One of the first things players seek when experiencing a new game is goals. Does the player want to defeat a boss? Collect a specific resource? In either case, goals give the player something to aim for or chase after. Without clear goals, players start to feel their tasks are getting repetitive. My Little Universe is exceptional at introducing goals at strategic points to solve this.

When players start their universe, there is little land with few resources to collect. As players unlock new tiles they get access to new resources. Also, new routes unlock which provide more efficient gathering pathways. The constantly improving landscape makes players want to expand their world. If players ever feel lost, they can look to signposts pointing to the direction they should go. This subtle visual guide gives hints to players about what's around the corner. Early on tiles are cheap to unlock, and players can expand easily. As the world starts to grow the tiles cost more to upgrade. When progress starts to slow, players look to upgrade their gear to get them back up to speed. Players either harvest more resources to upgrade their tools or watch ads to upgrade faster. This gets players to value watching ads so they can continue unlocking tiles efficiently.

My Little Universe has plenty of ads. Players will encounter resource bundles in the world they can unlock by watching an ad. They can also watch ads to gain the resources needed for specific upgrades. The amounts always vary. This makes some opportunities more valuable than others. Oftentimes resource bundles are near where they're needed, alluring players even more. This asymmetric value to ad-watching makes players plan when to and when not to watch ads. This incorporates monetization into their gameplay strategy rather than avoiding it.

As time goes on, the amount of time spent watching ads starts to dawn on the player. The value proposition of the Ad Removal IAP becomes more and more enticing the more ads they watch. It becomes worth it to remove ads rather than spend time watching them. My Little Universe doesn't surface this option immediately. Instead, the player must unlock a good amount of tiles before encountering the shop in the world. This forces them to watch a good amount of ads, making the IAP look reasonable.

At the start of each session, the player can claim rewards of stone and wood as well as a boost to their gathering tools. These rewards are upgradeable by watching ads. Tiles need stone and wood to unlock so the start of each session guarantees progress. The tool boost makes gathering resources a breeze. This makes the first few minutes of each session fun and refreshing. By keeping the start of each session engaging, players always have something to look forward to. After lengthy play sessions, the actions in the game start to feel repetitive and tedious. The players can put down the game at the end of each session and can look forward to breaking from the monotonous grind the next time they open the game.

In My Little Universe, the camera moves on its own, without the player needing to control it. The camera keeps important objects in view while showing points of interest in the background. The camera achieves this by pitching, panning, and zooming around as the player moves about the world. By keeping important things in view at all times, the camera guides the player. One example is the shop or portal coming to view as the player walks around tiles near it. By putting ad resources in view when near places they're valuable, it influences players' decision-making. Another aspect that enhances gameplay is the haptic feedback. The haptic feedback on resource collecting and attacking groups of enemies is satisfying. You want to go around hitting everything to keep the vibrations going. This amplifies the upgraded tool experience at the start of each session, making users opt to watch the ad for the upgrade.