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BEN MCMAHAN: Hi, I'm Ben McMahan.
BEN MCMAHAN: Hi, I'm Ben McMahan.

I'm a tech lead on the Google Doodle team.
I'm a tech lead on the Google Doodle team.

I have a quick question.
I have a quick question.

How many of you have ever played a Doodle game?
How many of you have ever played a Doodle game?

So quite a few of you.
So quite a few of you.

Well, making a game on the Google homepage
Well, making a game on the Google homepage

has some interesting unique challenges.
has some interesting unique challenges.

So let's look at the homepage.
So let's look at the homepage.

First, like every kind of person, from every country,
First, like every kind of person, from every country,

with every kind of interest and screen configuration
with every kind of interest and screen configuration

you can think of, goes to the Google homepage.
you can think of, goes to the Google homepage.

And second of all, they didn't come to play a game.
And second of all, they didn't come to play a game.

They came to do a search, like if my rash is contagious
They came to do a search, like if my rash is contagious

or something.
or something.

[LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER]

So we're inherently distracting right here,
So we're inherently distracting right here,

and so we still have to do right by the user.
and so we still have to do right by the user.

So we've learned a lot of lessons.
So we've learned a lot of lessons.

Like, one obvious one is go straight to your game.
Like, one obvious one is go straight to your game.

So a couple of years ago, we had this idea, oh, we'll
So a couple of years ago, we had this idea, oh, we'll

let them pick a team and have their score go
let them pick a team and have their score go

to some global score count for that team.
to some global score count for that team.

But there are two things wrong that we found out.
But there are two things wrong that we found out.

One is half our users left on this screen,
One is half our users left on this screen,

because they had no idea what they were going to get.
because they had no idea what they were going to get.

And the other problem--
And the other problem--

and we could have known this just looking at YouTube data--
and we could have known this just looking at YouTube data--

is one of them holds a cat, so we
is one of them holds a cat, so we

should have known all of them would
should have known all of them would

have picked that one anyways.
have picked that one anyways.

[LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER]

So to help us learn all these lessons,
So to help us learn all these lessons,

I've come up with a bunch of F-words.
I've come up with a bunch of F-words.

Because people take F-words very seriously.
Because people take F-words very seriously.

So the first one is to be friendly.
So the first one is to be friendly.

And by this, I mean non-gamer friendly.
And by this, I mean non-gamer friendly.

So you've got to keep things simple,
So you've got to keep things simple,

go with paradigms people already know.
go with paradigms people already know.

It's interesting.
It's interesting.

When you make your own game, you end up playing it a lot.
When you make your own game, you end up playing it a lot.

And you get really good at your game,
And you get really good at your game,

way more than a user will, being only able to play it
way more than a user will, being only able to play it

for one day, right?
for one day, right?

So you've got to anchor yourself with a lot of play tests
So you've got to anchor yourself with a lot of play tests

and user studies [? with ?] people
and user studies [? with ?] people

who have never played the game--
who have never played the game--

and even better, if you can make it a diverse set of people,
and even better, if you can make it a diverse set of people,

outside of your normal demographic comfort zone.
outside of your normal demographic comfort zone.

I was lucky last year, I playtested a lot
I was lucky last year, I playtested a lot

with my five-year-old.
with my five-year-old.

And I was instantly able to tell exactly how much dexterity you
And I was instantly able to tell exactly how much dexterity you

need to play any of the games.
need to play any of the games.

Next, you have, like, five seconds
Next, you have, like, five seconds

tops to do something enjoyable.
tops to do something enjoyable.

It could be just a really cute character,
It could be just a really cute character,

or the first hill you go over, something amazing happens.
or the first hill you go over, something amazing happens.

If you think about it, in our context, people
If you think about it, in our context, people

after about five seconds are like, no, wait, wait, wait,
after about five seconds are like, no, wait, wait, wait,

I really do need to do that search.
I really do need to do that search.

I'm going to go back and go do that search.
I'm going to go back and go do that search.

And that's great, but they shouldn't
And that's great, but they shouldn't

feel like they wasted their five seconds.
feel like they wasted their five seconds.

They should have gotten something out of it.
They should have gotten something out of it.

Next, it should be fun to fail.
Next, it should be fun to fail.

A lot of games have a challenge.
A lot of games have a challenge.

Otherwise it's not as fun.
Otherwise it's not as fun.

But that also means a lot of people
But that also means a lot of people

are going to fail when you think about everyone
are going to fail when you think about everyone

playing your game.
playing your game.

So just make sure that that's fun.
So just make sure that that's fun.

A lot of times, we just make something funny happen.
A lot of times, we just make something funny happen.

Like, for example, in this game, the watermelon
Like, for example, in this game, the watermelon

does squish the strawberry.
does squish the strawberry.

And on the opposite side, when people are doing well,
And on the opposite side, when people are doing well,

you know, go into a frenzy mode.
you know, go into a frenzy mode.

Reward them.
Reward them.

Make them feel special.
Make them feel special.

So if they hit something perfectly three times,
So if they hit something perfectly three times,

just go nuts.
just go nuts.

I think NBA Jam did this perfectly with its
I think NBA Jam did this perfectly with its

you're-on-fire mechanic.
you're-on-fire mechanic.

And a quick word on tutorials-- so
And a quick word on tutorials-- so

we do in-game tutorials because of a previous lesson.
we do in-game tutorials because of a previous lesson.

But we also try to do it without text.
But we also try to do it without text.

And this is a great confirmation that you've made
And this is a great confirmation that you've made

a simple and friendly game.
a simple and friendly game.

Because if a non-gamer can come to your game
Because if a non-gamer can come to your game

and learn how to play it without any text,
and learn how to play it without any text,

you've probably kept it simple and intuitive.
you've probably kept it simple and intuitive.

Now, we don't always succeed.
Now, we don't always succeed.

Last year, we had this Halloween game
Last year, we had this Halloween game

where you had to draw a symbol over a ghost
where you had to draw a symbol over a ghost

to get it to disappear.
to get it to disappear.

And we just couldn't find a way with user studies to do that.
And we just couldn't find a way with user studies to do that.

So these are more goals than rules, but still a useful one.
So these are more goals than rules, but still a useful one.

And our final F-word kind of over-arches all the F-words--
And our final F-word kind of over-arches all the F-words--

is feelings.
is feelings.

And there's this great quote by Maya Angelou.
And there's this great quote by Maya Angelou.

You know, people will forget what you say.
You know, people will forget what you say.

They'll even forget what you did.
They'll even forget what you did.

But they'll never forget how you made them feel.
But they'll never forget how you made them feel.

So it's a good idea to just go over
So it's a good idea to just go over

every screen, every choice, every challenge,
every screen, every choice, every challenge,

and just ask yourself, how am I making
and just ask yourself, how am I making

our users feel right now?
our users feel right now?

And you'll find some low-hanging fruit to improve your game.
And you'll find some low-hanging fruit to improve your game.

So in conclusion, if you want to make
So in conclusion, if you want to make

a game that can appeal to, say, like a billion people,
a game that can appeal to, say, like a billion people,

don't forget to encourage your team to use more F-words.
don't forget to encourage your team to use more F-words.

Thank you.
Thank you.

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