Part of my responsibilities as Lead Marketing Artist at ESG was to manage the app store assets and run continuous testing on Icons, Screenshots, and the feature image.

Top Performing Store Screenshots

ASO Testing

Prior to my promotion, ASO testing was managed by the games team. However, as the games teams were busy with development, not much testing was done. We on the Marketing Team put together a basic store package at launch and then left the store alone. For our games, standard screenshots featured the characters, the game map, the story moments, and the businesses.

Original Store Screenshots

The initial store refresh was a basic reskin — to add new colors, new story beats, new events, and new features. However, the results of this test were not promising.

Mid-Year Screenshot Refresh (for Testing)

Testing Strategy

Unlike our ads, our App Store Optimization testing was not as tied to the motivation models. We used the models as a loose guide, however, our Director liked to focus on “the gameplay promise”. How to feature the best moments of the game in such a way that a potential player wants to play and is not disappointed when the game opens.

Working with the Director and two junior designers, I directed the redesign of the Cheech and Chong: Bud Farm Idle Tycoon app store. With an initial concept pitch (including competitor research and a deep dive into the game’s best features) I took the learnings from the player motivation ad testing and applied it to our screenshots. The emphasis is on simple focus, catchy visuals, and idealistic gameplay.

With the Director’s approval I began testing on Google Play Console — first with the redesigned trailer and screenshots; then with just the trailer, and just the screenshots. Across the board, the new store assets were winners!

Original Store Trailer

I storyboarded and animated the original store trailer prior to the worldwide launch of Cheech and Chong: Bud Farm Idle Tycoon. In general, the game trailers feature the same gameplay/ story beats that the store screenshots do, as it helps reinforce the “gameplay promise.”

The screenshots were created using Animate and Photoshop; the video was created using After Effects and Premier Pro.