How a drop game campaign works
The drop game is easy to explain: catch as much as you can before the time runs out. Items fall from the top of the screen. Players move a basket, a bag or another catcher from side to side with a finger or the mouse. Each item they catch adds points. Some items, like storm clouds or rotten fruit, can take points away.
In a campaign, people usually sign up with their name and email before they play. When the time is up, they see their score. You decide what the score means. It can be an instant prize for everyone who reaches a certain number of points, or an entry into a daily or weekly draw.
You control almost everything: the background, the falling items, the catcher, the speed, the time limit and the score people need to win. Add sounds and effects if you like. It all looks like your brand, so the game feels like a natural part of your website.
When to use a drop game
The drop game is one of the best skill games for getting attention fast. It is a good choice when you want to:
- Grow your newsletter list: the game is fun enough that people happily sign up to play.
- Show off your products: your products are the falling items, so players see them over and over.
- Bring people back: let them play once a day for a new chance to win.
- Connect your store and your website: a QR code on a poster takes shoppers straight to the game.
Retail, food and drink, consumer goods and webshops use it a lot. At Easter, the furniture webshop BOBO let visitors catch falling furniture for a chance to win a gift card, and 36% of the visitors took part. Deichmann's ecommerce manager in the Nordics named the drop game as her favourite campaign, because it worked so well on mobile. Read the Deichmann story.
5 ideas for your drop game
- Catch the bestsellers: drop your most popular products and give a discount code to players who reach the target score.
- Seasonal drop: Easter eggs into a basket, snowflakes into a mitten or ice creams into a beach bag.
- Avoid the bad stuff: add items that cost points, like DAVA did with storm clouds in its grill game.
- Daily summer game: let people play once a day all summer and pick winners every day, like Toms did with its candy bags.
- Event warm-up: drop tickets, merch or instruments before a concert or a match, and give away tickets in a draw.
Tips for a drop game that converts
Tip #1: Make the falling items easy to see
Players have just a moment to decide what to catch.
- Use clear product pictures on a calm background.
- Make good items and bad items look very different.
- Keep the catcher big enough to be fair on a small screen.
Tip #2: Set a score that feels within reach
If nobody can win, people stop playing. Test the game yourself and set the winning score so most players get close. A small prize for everyone who reaches it, plus a bigger prize in a draw, keeps everybody happy. See how to set this up on our prizes page.
Tip #3: Let people play again
The drop game is fun to replay. Let people play once a day, and remind them with an email or an SMS. Every return visit is a new chance to show your products. Read more about newsletters and SMS.
Tip #4: Add a little competition
People love to beat their own score — and other people's. A leaderboard shows the best players and gives everyone a reason to try one more time.
Tip #5: Keep the form short
Ask for an email and a newsletter permission before the game starts. Only add more fields if you will actually use the answers.
Tip #6: Share it everywhere
Show the game as a pop-up on your website, send it to your list and post it on social media. In a store, use a poster or a shelf sign with a QR code.
Want more ideas? Read how brands used the drop game this summer, or try the hit the target and slice it games for even more action.
