Watch the full episode: How To Keep Games Alive After Launch (Game UX Alchemists Podcast)
In the 10th episode of Game UX Alchemists, we tackle every studio’s nightmare scenario: your game launches but fails to gain the traction you expected.
Instead of focusing on pre-launch strategies, this episode brings together perspectives from UX research, marketing and market research to address the challenges that studios encounter when their games don’t perform as hoped.
Here is the episode’s summary:
When Players Get Bored of Your Content
One of the most common pieces of feedback studios receive after launch is that players find their game boring or lacking in sufficient content.
However, there’s an uncomfortable truth here. If you’re discovering these issues post-launch, it usually means validation work was skipped during development when major changes were still possible.
When content-related complaints surface, start with broad market research to identify root causes.
- Is the tutorial losing players early?
- Are mechanics becoming repetitive after a few hours?
Once you’ve identified problem areas, qualitative studies let you watch players hit those frustration walls directly.
But then we have an interesting question. Should you test with existing players or recruit fresh ones?
For understanding why current players are churning, existing players provide the context. But for validating potential fixes, fresh players are essential. They won’t have learned workarounds or developed biases from previous experience with broken mechanics.
The reality is that post-launch options are limited. You can balance and tweak, but major overhauls risk alienating existing players who’ve already learned your systems.
When Your Audience Isn't Growing
Sometimes studios face a different puzzle.
Positive reviews and satisfied players, yet growth numbers remain stubbornly flat. This requires systematic investigation of your conversion funnel to identify where potential players are dropping off.
The problem could manifest anywhere. People see your marketing but perceive the game as overpriced, visitors reach your store page but messaging fails to convert or you’re targeting the wrong demographic entirely.
Each stage of the funnel demands different research approaches.
Test various creative executions for marketing materials, present different audiences with store page materials and gather feedback on pricing and purchase intent. Work methodically through each step until you find the leak.
Don’t assume the game itself is the issue. Often it’s messaging, positioning or targeting problems that are easier to fix than core gameplay changes.
Practical Tips from Antidote
Soft Launches and Smart Timing
Launch timing can significantly impact your game’s momentum. When major releases dominate conversation, smaller titles get overshadowed. Think of the upcoming GTA 6 release. Research industry calendars to find windows where you won’t compete directly with high-profile launches.
Soft launches provide a strategic middle ground. Controlled rollouts that stress test infrastructure, validate UX flows, grow communication channels and test different marketing materials to determine what converts best before your full launch.
If you need help with this stage, you can contact us at Antidote. We’ve helped tens of studios conduct soft launches and receive valuable feedback from players.
Geographic Expansion
A game struggling in one region may find success elsewhere. Different markets have distinct preferences and competitive landscapes that can dramatically affect reception.
Effective localization extends beyond translation to regional preference adaptation. Markets like Latin America and the Middle East may offer more receptive audiences and better margins than your initial target geography.
Building Community from Day Zero
The biggest strategic error is treating marketing as a late-stage activity. Successful games cultivate communities from early development, not months before launch.
Include players in your development journey through regular playtesting and transparent updates. These early community members become passionate advocates who share content organically and generate authentic word-of-mouth promotion.
For indies with limited budgets, this community-first approach is a no-brainer.
Some succeed by documenting their development process, providing behind-the-scenes access and showing how feedback shapes the final product.
The Audience Validation Problem
Many studios approach testing with predetermined audience assumptions without validation.
Some follow industry trends, others develop purely on personal preference without considering market appeal.
Conduct broader demographic testing during early development rather than limiting research to assumed targets. This often reveals completely different player profiles than anticipated, transforming marketing strategy from educated guesses into data-driven decisions.
Key Takeaways
Post-launch challenges usually come down to skipping validation during development.
When your audience isn’t growing, take a hard look at your conversion funnel. More often than not, it’s a messaging, positioning or targeting issue rather than something fundamentally wrong with your game.
If you’re dealing with any of these post-launch headaches, that’s exactly what we do at Antidote. We can help you figure out what’s going wrong with post-launch studies.
We offer both UX research to understand how players actually behave with your game, or market research to uncover new growth opportunities and audience insights
