Metagame Mastery: Growing Games Beyond Core Loops

Naavik Gaming Podcast

With metagames becoming a key component of player engagement and monetization, it’s more important than ever to get them right. Host Devin Becker welcomes Christopher Molozian, CEO of Heroic Labs, to discuss the evolving landscape of metagame systems and the technology that powers them. Christopher explains how Heroic Labs' platform integrates seamlessly into games, enabling developers to enhance live operations with scalable metagame features. The conversation also explores how metagame elements can boost retention and monetization, while also examining the potential pitfalls where these systems might work against player engagement.

Throughout the episode we address critical questions for developers, including where live operations most effectively tie into metagames, which features should be prioritized, and how to balance standardization with customization in mobile game development. Christopher also touches on the broader challenges of developing metagame features in today’s fast-paced industry and the trends that are shaping the future of metagames across all platforms. Whether you're a game developer, product manager, or simply fascinated by game design, this episode provides valuable insights into the evolving role of metagames in modern gaming.

We’d also like to thank AWS for Games for making this episode possible. AWS for Games aligns purpose-built game development capabilities — including AWS services like Amazon GameLift as well as solutions from AWS Partners — to help game developers build, run, and grow their games. For more information, visit https://aws.amazon.com/gametech/

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.