MonopolyGo Style Tokens
MonopolyGo has introduced a whole new token system with the launch of the Posh Pets season. In addition to a new set of adorable pet tokens, players now have the opportunity to unlock limited time accessories for their token by completing special sticker sets in their album. This update improves player engagement and monetization potential through several mechanisms:
Encourages collecting/completionism behavior
Increases player participation through rarity of limited time items
Supports increased customization and individuality
Collecting All of the Accessories
Like many other mobile games, MonopolyGo has utilized collection mechanics in a number of ways in their game: albums, dice, shields, tokens, and animated emojis are all items that players can earn through engagement in events and regular game play.
The Posh Pets album has sticker sets that are exclusively themed sets of new accessories for the player’s style tokens. These themed sets add mystery and excitement because you don’t know what the accessory will look like until you collect it. And having sets of accessories encourages completionism- I certainly wanted to know what every piece of the “cute style” looked like and played more during the event to find missing pieces. The desire to finish a set can be a trigger for stronger spending than obtaining any individual item like the single token by itself.
Accessories as an addition to the collectible items in MonopolyGo is a smart design move as they are a ultimately low cost way to multiply the value of existing content (aka tokens). While a token is a single item, adding an accessory system creates infinite combinations. From a business perspective, each new accessory becomes relevant to every stylable token a player already owns.
Players who are motivated by collecting, as a whole, tend to stick around in games longer. And as they accumulate more exclusive items over time, they become increasingly reluctant to quit because abandoning the game means abandoning a collection they've spent months/years building.
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Because these accessory sets are tied to a specific album, they are only available for players to collect for a limited time, which creates a sense of urgency. Players play more often, trade stickers with friends to try and complete sets, and spend to earn more rolls to keep playing, earn sticker packs, and collect their missing accessories before they are gone. Having these items available for a brief window of time turns casual engagement into active/competitive spending through scarcity.
Cosmetic rewards also feel more unique and memorable than standard currency rewards such as dice or cash, which are consumable and temporary. Cosmetics provide an opportunity for players to show off that they participated in a difficult or limited-time event and earned this accessory. These cosmetics become a way for players to show off the items they have collected, they become items of prestige, bragging rights, or comparison with other players.
Token Customization
The most important monetization benefit is that accessories transform the token from a singular collectible item into a potential platform for customization or potential purchases. Without these unique additions, once a player unlocks the new token, the collection process is complete. With accessories, they unlock a new token and now they want matching accessories or outfits. The cosmetics system multiplies the value of the original token, it creates numerous unique combinations and dramatically increases personalization potential without requiring the team to create thousands of new assets.
This increased customization of tokens makes it stop feeling like a generic item that hundreds of other players also have and it starts feeling like their character. And players naturally become attached to "their" piece in a way they may not with a generic themed item. Historically, games often see higher retention when players invest time into creating a more personalized character/token because abandoning the game means abandoning something they helped create.