New and active players

These recipes cover the New and Playing stages: players who are learning the game and players who play every day. Before you build them, read the best practices for every journey.

Onboarding for new players

• Use it when: new players install the game but do not finish the tutorial.
• Starts when: a player starts the tutorial (Tutorial started).
• What it does: sends an in-app nudge 15 minutes after the tutorial starts, then a push after 24 hours, until the player finishes the tutorial. The first nudge is an in-app message that comes early, while the player may still be in the game, because most players have not allowed notifications yet.
• Content to prepare: an in-app template and a push preset, both pointing the player back to the tutorial.

1. On the journey canvas, add a Trigger-based entry on Tutorial started. Do not use PW_DeviceRegistered here: it fires when the game asks for push permission, which this playbook moves to after the tutorial.
2. Add a Wait for Trigger step on Tutorial completed with the condition completion is true, and set the waiting period to 15 minutes.
3. Leave the Trigger group 1 branch empty, because players who finish the tutorial need no further messages.
4. On the Not triggered branch, add an In-app element with a message that points back to the tutorial, for example: “Your first reward is one step away. Finish the tutorial to claim it.” The player sees it the next time they open or return to the game.
5. Add a second Wait for Trigger step on Tutorial completed with the condition completion is true, and set the waiting period to 24 hours. Leave its Trigger group 1 branch empty too.
6. On the Not triggered branch, add a Reachability check.
7. For players reachable by push, add a push that sends them back to the tutorial, for example: “Your adventure is waiting. Finish the tutorial to unlock your first reward.”
8. Open Settings on the canvas, select Conversion goals, choose Tutorial completed with completion is true, and select End journey after this event.
9. Open Settings, select Campaign Entry Limit, and choose once in a lifetime, so a player who restarts the tutorial does not get the nudges again.

The push in step 7 reaches only players whose devices already allow notifications. The others leave the journey, because a second in-app would repeat the first one.

This journey starts only for players who start the tutorial after you launch it. To reach players who started earlier, build a journey with a one-time Audience-based entry on the Tutorial drop-off segment. It takes in only players whose devices already have a push token, which the game gets when it asks for push permission.

No tutorial in your game?

If your game has no tutorial, see Choose the events to track for the events to use instead of Tutorial started and Tutorial completed.

For a longer walkthrough of onboarding journeys, see Onboard users with Pushwoosh.

Second session for new players

• Use it when: new players finish the tutorial but do not come back the next day.
• Starts when: a player finishes the tutorial (Tutorial completed).
• What it does: waits about a day after the tutorial and, if the player has not opened the game again, sends a push that gives a reason to come back.
• Content to prepare: a push preset with a reason to return, such as a reward waiting in the game.
• Needs: players who allowed notifications during their first session. If the game asks for permission only at the next launch, this journey reaches few new players.

1. On the journey canvas, add a Trigger-based entry on Tutorial completed with the condition completion is true.
2. Add a Wait for Trigger step on PW_ApplicationOpen and set the waiting period to 20 hours. Leave its Trigger group 1 branch empty, because players who came back need no message.
3. On the Not triggered branch, add a Reachability check.
4. For players reachable by push, add a push, for example: “Your daily chest is ready. Come back and open it.”
5. Open Settings, select Conversion goals, choose PW_ApplicationOpen, and select End journey after this event.
6. Open Settings, select Campaign Entry Limit, and choose once in a lifetime.

Help for stuck players

• Use it when: players keep failing levels and may quit the game.
• Starts when: a player enters the Stuck players segment. Pushwoosh checks the segment on a schedule you set, for example daily.
• What it does: shows an in-app hint or gift, then sends a push that offers help if the player does not complete the level within 2 days. The hint reaches the player before they quit, and the push is a second touch for players who have left the game.
• Content to prepare: an in-app template with a hint or a gift, and a push preset that offers help.

1. On the journey canvas, add an Audience-based entry with the Stuck players segment.
2. Set the entry schedule to Recurring entry and choose Periodically, for example daily.
3. Add an In-app element with a hint or a gift for the level, for example: “Stuck on this one? Here is a free boost to get you through.” The player sees it the next time they open or return to the game.
4. Add a Wait for Trigger on Level completed for 2 days.
5. On the Not triggered branch, add a push that offers help and sets a deep link to the level, for example: “Need a hand? Your boost is ready. Tap to try the level again.”
6. Open Settings, select Campaign Entry Limit, and choose once a week.
7. Open Settings, select Conversion goals, choose Level completed, and select End journey after this event.

Players without push get only the in-app message, because a second in-app would repeat the same boost.

Daily reward reminder

• Use it when: your game has a daily reward and you want players to collect it every day.
• Starts when: a player claims the reward (Daily reward claimed).
• What it does: waits for your reward cooldown after each claim, then reminds the player to collect the reward, unless the player has already claimed it. The reminder counts from the latest claim.
• Content to prepare: a push preset and an in-app template with the same reminder.

1. On the journey canvas, add a Trigger-based entry on Daily reward claimed and set the entry to Allow re-entry. Each claim restarts the journey, so the reminder always counts from the latest claim.
2. Add a Time Delay with a fixed duration equal to your reward cooldown, for example 24 hours.
3. Add a Wait for Trigger step on Daily reward claimed and set the waiting period to a few hours. The reward can’t be claimed before the cooldown ends, so the step catches every claim after the delay, and players who claim skip the reminder.
4. On the Not triggered branch, add a Reachability check.
5. For players reachable by push, add a push that tells the player the reward is ready, for example: “Your daily reward is waiting for you.” Set a deep link so the push opens the reward screen.
6. For the others, add an In-app element with the same reminder and set In-app expiration to 1 day. The player sees it the next time they open or return to the game.
7. Set a Silence period for push with the option to send the message after the period ends.
8. Open Settings, select Conversion goals, and choose Daily reward claimed.