Thirthy Seconds of Fun

it's easy to forget the role viral games -both large and small- have played in pushing the online channel.

A few years ago we weren't yet bold enough to suggest grassroots movements or paid blogs- our clients had only just started installing Flash after all, and the winning line was to build games. Small ones. Funny ones. Branded ones.

While promotional games have fast become overshadowed by any number of consonants followed by "log", they really were among the first online activities that started creating buzz with the casual web audience.

So what makes a good one?

FAMILIARITY
You'll find the vast majority of promotional games are based on old classics. This is not solely because Flash developers are lazy - there are a few good reasons behind this too- any game that's stood the test of time clearly has merit. Putting a new spin on a familiar concept will also guarantee the user knows what's going on quickly. Quick is good.

SIMPLICITY
If you're clicking more than twice, there'd better be a good reason. The most successful viral games have almost always revolved around just one click. Make it time based. Give it variety and a plenty of dumb chance, make the user feel as if playing it just a few hundred times more will increase their skill - but whatever you do, don't make it complicated. The folks who like complex games are all playing Warcraft. They don't need you.

COMPETITION
Yes, the inevitable send-to-friend must be attached to any online promotion, but it never has more focus than in a gaming context. Sending an e-card to a mate is all very well, but wiping the floor with him in a snowball fight never gets old. Speaking of which...

VIOLENCE
Unless you're building a game to promote buddhism, violence always works. As long as it's cute, bloodless and funny - there's no end to the replay value of a one-click bat swinger. Cartoon violence in viral game is analogous to humour. Either works. Violence is quicker.

PRODUCTION VALUE
Now here's the part where no-one agrees with me. Games have to work. They have to feel good. Just because it only takes thirty seconds to play doesn't mean you can get lazy with the details. Users will always appreciate depth in a game. Rising difficulty... random rewards... powerups... high-score tables- the icing on the cake can make all the difference between a short term distraction and an online phenomenon.

So next time you're about to dazzle a prospective client with the earth-shattering one-two punch of YouTube and MySpace, do spare some thought for the humble flash game. Treat it right, and it'll love you back.