Turning Entry Points into Retained Users: A Game‑Driven Design Case Study

Background

We examined the typical appearance of project entry points, ranging from high‑traffic spots on major platforms to deeply nested product links. Gaining these entrances usually requires balanced revenue, resource exchange, growth potential, or technical means, yet our business struggled with weak user acquisition through these points.

Interactive business entrances reveal two types of information: the gameplay itself (e.g., a “Taobao Life Outfit” label) and the benefit point (e.g., task‑reward prompts or “red packet” tags).

Our project aimed to convert entrance users into retained, effective traffic by segmenting users into rights‑driven and game‑driven groups and lowering participation thresholds.

A numerical system and world‑view packaging to encourage users to stay.

For rights‑driven users , directly engage through benefits .

The rights offered were premium cosmetic samples, while the game centered on a popular dress‑up mechanic, targeting a similar audience.

Effect

Overall data showed a clear improvement in second‑day retention. Notably, different entrances under the same gameplay yielded varied results, reflecting users' mental expectations.

The approach is reusable: combining dress‑up with clear goals boosts stickiness and activity.

Strong coupling of gameplay with dress‑up/collection significantly raises participation in related sub‑games.

Physical coupons attract users more than virtual items.

User preferences for rights provide valuable future insights.

Exploration

Technical explorations focused on delivering smooth experiences across devices and network paths.

Loading Optimization

We achieved noticeable reductions in page load time, especially compared to other 3D projects.

3D avatar upgrades using EVA Figure for better rendering and ongoing art pipeline improvements.

Sequential data loading : shifted from traditional full‑resource preloading to on‑demand loading, eliminating unnecessary data and image‑relationship maps.

Experience Optimization

Various UI refinements were applied:

Emotional Background Integration

Subtle animated elements (Bezier‑controlled raindrops, petals) were added to backgrounds for a natural feel.

Earnings‑Guided Animation

Animated cues guide users toward rights, stimulating clicks.

Smooth Float‑Layer Presentation

Consistent bottom‑pull experience.

Standard popup layers.

Reward popup layers.

Winning animation to convey joy.

We questioned whether overly decorative effects might distract users whose primary goal isn’t gameplay, prompting a discussion on “degraded experience.”

Degraded Experience

Based on device tiers (high, medium, low), we control the visibility of effects, applying two sets of rating filters for avatars and animations.

Task Synchronization

We aligned the homepage task with another business, enabling single‑side consumption to trigger both sides. Using the Prism platform, this project became the first user of multi‑scenario task reuse, following three steps: use official style modules, configure multi‑scenario tasks in the backend, and customize business styles.

Unified Popup Mode

Three fixed popup templates (winning, basic, rights) were defined, with visual specifications for assets, reducing development cost.

New‑User Guide

A mandatory new‑user guide was implemented, controlled via a unified interface. Strict product logic requirements led to occasional abnormal flows, such as mismatched charm values after switching rights.

Thinking

Dress‑up + Rights? Better Combination

Data confirms rights‑driven acquisition is viable, though dress‑up alone may not be the most cost‑effective.

Animation Expression Should Align with Business

Positive feedback came from immersive transition animations, while exaggerated reward animations received poor user acceptance due to low reward value.

Overall, combining rights with game mechanics proves feasible and invites further discussion.