Phobies is an live-op turn-based card battle game centered around PvP multiplayer combat. The game has over 200 characters and more than 80 battle maps. As a senior designer on the team, I was responsible for character design, map design, online events, promotional activities, monetization systems, and more.
Phobies features over 200 characters, with 8-10 new ones I design each month. Each character has unique attributes, skills, and backstories. My balancing process includes three key steps: first, defining the character’s role and balancing initial stats using spreadsheets; second, integrating skill values and refining them through internal playtesting; and finally, post-launch, I monitor performance metrics like win rates, usage, and output to make further adjustments.
Phobies features over 50 unique maps, and with each release, I design 5–6 new ones. Every map incorporates different elements, such as obstacles, traps, and terrain features, all designed to create diverse and engaging strategy experiences for players.
To ensure maps remain both balanced and engaging, I conduct extensive testing and continuously track performance data. Based on these insights, I make adjustments to refine gameplay and maintain fair competition.
Phobies has a complex card draw system designed to provide a good experience for players at different stages. Each Scratch Card has a unique drop rate. For example, the first Scratch Card has a high chance of granting a new hero but a lower chance of obtaining high-rarity cards. In contrast, the fourth Scratch Card has a much lower chance of granting a new hero but the highest probability of obtaining high-rarity cards. Additionally, I designed a pity mechanic for players who fail to draw desirable rewards multiple times in a row.
I first heard about the “Tower of Want” in a GDC talk by Ethan Levy. This theory focuses on how live-ops games can use a cyclical desire-driven system to keep players coming back and guiding their actions in line with the developer’s goals.
This concept had a profound impact on me. Ever since, in every design I create, I always consider what drives the player and how I can shape their motivation to engage with the game.
When I joined the team, Phobies was struggling with low long-term player retention. The main issue was that the game only had a single PvP mode, and the only way for players to earn extra rewards was by climbing the leagues in the monthly ranked season. However, for most casual players, waiting an entire month for league rewards felt too long, and only a small percentage of hardcore players could earn high-value prizes.
I believed the game needed a system where active participation alone could yield substantial rewards. To address this, I expanded the “Tower of Want” by introducing a new layer: Limited-Time Events. In these events, players could earn milestone rewards simply by completing event-specific tasks, ensuring that engagement—not just competitive rank—was rewarded.
My solution was to add another layer, which is a limited-time event. This has significantly increased the game's long-term retention rate. The event doesn't require players to be highly skilled; they just need to invest time. This effectively addresses the needs of non-hardcore players.
On the other hand, the event will reward players for using a specific faction, giving an advantage to those who own more monsters from that faction.
I also added an Event Battle Pass to the event to improve the conversion rate.
From my previous experience, I’ve learned that a Battle Pass is one of the least objectionable monetization methods in F2P games. The reason is that it includes a Free Track, allowing non-paying players to still receive some rewards, although paying players get more.
The ideal rewards ratio is Free Track to Pay Track = 1:3.
The battle pass quickly became the best conversion item, even surpassing starter packs and progression offers. Besides the fact that the pass offers great value and is a "no-brainer" purchase, another important reason is that many players feel it's a loss not to buy the battle pass since they have already spent time completing all the milestones.
This pre-sale approach motivates paying players to engage even more in events to avoid missing rewards. Many streamers have started recommending other players purchase the battle pass on their channels, believing it is the first place to spend money in the game.