======Social Games======

Social games are multiplayer games on social network platforms. They are generally free to play and use a business model based on purchasing of items within the game for small amounts. Their distilled repetitive gameplay and integrated viral advertising make these games extremely popular and profitable.

======Strategies========

==Social/Game Mechanics to Improve Player Engagement==
 
  * Social Cause Mechanic 
  * Gifting Mechanic 
  * Notification of New Features Mechanic 
  * Notification of Reward Mechanic
  * Newsfeed Update Mechanic 
  * Help My Friend’s Space Mechanic
  * Lotto Mechanic 
  * Buy/Sell Mechanic
  * Battle Mechanic 
  * Comments Mechanic 
  * Show off on Profile Mechanic 
  * Trading Mechanic 
  * Tournament Mechanic 
  * Passive Play Mechanic
  * Exploration Mechanic
  * Build My Team Mechanic 
  * Quiz Mechanic 
  * Meme Quiz Mechanic
  * Leaderboard Mechanic
  * Gambling Mechanic
  * Auction Mechanic
  * Collection Mechanic 
  * Rating Mechanic 
  * Donate Virtual Coins Mechanic
  * Social Tycoon Mechanic
  * Hire-A-Friend Mechanic
  * Mastery Mechanic
  * Griefing/Prank Mechanic
  * Story Mechanic 
  * Game Photo Album Mechanic
  * Harvest Mechanic 
  * Mini-Game Mechanic 
  * Friend Data Mechanic
  * Internationalization 

==Social/Game Mechanics to Improve Virality==

  * Claim an Item Mechanic
  * Interact With An Item Mechanic 
  * Viral Collection Mechanic
  * Funny Content Mechanic
  * Tagging Mechanic 
  * Gifting Mechanic 
  * Rating Mechanic 
  * Scratch Off Mechanic 
  * Help a Friend Mechanic
  * Friend is Playing Right Now Mechanic
  * Help a Cause Mechanic 
  * Trivia Question Mechanic
  * Quiz Mechanic 
  * Take a Job Mechanic 
  * Social Curiosity Mechanic

==Social/Game Mechanics to Improve Monetization==

  * Dual Currency Mechanic 
  * Limited-Time/Quantity Item Mechanic
  * Blue Light Special Mechanic
  * Donation to a Good Cause Mechanic 
  * Need a Refill Mechanic 
  * Gift to a Friend Mechanic 
  * Achievement Accelerator Mechanic
  * First-Time Buyer Bonus Mechanic
  * Repeat Buyer Bonus Mechanic

======Links======

====Background====

  * Jesse Schell, essential viewing [[http://fury.com/2010/02/jesse-shells-mindblowing-talk-on-the-future-of-games-dice-2010/]]
  * [[http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/content/cultivated-play-farmville]]
  * [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihUt-163gZI]]

====Facebook development====

  * [[http://developers.facebook.com/]]
  * Principles and policies: [[http://developers.facebook.com/policy/]]

====Ideas====

  * [[red leaf]]