Multi or Solo??
Our original multiplayer idea didn't land. How a much quieter feature — Solo Quest — saved the project.
The app was taking shape on the technical side, and ideas were flying everywhere. A hundred a day. What if we added a battle royale mode? What if we built a clans system? What if players could form squadrons and compete in tournaments? Everything we imagined was multiplayer. The duel had worked so well in the first test that we kept building outward from it.
We decided to consolidate the multiplayer version and run a second beta. Fifty players this time, with very mixed profiles — pilots, students, complete beginners, and some people who had never set foot near a cockpit.
It didn't take.
The multiplayer duel — our original idea, the one we were so proud of — didn't land anymore. Or maybe it never really did, and the first 20 testers just liked the novelty. Either way, the picture was clear: beginners didn't want to measure themselves against airline pilots. That's terrifying. And the airline pilots, on their side, weren't particularly thrilled about facing other airline pilots either. Everyone had something to lose and not much to gain.
Patching what wasn't broken
We tried to patch it. We added a leaderboard, hoping a bit of structure and competition would lift engagement. Two weeks later, nothing had changed. The numbers stayed flat.
Something was missing. Something everyone could connect to. Something that let any player — pilot or not, confident or curious — sit down for five minutes, learn a bit, and walk away feeling good. No stress. No pressure. No comparison.
Enter Solo Quest
That's how Solo Quest was born.
At this stage it was very basic: a series of MCQs on aviation topics, an energy system to limit and pace play, and that's about it. Around twenty activities total. Nothing fancy.
But it worked. Engagement came back almost immediately. Players who had ghosted the duel mode came back for Solo Quest. Beginners stayed longer. Pilots actually came back the next day.
What we learned
Mostly that the idea you start with isn't always the idea that wins.
Sometimes, the most exciting feature isn't the loudest one — it's the quietest one that nobody has to be afraid of.