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Lauren Salk’s Portfolio
PlinkIdle Case Study
Scaling Systems that Boost the Fun
As Creative Director for PlinkIdle, my challenge was to take a tiny prototype and transform it into a scalable, satisfying idle game without breaking what made it fun.
Through a core systems redesign, PlinkIdle evolved into a beloved, community-driven incremental game with publisher attention and long-term potential.
Background
PlinkIdle started as a tiny seed. My friend and brilliant collaborator Pat Tompkins made a single level of a Plinko-inspired idle game, in which you simply earn one coin per ball, throw the ball at multiplicative upgrades, and profit.
As a rabid Cookie Clicker and idle game fan, I saw so much potential, but quickly got bored with the game’s growth. It needed more -- more features, more juice, something to make it special. Pat handed the prototype to me and the Black Heart Games team and went on to make another plinko-like game that interested him more: Scorefall.
Problem Statement
In an incremental idle game, the goal is to always generate MORE. Generate more so that you can buy more, so that you can generate more.
However, increasing a rain of ball drops in a game like Plinko does not lead to fun. The fun of Plinko is rooting for a ball to fall into that one really rewarding bucket.
These two games mashed together were contradicting each other in what made them fun.
Exciting moment
Less exciting over time
Solution
The solution was to add features, carefully and without breaking the game. The features had to play nice with the Plinko and scale with the incremental nature of the game. In short, gamification of Plinko and gamification of the idle game component.
🗺️
Level Progression
A Change of Scenery
A super simple addition to PlinkIdle. Instead of forever increasing one board, there are now many scenes. And with this came the idea of thematic backgrounds, new art, new sounds, and upgrades unlocking as you go.
☑️
Collections
Who Doesn’t Love Collecting?
Each stage in PlinkIdle will allow players to collect things and complete challenges. Completing these collections lead to greater rewards, engaging them and encouraging them to keep unlocking new content.
🃏
Stage Buff Choice
Pick a Card
As levels unlock, the player gets to choose a permanent buff to boost their run. Simple advancement is now rewarded, and they get a small amount of choice to reflect how they want to play the game.
🎛️
Active vs Passive Play
Player Choice
With regard to buff choices and how to spend their resources, they can lean into active play or passive play (idle). Do they want to be boosting their Special Coin clicks, or multiplying their passive ball collection?
🎁
Achievement Rewards
Passive Bonuses
Completing basic checklists in ordinary gameplay provide multipliers which help the player down the line.
✨
Special Coin
Click it!
Inspired by the golden cookie in Cookie Clicker, this coin keeps us running back to our desk when the sound dings. They spawn less frequently, but offer large rewards. A simple reward for active players.
🎡
Spin the Wheel
A Little Luck
The wheel spin is a reward for things like completing a set of achievements. It applies a buff that sticks with the player forever, not just for the run.
Wireframes to Refine User Flows
Quick and dirty wireframes and flows helped to improve the flow of features as they worked together to support the gameplay.
Stage Buff Selection Flow
Achievements Wheel Spin Reward
Results
The results of all of the features working in harmony were:
- A fun, popular indie game with growing momentum in wishlists and followers
- A demo that people played for hours, not minutes
- ASMR and other hidden bonuses as people explored the game
- Successful gamification -- beats of player choice mixed with very rewarding moments
About
Contact
Case Studies
Lauren Salk’s Portfolio
PlinkIdle Case Study
Scaling Systems that Boost the Fun
As Creative Director for PlinkIdle, my challenge was to take a tiny prototype and transform it into a scalable, satisfying idle game without breaking what made it fun.
Through a core systems redesign, PlinkIdle evolved into a beloved, community-driven incremental game with publisher attention and long-term potential.
Background
PlinkIdle started as a tiny seed. My friend and brilliant collaborator Pat Tompkins made a single level of a Plinko-inspired idle game, in which you simply earn one coin per ball, throw the ball at multiplicative upgrades, and profit.
As a rabid Cookie Clicker and idle game fan, I saw so much potential, but quickly got bored with the game’s growth. It needed more -- more features, more juice, something to make it special. Pat handed the prototype to me and the Black Heart Games team and went on to make another plinko-like game that interested him more: Scorefall.
Problem Statement
In an incremental idle game, the goal is to always generate MORE. Generate more so that you can buy more, so that you can generate more.
However, increasing a rain of ball drops in a game like Plinko does not lead to fun. The fun of Plinko is rooting for a ball to fall into that one really rewarding bucket.
These two games mashed together were contradicting each other in what made them fun.
Exciting moment
Less exciting over time
Solution
The solution was to add features, carefully and without breaking the game. The features had to play nice with the Plinko and scale with the incremental nature of the game. In short, gamification of Plinko and gamification of the idle game component.
🗺️
Level Progression
A Change of Scenery
A super simple addition to PlinkIdle. Instead of forever increasing one board, there are now many scenes. And with this came the idea of thematic backgrounds, new art, new sounds, and upgrades unlocking as you go.
☑️
Collections
Who Doesn’t Love Collecting?
Each stage in PlinkIdle will allow players to collect things and complete challenges. Completing these collections lead to greater rewards, engaging them and encouraging them to keep unlocking new content.
🃏
Stage Buff Choice
Pick a Card
As levels unlock, the player gets to choose a permanent buff to boost their run. Simple advancement is now rewarded, and they get a small amount of choice to reflect how they want to play the game.
🎛️
Active vs Passive Play
Player Choice
With regard to buff choices and how to spend their resources, they can lean into active play or passive play (idle). Do they want to be boosting their Special Coin clicks, or multiplying their passive ball collection?
🎁
Achievement Rewards
Passive Bonuses
Completing basic checklists in ordinary gameplay provide multipliers which help the player down the line.
✨
Special Coin
Click it!
Inspired by the golden cookie in Cookie Clicker, this coin keeps us running back to our desk when the sound dings. They spawn less frequently, but offer large rewards. A simple reward for active players.
🎡
Spin the Wheel
A Little Luck
The wheel spin is a reward for things like completing a set of achievements. It applies a buff that sticks with the player forever, not just for the run.
Wireframes to Refine User Flows
Quick and dirty wireframes and flows helped to improve the flow of features as they worked together to support the gameplay.
Stage Buff Selection Flow
Achievements Wheel Spin Reward
Results
The results of all of the features working in harmony were:
- A fun, popular indie game with growing momentum in wishlists and followers
- A demo that people played for hours, not minutes
- ASMR and other hidden bonuses as people explored the game
- Successful gamification -- beats of player choice mixed with very rewarding moments
About
Contact
Case Studies
Lauren Salk’s Portfolio
PlinkIdle Case Study
Scaling Systems that Boost the Fun
As Creative Director for PlinkIdle, my challenge was to take a tiny prototype and transform it into a scalable, satisfying idle game without breaking what made it fun.
Through a core systems redesign, PlinkIdle evolved into a beloved, community-driven incremental game with publisher attention and long-term potential.
Background
PlinkIdle started as a tiny seed. My friend and brilliant collaborator Pat Tompkins made a single level of a Plinko-inspired idle game, in which you simply earn one coin per ball, throw the ball at multiplicative upgrades, and profit.
As a rabid Cookie Clicker and idle game fan, I saw so much potential, but quickly got bored with the game’s growth. It needed more -- more features, more juice, something to make it special. Pat handed the prototype to me and the Black Heart Games team and went on to make another plinko-like game that interested him more: Scorefall.
Problem Statement
In an incremental idle game, the goal is to always generate MORE. Generate more so that you can buy more, so that you can generate more.
However, increasing a rain of ball drops in a game like Plinko does not lead to fun. The fun of Plinko is rooting for a ball to fall into that one really rewarding bucket.
These two games mashed together were contradicting each other in what made them fun.
Exciting moment
Less exciting over time
Solution
The solution was to add features, carefully and without breaking the game. The features had to play nice with the Plinko and scale with the incremental nature of the game. In short, gamification of Plinko and gamification of the idle game component.
🗺️
Level Progression
A Change of Scenery
A super simple addition to PlinkIdle. Instead of forever increasing one board, there are now many scenes. And with this came the idea of thematic backgrounds, new art, new sounds, and upgrades unlocking as you go.
☑️
Collections
Who Doesn’t Love Collecting?
Each stage in PlinkIdle will allow players to collect things and complete challenges. Completing these collections lead to greater rewards, engaging them and encouraging them to keep unlocking new content.
🃏
Stage Buff Choice
Pick a Card
As levels unlock, the player gets to choose a permanent buff to boost their run. Simple advancement is now rewarded, and they get a small amount of choice to reflect how they want to play the game.
🎁
Achievement Rewards
Passive Bonuses
Completing basic checklists in ordinary gameplay provide multipliers which help the player down the line.
✨
Special Coin
Click it!
Inspired by the golden cookie in Cookie Clicker, this coin keeps us running back to our desk when the sound dings. They spawn less frequently, but offer large rewards. A simple reward for active players.
🎛️
Active vs Passive Play
Player Choice
With regard to buff choices and how to spend their resources, they can lean into active play or passive play (idle). Do they want to be boosting their Special Coin clicks, or multiplying their passive ball collection?
🎡
Spin the Wheel
A Little Luck
The wheel spin is a reward for things like completing a set of achievements. It applies a buff that sticks with the player forever, not just for the run.
Wireframes to Refine User Flows
Quick and dirty wireframes and flows helped to improve the flow of features as they worked together to support the gameplay.
Stage Buff Selection Flow
Achievements Wheel Spin Reward
Results
The results of all of the features working in harmony were:
- A fun, popular indie game with growing momentum in wishlists and followers
- A demo that people played for hours, not minutes
- ASMR and other hidden bonuses as people explored the game
- Successful gamification -- beats of player choice mixed with very rewarding moments