Arcade Mode - a must-have?

[Karima]

Our new puzzle game will have a quest mode and I'm pondering about the question if we should add an arcade mode.

There are a couple of benefits of such a game mode like longer replay value for players which have finished the quest as well as more variety.
However in order to enjoy the game the player should have completed some levels in the quest mode so that he fully understands the game play. So if he starts the game for the first time and chooses to play the arcade mode this might lead to frustration.


What's your opinion, do players (or the people working at the casual game portals expect) such a game mode?

Thank you!

[lapskaus]

Not really sure what you mean by quest mode, but if it has tutorials or stupidly easy levels for new players, i wouldn't play the game twice. That kind of stuff feels like work you have to do to get to play the real game, if you know what i mean. So i guess you should definitly go for an arcade mode. Kinda hard to say without knowing more about your game though :)

[TheMysteriousStranger]

simple solution - make it so arcade mode becomes unlocked after a few levels of quest mode.

More complex solution - have tutorials like lapskaus said but tailor them to the different modes - so that in arcade mode the players are only shown what they need to play arcade mode.

[Ste Pickford]

Give them the arcade mode from the beginning, don't lock it away.

Some people prefer to work games out themselves and avoid training / tutorial modes. If they get stuck they know they can play through the quest mode and find out how everything works the slow and tedious way.

And they have two options to click on when they first boot up the game - better than one.

[svero]

Im generally wary of modes of play. To me they're a little like skill levels... You never know if the player is going to choose the best one for them. I guess it depends a little on the game. Some games take advantage of a variety of modes. For instance a game where people already are very familiar with the basic gameplay (solitaire or mahjongg). For something more original and for fine tuning etc.. you probably want to filter people into one solid mode and put your best face forward in that mode and tweak it till the gameplay experience (and then hopefully the sales) are as good as can be. You dont want to find yourself in a situation where the conversion isnt good and then not know whether people are playing mode 1 or mode 2 and have to make all kinds of guesses about what to change.

[papillon]

If you're worried about balancing the conversion, make the second mode available only in the full version? Just an extra lure promising more fun that they can only see if they buy, and a little extra content to keep the purchaser happy and feeling like they got a good deal and want to buy from you again?

[jankoM]

However in order to enjoy the game the player should have completed some levels in the quest mode so that he fully understands the game play.

didn't you in a way answer your on question? You get to play the arcade mode after you play some levels in quest mode. I think I saw stuff like this quite few times - "You can play X after you reach Y (in Z)"