2/28/25, 3:29 PM
The "DOs" – Voodoo
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This article aims at
collecting elements that
can improve your
chances of reaching
success during the
testing phase - and more
specifically, it addresses
what should be
integrated into the
development of
prototypes.
Here are a few keys
points we want to
encourage you to
consider doing (aka. "The
DOs") which are relevant
to a vast majority of
hypercasual games:
CPI testing guide
Related articles
The "DON'Ts"
The CPI videos guidelines
1. Innovation. The
hypercasual market is
thirsting for innovative
games. Whether it’s the
controls, the mechanics,
the avatars, the toys, or a
merge of 2 existing
gameplays, etc... Just be
3 Game Creation Pillars – 3C
creative! We’ve seen a
much bigger chance of
success for games that
https://voodoo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4402051011858-The-DOs
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The "DOs" – Voodoo
bring something new,
even if it's a tiny thing.
2. Rewarding the
player. Playing the game
must be a joyful and
rewarding experience!
Am I allowed to use any fonts and assets in my
game?
Especially considering
that ads are integrated
into published games
and reduce the average
playtime, providing a
rewarding experience is
a decisive factor for high
retention.
Voodoo Webinar - Puzzle Ideation & Execution
Guidelines
There are many ways to
induce such a feeling, ie.
fever mode,
multiplicators, playing
masterfully gets you
faster through the level,
rewarded risks, etc,
satisfying animations…
Game examples:
-Paper.io 3D. The
top player has a
crown over his
head.
-2 THE MOON. Lots
of funny and
burlesque taglines.
-Helix Jump Great
use of the fever
mode.
.
https://voodoo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4402051011858-The-DOs
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The "DOs" – Voodoo
3. Making it fun (not
boring)! We test too
many games in which we
https://voodoo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4402051011858-The-DOs
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The "DOs" – Voodoo
see no fun, no
entertainment factor. It’s
important that you have
fun while creating and
playing your game! Think
about the last time you
played a boring game
and avoid reproducing
the same mistakes!
4. Colorful designs. We
highly recommend using
warm pastel colors and
avoiding dark, grey, more
dull and depressing
colors. Further than
making your game
prettier and more
pleasing to look at, it will
also help a lot in
improving the readability
of gameplay and the
environment.
We recommend using
good color contrast
between the background
and the level design
elements with which the
player interacts. If you’re
using Red for level design
elements, then there
shouldn’t be any red (of
any shade) in the
background.
Game examples:
-Balls Duel. Coloring
the multiplicators
from red to green
according to their
power provides a
better
understanding of
https://voodoo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4402051011858-The-DOs
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The "DOs" – Voodoo
the gameplay. The
sides of the box also
become blue as the
player gains ground.
-City Takeover.
Great use of blue vs.
red. The colors used
for the background
are completely
different from the
colors used for the
playable items.
https://voodoo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4402051011858-The-DOs
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The "DOs" – Voodoo
5. Making it juicy! If
collecting a coin, make it
boing! We recommend
implementing little
animations that bring
your game to life, have
feelings. Animations
often have a more
significant impact than
movements!
Game example:
-Bouncy Stick. The
game doesn’t
include much
background and
ornaments, but the
stick bounces and
level finishings are
very juicy!
6. Simple and efficient
controls. Ideally 1 or 2
input(s), with simple
actions linked to the
inputs. An adequate
response curve and
https://voodoo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4402051011858-The-DOs
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The "DOs" – Voodoo
haptics make the game
more pleasant to play!
7. Early levels should be
forgiving. We
recommend no
challenging difficulty
before level 5.
8. Determine your 3Cs.
We recommend drafting
a quick 3C (Character,
Camera, Controls)
document while ideating
on prototypes. It doesn't
have to be very detailed,
but getting your ideas on
paper can often help
highlight which areas
should be the primary
focuses and which are
lacking depth and
precision.
We've prepared this
article about the 3C
Game Pillars to provide
guidance.
Bonus: Intentionally
providing gameplay
hacks is a very strong
mechanic! It elevates the
gameplay and introduces
a risk-reward mechanic
Game examples:
-Shortcut Run. The
game is designed
for you to go
through as many
https://voodoo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4402051011858-The-DOs
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shortcuts as
possible to win. The
hack is now the
gameplay.
-Aquapark. The hack
also plays a big part
in the gameplay, but
with a higher riskreward than in
Shortcut Run.
https://voodoo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4402051011858-The-DOs
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Additional
documentation:
The Dev Manual
The Art Manual
The Optimisation Manual
The Creation Pillars
Voodoo Press Start Blog
this
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"DOs" helpful?
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PierreXavier
3 years ago
(Updated)
https://voodoo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4402051011858-The-DOs
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