Understanding the Survival game category, to help inform studio and publisher strategies

The Challenge

Our client, a global gaming studio and publisher known for a series of successful new IPs sought to deepen its understanding of the survival category and its subgenres. The primary aim was to identify the core factors that make a compelling Survival game, uncover what drives player engagement across various titles, and guide strategic decisions. With the genre's vast diversity the studio aimed to map the essential attributes of successful Survival games, focusing on solo and social player motivations.

Our Approach

The research had two stages: Qualitative Interviews and a Quantitative Survey. The interviews with Survival players offered insights into game preferences and motivations for solo versus social gameplay, informing the survey design. The survey, targeting players from 8-10 popular titles, quantified game features, assessed performance, and segmented players by motivation, yielding data on feature rankings and preferences.

The Outcome

The insights provided the studio with a clear understanding of the key drivers within the Survival genre. This information has been instrumental in shaping the company’s strategic direction, enabling it to tailor its IPs to better meet the expectations of its diverse player base and prioritise features that enhance player satisfaction across both solo and social gameplay.