The Challenge
Idle Miner Tycoon’s long-term retention depends on getting players past the early-game milestone of building their second mine shaft. Players who reached it were far less likely to churn — and also more likely to engage with the game’s ad-based monetization model.
The problem? Many players stalled out before getting there, leaving progression slow, frustrating, and unappealing. Kolibri needed to understand why players were dropping off and how to guide them past that crucial early checkpoint.
The Solution
Kolibri and PlaytestCloud designed a multi-session playtest to mirror real-world play patterns in idle games. Seven players played Idle Miner Tycoon in three 15-minute sessions with two-hour breaks in between.
This structure gave the team a clear picture of how players interacted with the game across multiple sittings — and revealed where progression was stalling.
What they discovered:
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Players upgraded mines but neglected elevators and warehouses.
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This created a severe bottleneck — resources piled up underground with no way to move them.
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Progression slowed to the point of frustration, leading to churn.
The Results
Kolibri introduced contextual tutorials that nudged players to upgrade elevators, warehouses, and miners — not just the mines themselves.
The impact was immediate:
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Bottlenecks were removed, speeding up gameplay.
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More players reached the critical second mine shaft checkpoint.
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Churn decreased, and player satisfaction rose.
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Negative reviews dropped, replaced by a smoother onboarding experience.
