What Is Gacha Mechanics?
Even if you are unaware of gacha mechanics, you have probably seen it in popular video game titles such as Genshin Impact, Honkai, or Infinity Nikki. These games are very popular among teens and young adults. Besides being awesome MMORPGs with multiple features, such games are all about the unique customization mechanics based on rolling the wheel of fortune where you pay with in-game currency or real money to buy one of rare (or mostly common!) lootboxes with rare loot.
Welcome to the world of gacha mechanics! How is it different from the slots you may see in any international online casino and what are the unique features of gacha games? The YaninaGames tries to explain if you are interested in making one of such games.
When it comes to the “gacha mechanics” meaning, you need to understand that the origins were the so-called “gachapon toys”. You can buy such small capsules in Japan and some other Asian countries through vending machines. You pay a small amount of money without knowing what toy you will get in this capsule. The randomness and rarity factors are the key concepts of gacha game mechanics. But unlike casino slots, all the games with gacha mechanics will always give you something in return for money. You are guaranteed to get something, though, you need to understand that the really rare and unique loot has a very small chance (in percentages) of dropping/drawing.
Types of Gacha Mechanics
1) Standard Gacha
This is the most basic version of gacha. Players use a certain amount of game money or real cash to play for rolling the gacha’s wheel of fortune to get a random item from intended groupings. This standard gacha system is simple and uncomplicated to use, but also it can be annoying for players if they do not receive the items they desire after many rolls. You can see standard gacha mechanics in Genshin Impact.
2) Limited-Time Gacha
Such gacha mechanics are available only for a limited time period. Usually, these events present unique items that you cannot get in the regular gacha pool. Limited-time gachas give players a feeling of hurry. They become motivated to collect more gacha while the event lasts. This may be a strong tool for increasing involvement and income, but the repetition and length of these activities should always be balanced to prevent exhaustion and frustration among players.
3) Step-Up Gacha
Step-up gacha is an advanced system where players can get a rare item with a 100% chance after pulling for certain times. For instance, a player knows of definitely getting the rare character after 20 pulls. It should be guaranteed. This method lessens the annoyance among the player community. But, it can be harder to keep the balance in such a case because the people who create games must make sure that the promised items are worth enough so players stay interested in spending money even after a few unsuccessful pulls.
4) Collaboration Gacha
Partnering with well-known games, anime or franchises for the “collaboration gacha” can result in unique crossover content. This type of gacha has the potential to draw in a more diverse audience and create excitement around your game. Those players who have enthusiasm for the cooperating franchise will be more inclined to engage in gacha pulls to get their hands on exclusive items.
How to Build the Efficient Gacha Mechanics?
The Theme and Customization Items
Firstly, you should determine what players would strive for in your video game with gacha mechanics. If we are talking about an RPG game, it could be characters such as wizards with fire attacks, rogues who use shadow abilities, and paladins who can endure like champions. In a shooter game, however, you may add awesome guns with extraordinary effects or drones designed to scout ahead instead. Whatever the thing, rewards must be exciting.
If the rarest item is not cool and limited, players can get bored and go away. Take, for instance, Genshin Impact – its five-star characters are not just powerful. They also have very beautiful animations and voiced lines that make you feel as if you are meeting a real person instead of an animated game character. Your gacha prizes should flex that same charisma.
Currency
The next thing to keep in mind is the currency players need to pay for gacha pulls and draws. The majority of gacha games work on the principle of 2 currencies. Free currency, like gems or tickets, is given out for playing the game and fulfilling daily tasks. Another premium currency is acquired with real money. Always add the strict rules – how much each pulls costs in free and premium currencies.
The Draw System
So, let’s talk about the draw. One roll can be fine, but it’s much more exciting to do multiple draws at once – like pulling 10 times in a row to add some thrill and excitement you can see in online casinos. The bright lights, sound of a drumroll, and slow uncovering increase anticipation. For example, Granblue Fantasy adds shimmering portals to the mix. It is more than an exchange of money and items it represents a drama. Gamers need to experience each roll deep down, whether they’re hitting the big prize or getting a small reward.
The Rarity Factor
Rarity is another important factor. Common, low-level items and accessories should have the lowest rarity rating and be 60% of all the items a player can win. Unusual things should make about 30%, they have to deliver an upgrade—better equipment, some old unique characters. The rare items are usually around 9%, these are mostly new characters who are not very popular among players. There are also ultra-rate items with a tiny share of 1% or even less. These are the most popular, desired, and favorable things in the game that everyone wants because of the advantage in the game.
There comes a trick from experts: include the Pity system. After a certain number of attempts without major success, assure a positive result. Genshin Impact offers a guaranteed five-star reward after 90 tries – it is a very expensive but dependable option. Honkai: Star Rail adjusts it with a 50/50 chance on the character banners.
The idea of “Pity” keeps hope alive – without this small promise, players may fall deep in despair and delete the game.
Rarity is not only about numbers and percentages of dropping, though. Players need to feel that the desired object is very rare and unique, limited, and demanded by other players.
Monetization of Games with Gacha Mechanics
Now let’s talk about money. Gacha games are very successful because of microtransactions, but there is a proper approach to earning such profit without becoming seen as the bad guy. The incorrect method would be like a brick wall—put all the enjoyment behind the paywall, making players who don’t pay experience scarcity or limitations, and everything will fall apart very quickly.
Adding a battle pass is also very important. For the small sum of money, players should get extra chances to draw more rewards or perhaps a stylish customization item as a consolation prize. In addition to main gacha drops like characters and weapons, add cosmetics like hats, cloaks, and shiny trails that don’t disturb the balance but allow players to show off.
Then comes the main attraction: limited-time banners. For example, Fate/Grand Order’s devs regularly release seasonal Servants who disappear after a week of rolling and pulling. It is effective in creating a feeling of urge, but doesn’t disadvantage the free users – gives them an equal opportunity to get the limited character, even though it might be tedious. Also, please reveal your drop rates for each new item to avoid the player’s frustration and legal problems. In Genshin Impact, everyone can see the drop’s percentage. This factor adds to the feeling of fairness.
Also, you need to understand that all the players can pay differently. The so-called “whales” pay the most and a lot, but there is barely 1% of all paying players in gacha games. Some small spenders pay around $5 bucks but regularly, it is the vast majority of the community. But there is also a fair share of the players who will never or rarely pay for the pulls because they are waiting for the giveaways and free pulls. You need to focus on satisfying small spenders as your most loyal audience. Find that balance — get the profit without negativity for all the involved parties.
Is It Legal to Add Gacha Mechanics in Games?
The main negativity about the games with gacha mechanics is about many hidden legal traps for users. Developers should not be too greedy or harsh when it comes to rolling rare items for real money.
The gacha system needs thorough testing through the usage of free accounts to determine rare item-dropping timeframes. Adjust the duration if players experience an unacceptable length of time between releases. Fairness isn’t weakness.
Remember that laws about gacha games are very different across the world. The Dutch laws together with Belgian legislation have officially restricted loot boxes while gacha seems to be untouched for now, as long as the developers pay the taxes from each player’s transaction. Under Japanese legislation, the public must be aware of all the game transactions and drop percentages. While the United States still thinks of how to implement gacha mechanics from a legal point of view. Keep following the laws of every country where you are going to sell your game with gacha mechanics.
And don’t sleep on PR. For example, Diablo Immortal suffered major backlash because of its pay-to-win microtransaction system even though Blizzard tried everything to save the game from its negative reception.
Successful Implementation of Gacha Mechanics in Games
To get you inspired you need to learn from the best gacha mechanics in video games. These are some of the most popular gacha-based games:
- Puzzle & Dragons is considered as one of the “gacha” pioneers with the fully implemented gacha mechanics. Players can receive powerful monsters through gacha pulls, which they can then use to enhance their gameplay experience. The monster pool is regularly updated with the rarest monsters;
- Fate/Grand Order uses the step-up gacha system, where players are guaranteed to get a rare character after a certain number of pulls. This factor reduces frustration and provides a clear goal for players to work towards;
- Genshin Impact has taken the gaming world by storm after becoming one of the best mobile MMORPGs out there. It boasts stunning visuals and expansive open-world gameplay. The Genshin Impact gacha mechanics is designed to be both engaging and fair, ensuring that players feel rewarded for their investment of time and money. The game implements a soft reset system in addition to standard gacha mechanics. It means that players retain some of the items in the gacha pool after drawing a rare character;
We also recommend you check the ZZZ gacha mechanics or Infinity Nikki gacha mechanics because despite the standard pulls and draws, each of these titles offers something unique to their gacha systems.
How to Balance Gacha Mechanics in Games – Practical Tips
Aspiring developers have to remember a few things when adding gacha mechanics to their video games:
- Start lean. Code a basic pool—100 items, with the tiered odds for drawing. Roll it yourself;
- Add the catchy animations, a pulsing sound, and a UI that sings whenever the player gets something after rolling. Players don’t math out fun; they should see and “feel” it;
- Dropping events are the pulse of your game. Post the limited banners with juiced rates or bonus goodies may keep the blood flowing. For example, Honkai or Genshin drop the new character events like clockwork—new pulls, new tales, new cute characters, and the same rush. Plan with such things in mind – hype, drop, refresh;
- Create a compelling narrative behind new things you drop. A strong narrative can enhance the appeal of your gacha system. Instead of presenting gacha as a mere random item dispenser, weave it into the game’s storyline. For example, you could create a lore around a mystical artifact that grants players the power to summon powerful allies or items. Be creative;
- Design unique and memorable items or characters for gacha rolls. Avoid generic or repetitive designs, and focus on creating items that stand out and add value to the game. Rare items should feel truly special and impactful;
- Implement a Wishlist system. A wishlist system allows players to mark items they are interested in getting. This feature can help guide players’ gacha pulls and reduce frustration by giving them a clear goal;
- Offer free gacha pulls from time to time. To make your gacha system more accessible and less daunting for new players, consider offering a limited number of free gacha pulls;
Conclusion
Gacha mechanics have become an integral part of modern video games, offering a unique combo of excitement, challenge, and reward. The YaninaGames would like to work at one of these games. If you are interested as well, make sure to contact our creative team. Also, we humbly ask you to follow and bookmark our blog where we post a lot of cool content.
