Zynga Slots, more than a skinner box
Released as Zynga's first entry into the slots category, Zynga Slots was more than a traditional slot machine. The game targeted a casual audience with social rewards, bonus games, and level progression. Within 4-months, we went from concept to launch. Rather than building a classic slot machine, we added on layers of game-play around the basic skinner box. The more players spin, the more friends they invite, the more goodies they unlock.
Role: Lead Designer
Launch: June 2012
Contribution: Feature Specifications, Economy and Balance, User Interface
Recognition: #1 Arcade and Casino iOS Charts. Peek 450k Users, $50k day revenue.
Progression, social, and brand
The main attraction of slot machines are the machines themselves. Brand appeal and licensing are often the biggest factor in gamers trying new machines. With this in mind, we leveraged the Zynga brand and created special Zynga-branded machines (Farmville, WithFriends, ZombieSmash) along the progression path. Additionally, social invites produced better machine bonuses; and maxing out a machine unlocked better payouts.
Machine Mechanics
From paytables, to strip designs, to near-miss clustering, I was responsible for breaking down classic slot machine mechanics and utilizing them in Zynga Slots. I built the basic spread sheets and a brute force simulator to help tune our payouts and revenue goals.