Paul Nunes

• Responsible for core design including story and world, game loops, key systems, monetization strategy • Created GDD, feature specs, wireframes, performed paper playtesting • Balanced all game economies – level progression, currencies, crafting trees • Redesigned progression mechanics resulting in 20% increase in retention • Designed supplementary functions to extend gameplay as part of update roadmap • Created analytics strategy including all events and parameters to be sent

Key Smurfs are initially trapped, giving the player an objective to find a way to free the Smurf via crafting a required item. Once freed, the Smurf will be able to teach the player additional recipes, enhancing their crafting abilities.

Each specialty Smurf acts as a crafting trainer who grants new recipes, and takes players through the process of making it for the first time through a recipe discovery system.

To craft items, players use a recipe at a crafting station. Each recipe has a unique combination of items and quantities required. Early recipes are simple, and create foundation items that are used to branch out later on in the crafting tree.

Each item requires a set amount of time to craft, giving players strong motivation to return to collect their items, and start new ones. Additional queue slots can be purchased to allow multiple items to be crafted at once.

A recipe mastery system allows players to repeatedly craft a recipe to earn stars. Each star grants a bonus to the player, such as decreased crafting time, reduced ingredient requirements, or increased output.

While necessary to complete game objectives, crafting items also have in game functions, motivating players to create certain items to accomplish in game goals, and driving additional strategy about how to progress in a given session.

In Smurf Life, players create and control their very own Smurf. To give additional control and personalization to this experience, players can purchase clothing items at Tailors shop. The shop refreshes with new items daily, motivating players to check in each day to see what clothing options have appeared, and stressing players to purchase premium currency or coins to obtain a desired item before the items reset.

In addition to customizing their Smurf, players are also given their own hut which they can decorate with wallpapers, tiles, and various furniture items. Over time, players can expand the size of their huts, as well as add extra rooms and floors (each of which can also increase in size). Players are rated on the aesthetics of their house daily, motivating them to craft or purchase new items to obtain the best rating.

The center of town acts as a commerce hub, allowing players to interact with key Smurfs, and purchase necessary items, as well as vanity items, such as paints to recolor in game items, and clothing items.