Mock Project | Impact of Onboarding Reward Mechanisms on Player Retention

Background

In most game products, the onboarding phase is critical for player retention. A significant portion of players churn after completing initial tutorials—not due to insufficient content, but because reward feedback does not align with player expectations.

As a mid-to-heavy game player, I observed that:

• Sparse reward feedback may reduce motivation
• Overly frequent rewards may weaken goal orientation

This project explores whether onboarding reward mechanisms significantly influence early player retention.

Research Objectives

• Evaluate the impact of onboarding reward mechanisms on short-term retention
• Identify relationships between key behaviors and reward feedback
• Provide data-driven suggestions for onboarding design

Research Questions & Hypotheses

Research Question:

Do different onboarding reward mechanisms significantly affect Day-1 retention and key behavior completion?

Hypotheses:

Study Design

Methodology

• Quantitative-focused with supportive qualitative reasoning
• Mock A/B test design

Experimental Groups

• Control Group (A): Basic onboarding rewards
• Test Group (B): Enhanced immediate rewards

Sample

• Simulated player behavior data

Research Process

Pic：Research Workflow – From Experience to Product Decision

Metrics & Data Structure

Core Metrics:

Sample Data Fields:

• Player_ID
• Group_Type
• Event_Type
• Timestamp
• Retention_Flag

This structure mirrors real game event logging systems.

Analysis Methods

• Data cleaning and preprocessing (Python / SQL)
• Descriptive statistics
• Group comparison tests
• Behavioral-retention relationship analysis

The focus is on analytical logic rather than numerical outcomes.

Key Insights

(Illustrative findings based on simulated data)

• Test group shows higher key behavior completion
• Players completing key behaviors exhibit higher Day-1 retention
• Reward feedback amplifies onboarding engagement

Pic: Player Onboarding Behavior Path

Product Implications

• Onboarding rewards should align with critical behavior milestones
• Immediate feedback can reduce early churn
• Segmented reward strategies may further optimize retention

Reflection

This mock project helped me consolidate a full user research workflow—from problem definition and study design to analysis and product insights—strengthening my understanding of applied game user research.