The key to Eggy Party’s UGC success lies in recommendation map iteration

Discoverability is crucial as a defining characteristic of the User Generated Content (UGC) ecosystem, predominantly due to its presence on Steam, console marketplaces, and numerous facets of the gaming industry. Occasionally, it may even be considered significantly more prominent in emerging platforms within gaming such as Fortnite, Roblox, and Eggy Party. These platforms continue to evolve and trends that can become commonplace across popular sites like YouTube and Twitch. As these venues also rely on user-generated contributions, they can equally be categorized as “UGC” platforms.

How can UGC platforms learn from the successes of YouTube and Twitch? NetEase data mining specialist Xingchen Zhou investigated the UGC landscape and elaborated on the methods by which the Eggy Party developers have modified their recommendation system to appeal to its vast audience of players during a presentation at the 2025 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

Eggy Party is noted by Zhou as the most “popular competitive casual game in China.” This party game, which resembles titles like Stumble Guys and Tumble Guys, surpassed 40 million daily active players during Lunar New Year in 2024. Eggy Party has exceeded 100 million user-created maps as of this past March.

Recommendation algorithms are essential to UGC platforms

Related:‘We seek to clarify what it means to be safe as [players] globally:’ a code of ethics in gaming

Zhou observed a common thread among various UGC platforms outside of gaming, proposing that their unifying factor is a strong distribution system. He drew comparisons to Vine, the popular short-form video app that was shut down in early 2017, stating that the Twitter-owned video platform faltered due to its absence of “personalized recommendations and innovation,” leading to a decline in content creators.

“TikTok, Google, Netflix, Spotify – a robust distribution mechanism is vital for attaining a leading market position,” Zhou emphasized, also referencing non-UGC platforms like Netflix. “They all share one advantage – a sophisticated distribution framework with algorithmic recommendations.”

Distributing games effectively is considerably more challenging than sharing short videos. For a game like Eggy Party, players need to engage with a level for at least 5 minutes to “truly appreciate a map,” as Zhou pointed out. In contrast, short videos only require a viewer a few seconds to understand what they are watching before deciding whether to continue watching the full clip. Regardless of the format, the core components driving the success of a UGC platform remain similar.

“Even though the product formats differ, the essence consistently lies in the interaction and relationship between users and the platform,” Zhou stated.

Related:Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt partners with Scopely to create franchise spin-off

Zhou delved into detail about Eggy Party’s “digital DNA bank,” which allows the platform to compile a profile of players across “1000 dimensions.” These profiles include numerous tags that identify personal characteristics of gamers, such as the type of content they favored in the past and what they might enjoy in the future. Tags span from players seeking more challenging maps to multiplayer experiences and themed maps like puzzles.

Beyond the recommendation system, Zhou highlighted how first impressions matter significantly during the discovery process. The Eggy Party user interface features title displays, cover images, and statistical information showcasing the number of players and likes a map has at a glance. Players should be able to ascertain a map’s quality and its popularity within seconds, making these initial moments critical for a participant’s success.

“Highly rated maps receive increased exposure opportunities,” Zhou noted, discussing how user interaction plays a crucial role in discovery.

Zhou also pointed out some mistakes made by the Eggy Party recommendation system, such as recommending a “female-oriented dress-up” map to male students, resulting in dissatisfaction for both the players and the creator.

Related:Activision user research employees are unionizing ‘to create an industry that works for them’

Such missteps can deter creators from developing more experiences for a wider audience and can discourage players from utilizing a game’s built-in recommendation systems, each of which could adversely impact the overall health and popularity of a UGC platform.

Eggy Party’s recommendation system may lead to swift successes. Zhou highlighted another instance where a creator experienced a significant drop in player numbers on their maps, but integration within the maps connected players who enjoyed similar content to this specific creator. This resulted in a noticeable increase in interactions from players.

NetEase has been implementing an incentive program that rewards players who achieve popularity with monetary rewards.