DATA_final-AbyssriumRetention - Toy Worlds Kits, Machines in Ghosts & Happiness Unlimited Productions

# Retention Mechanics in Abyssrium > [!INFO] Overview > **Teacher**: Mary Ellen Daniels > **Game**: Tap-Tap Fish / Abyssrium ([LINK](https://www.abyssrium.com/)) ### Summary *It's time to get of the hook!* "Tap Tap Fish" aka "Abyssrium" is a F2P clicker where the player collects points to add more aquatic species to their "lonely rift". A successor of "Abyssrium Classic" that adapted NFT business model and soon hit the bottom of retention. Welcoming at first, the "Abyssrium" is a flood of rewards promising a galore of garish fun. As soon as an emotional connection between the player and their pets is established, the game transgresses surface level mechanics and goes as deep as your wallet is. Prices skyrocket, accessible species diversification withers, progression gets tedious. The catch of the "Tap Tap Fish" relies on: (1) the Patience Wall - tedious progression; (2) [[ASMR - Games, etc.|ASMR - Games, etc.]] allure - it will wash all your troubles away; (3) For retention, long- and short-span rewards, as well as the competition between [[Bartle's Player Types|Bartle's socialisers]]: who's got the best aquarium? (4) Achiever-type behaviour: collect 'em all! Or either, why even bother of FOMO? Ironically, the last and hardest inhabitants to collect is [[GAME Whales|the whales]]. ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/whales.jpeg]] ### Elements | Desctiption | Screenshot | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ==Currency== (*11* types) | | | (A) *Vitality* (hearts). Acquired from taps on the "Lonely rift" and "Coral farms", and granted for watching ads. Spent on new fish and "farms" upgrades. (B) *Water cans*. Acquired from fish. Spent on events (this currency is a red herring with miserable efficacy) | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/currency.jpeg]] | | (C) *Gems*. Acquired from achievements, rewards and events. Spent on "rift" upgrades (e.g., automatic tapping). | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/Gem.jpeg]] | | (D) *Pearls*. Acquired from achievements, rewards and events (infrequently), and granted for watching ads. Spent on customisations and to bypass event limitations. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/pearls.jpeg]] | | (E) *Seaweads*, *clams*, *urchins*, *crabs* and *krill* (*Biota*). Acquired from achievements, rewards and events (infrequently). Can be purchased for Pearls. Spent on customisations and events. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/ecurrency.jpeg]] | | (F) *Sodas*. Acquired events (very limited). Spent on Lucky bubbles (see Gashapon below) Apparently made to draw *real money* from players. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/soda.jpeg]] | | (G) *Coins*. gather at a merge game (available once a day). Used to buy *E* currency | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/coins.jpeg]] | | ==Limitations== | | | *Vitality* and *water cans* are limited to taps. *Coins* are time-gated (the merge game restarts each 100 minutes). *gems*, *pearls* and *E-currency* are time-gated with events that usually refresh each day. Each of these limitations can be circumvented with "treasure chests" bought for real money or another currency. Additionally, *vitality* and *gems* are granted for watching ads. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/bigChest.jpeg]] | | *Skills* (auto-tap, tap boost, etc.) generally take an hour to rewind. But that can be circumvented with an ad. *Areas* are expansions for the customisation. They're purchased with the most infrequent currency (Pears). This enforces players to invest real money. The majority of other time-gates relate to rewards and events (see *Rewards* below). | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/skills.jpeg]] | | ==Rewards== | | | The game uses both long-span and short-span reward-system for *retention*. *Welcoming Gifts* (first 3 days) grant peculiar species that everyone has. *Daily Gifts* have a progression scheme (at the screenshot) that refreshes if the day's missed. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/DailyRewards.jpeg]] | | *Daily Missions* are the same for each day (e.g., spend 15 minutes in the game). Reset at fixed time in the morning. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/dailyMissions.jpeg]] | | ➫ DG tend to hook the player, and DM tend to keep them on the hook, so when it gets tedious, they spend real money. | | | Additionally, there are several types of *eggs* that 3h+ to hatch. Usually grants E-currency. For E-currency also you purchase eggs with more rare items (I didn't get there). | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/Eggs.jpeg]] | | ==Achievements== | | | Achievements are tied to numeric goals that tend to keep the player in the game for longer time. Grants boosts and gems. There is *no straight-forward time-gate* but that's unlikely to finish some of these even in weeks. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/achievements.jpeg]] | | There's also a *semi-tutorial quest* with a *reward structure*. It grants unusual species that most players presumable have. Meets the *add wall* at the 3rd chapter. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/guide.jpeg]] | | ==Events== | | | A tsunami of events. A pay wall of respectful height. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/events.jpeg]] | | Some events provide currency for expansions, new species and corals' upgrades. They're limited to 2 weeks, but I believe it's a somewhat fake limitation. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/coralEvent.jpeg]] | | The *FOMO* (fear of missing out) effect relies on discounts and special events that correspond with cultural celebrations. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/celebr.jpeg]] | | ==Gashapon== | | | First, there is a *slot-machine* the player can use once a day, but just the first day for free. Gave me a "Space Octopus". It looks cool! | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/Gamble.jpeg]] | | Also, there are *chests* that drop periodically. The key is an add to watch (I let the cursed treasure remain untouched). | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/theChest.jpeg]] | | The "*Lucky bubbles*" is the gambliest mechanic. It gives a rare random specie or structure from one of transparent bubbles. But the currency (sodas) is practically impossible to obtain rather than for real money. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/LuckyBubbles.jpeg]] | | ==Social retention== | | | *Customisation* is the game's essence. The more species the player has, the more vitality and water cans they have. Rift expansions allow to add structures to the aquarium. Some of them give time-limited boosts (e.g. automatic water can production) Both expansions and structures are practically inaccessible to a non-paying player. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/garden.jpeg]] | | Regarding *social networks*, there is a "best photo of the week" competition on Instagram. It grants the winners no reward but fame. Additionally, there is a bonus for giving the game a Like on Facebook | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/facebook.jpeg]] | | ==Whales have whales== | | | Players don't *win* in this game. The ultimate point is to collect all aquatic species to make the "Lonely rift" happy and fill in the existential void. The social element ("Best photo" competition) encourages this insecurity. But some people find an [artful escape](https://www.reddit.com/r/AbyssRium/comments/1j7mcz4/im_turning_my_home_into_an_abyssrium_tank_of_my/). | From r/AbyssRium ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/wink.png]] ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/cough.png]] | | There is *no VIP membership* or *player stratification*. The player can get a coupon for another corgi (they get the first one with a welcoming gift) if they download the NFT "Classic" version of the game. Overall, the *pay wall* can be circumvented. But then *patience wall* will test the player's life-time limit. | ![[ATTACHMENTS/REFS/Abyssrium/nft.jpeg]] | ### Graphs #### Sources of currency Numeric values (**1 - 2 - 3**) represent the comparative amount of sources in their relation to currencies. ![[ATTACHMENTS/Sources of Currency.png]] #### Currency exchange The percentage represents profit of exchange of currencies for other currencies ![[ATTACHMENTS/Currency Exchange.png]] #### Vitality sources The percentage represents the most profitable sources for the vitality currency ![[ATTACHMENTS/Vitality Sources.png]]