto prototypes, 2 general surveys, and a soft launch. The feature tested consistently well and satisfied our main goal of providing multiple ways to reward users — including Scrabble purists who don't want powerups.
How It Works
Players earn "Paint" from Mystery Boxes earned by engaging with WWF features. When they collect all the paint for a Tile Style, they unlock the ability to use it. Paint worked best as the unit of measurement because it reemphasized that tiles were cosmetic only. Players control their own Tile Styles and can see each other's styles in-game. Seasonal premium tiles are available for purchase in the store.
Results
- Doubled expected adoption rate
- Significant increase in engagement with surrounding features
- Increase in IAP revenue
- Launch event with Susan G. Komen raised $100K for breast cancer awareness
