Appointment Features Drive Retention
The Sims FreePlay’s latest expansion replaces a passive gardening mechanic with an appointment system where players grow crops to fulfill orders. In the expansion, crops grow faster, and players must return to the feature frequently to fulfill customer requests that award currency. While the gardening mechanic remains a major faucet, it now requires significantly more engagement to maximize rewards.
The expansion also adds two long-term progressions for gardening: garden plots that players unlock by reaching certain base game levels, and a crop storage system that players upgrade by completing special requests.
This expansion closely resembles the farming gameplay of Township—the third highest-grossing casual app of 2024. By replicating the core systems of a top casual app, The Sims FreePlay may be trying to stabilize its DAU and attract an older audience.
Read our full analysis of this expansion.
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