Problem with FTUE
Candy Crush Saga loses 70% of new players during the First Time User Experience, with the biggest drop-off at booster introduction.
Player loss rate
7 out of 10 players lost during FTUE
Players lost daily
From 1M new daily players
Critical drop-off point
45% → 30% at this stage
Player Drop-off Throughout FTUE Journey
1M New Daily Users
What are Boosters?
Boosters are Candy Crush's core power-ups — tools that transform impossible levels into achievable victories. Each has unique mechanics, from board-clearing Party Boosters to precision Lollipop Hammers.
Research & Problems
A systematic product quality review by PMs and researchers identified 50+ FTUE issues. I translated the top findings into 5 actionable booster onboarding problems.
Unique problems identified
Critical priority issues
Internal evaluators
Users surveyed
Problem Priority Analysis
The 5 Core Problems
Poor Understanding
Players unlock boosters without understanding how to use them, leading to low adoption and missed monetization opportunities.
65% of players never use their first booster, directly reducing purchase conversion and long-term engagement.
Hard-Coded Tutorials
Still using the same basic popup system from 2012 launch. Tutorials are not dynamic or adjustable, limiting iteration speed.
Requires engineering resources for every tutorial change, slowing UX improvements and A/B testing cycles.
Popup-Heavy Onboarding
Booster tutorials add to an already crowded popup ecosystem, creating fatigue and causing players to skip key instructions.
Reduces learning effectiveness and breaks gameplay flow at critical moments.
Poor Context & Flow Structure
The flow presents score summary with animated stars, but gets disrupted mid-sequence by a booster introduction popup.
Fragments user's mental model during critical learning moments, reducing comprehension.
Slow Booster Rollout
Candy Crush waits until Level 90+ to unlock some boosters, while rivals showcase them within the first 20 levels. This delay makes early play feel repetitive and less rewarding.
Drives players to faster-paced competitors who offer more engaging early-game experiences.
Strategic Framework
Rather than tactical fixes, I developed a company-wide FTUE vision — Mission, Vision, and Approach pillars adopted across all onboarding — then mapped each core problem to a specific design solution.
Strategic Foundation
Get more players to experience Candy's strategic depth through superior FTUE that drives retention and builds daily habits.
Cut through the noise — let players discover Candy's depth through invisible learning that makes them feel clever, not taught.
Transform onboarding into gameplay-integrated tutorials that are meaningful and progressively discovered through natural gameplay.
FTUE System Evolution
Original Launch
Basic popup system implemented for booster introduction tutorials.
Same Structure, Same Problems
Despite 13 years, onboarding still happens post-game round at suboptimal timing for player comprehension.
Problem → Solution Mapping
Contextualized and immediately usable
Dynamic overlay above gameplay
Modular, scalable, and easily adjustable system
Front-loaded, lifecycle-aware, progressive disclosure
Design Solution
I focused on four design levers: timing (move booster intro before gameplay), copy (succinct mechanic explanations), animation (seeding + booster bar connection), and context (learn by doing, not reading).
Four Design Levers
1
Timing
Before the game round
2
Copy
Succinct mechanic explanations
3
Animation
Seeding + bar connection
4
Context
Learn by doing
1
Timing
Before the game round
2
Copy
Succinct mechanic explanations
3
Animation
Seeding + bar connection
4
Context
Learn by doing
Before vs. After
Before — seeded after the game round, subpar tutorial
After — seeded before the game round, immediately usable
Decoupled FTUE from fixed level triggers, replacing the hard-coded popup with a configurable system.
Old popup — did not differentiate pre-game boosters from in-game ones
New — auto-selected pre-game boosters teach players they can equip before the round
Results
The redesigned booster FTUE delivered measurable impact across retention, engagement, and revenue — validating the shift from information transfer to progressive value discovery.
D30 Retention
D7 Retention
FTUE Completion Rate
Drop-off at Booster Introduction
Churn Rate
Gross Bookings
Popups Eliminated
Player Drop-off Throughout FTUE Journey — Before vs After
1M New Daily Users
"Players don't need to understand everything upfront — they need to experience joy quickly and build confidence through progressive success."