Since the release of Deep Town, Easter eggs and meticulous attention to detail have become signature features of Rockbite Games — the creators of the hit game Idle Outpost, which we are working on together. The team has always strived to bring the rich lore and intricate details of PC games into the mobile gaming world.

This brings up a good question: Are there real benefits to investing resources in Easter eggs, references, and story elements in genres that are usually focused on mechanics and gameplay?

Let's hear directly from the founders of Rockbite Games, Avetis Zakharyan and Gevorg Kopalyan.

Reason one: It’s personal

Both of us have spent countless hours gaming (less so now due to time constraints), and we’ve always loved discovering Easter eggs, references, or small details in games that didn’t necessarily impact gameplay but enriched the experience. So, from the beginning, we decided to bring this excitement to our mobile games.

Initially, when it was just the two of us coding, it was the easiest thing. We didn’t need to explain tasks to anyone; we could just sit down, and with great enthusiasm, add in references that made us smile. 

It was a fun process that kept us motivated, sparking new ideas and maintaining our creative energy. We wanted our players to feel that same thrill when they stumbled upon hidden secrets or pieces of lore.

And this leads to our second reason.

Reason two: For the people who notice —  our players

But we don’t dive into creating Easter eggs right away. At the early stages of a game’s development, when there’s no community yet, we don’t prioritize Easter eggs. The community is a crucial part of our team, they push our games forward, and much of our inspiration comes from them.

When we were working on Deep Town, we released beta versions before the full launch, and a small but engaged community formed around the game. There weren’t any solid metrics yet, but we could see the players' interest, and we wanted to give back.

We started creating small teaser clips and felt an incredible rush from seeing people watch them and eagerly anticipate the game’s release. This excitement fueled us, and by the time of the full release, we had added a ton of details and references to the game. Although typically, this work begins post-launch.

The players’ reaction was overwhelming. We’re not talking about just a few reviews — hundreds, even thousands of players shared their discoveries and expressed their delight.

There are entire Reddit threads dedicated to Deep Town, discussing the lore for which we wrote countless pages. Sometimes, players even argue because the story unfolds gradually and is never presented in full. All of this contributes to a “wow” factor — this isn’t just another mobile game; it’s much deeper. Everyone knows that feeling when a game’s mechanics grab you, and then, suddenly, a plot twist changes everything in your perception. Without spoiling anything, that feeling of joy is what we aim to give players. 

While it’s hard to quantify, we’re certain this adds a layer of retention that other projects may lack.

Reason three: For the team

Working on Easter eggs, lore, and references also greatly impacts our team’s atmosphere — it’s an ongoing creative process.

Artists love it when we ask them to draw something with a reference; it helps them unwind, prevents burnout, and sparks their imagination. This rotation of tasks is also fantastic for employee retention.

Developers know that we might ask them to add a small animation or micro-mechanic out of the blue, but never at the expense of critical tasks. Of course, it might shift timelines slightly, but everyone understands and accepts this without any surprises.

We don’t hold brainstorming sessions for Easter eggs because they can be time-consuming and don’t always align with inspiration. Instead, we move around the office, chat, and foster a creative environment. At some point, someone might say, “Hey, how about we add this?” If everyone starts shooting “yeah, this is it” looks at each other, it goes into the game.

And it’s not just an abstract idea from the backlog — it’s something we all came up with and implemented together.

Reason four: For the project’s future

We’ve since optimized our approach to creating lore and Easter eggs, especially after some past overindulgences.

In short, we’re building the core and architecture of the project in a way that allows us to continuously add new elements. Our focus is currently on Idle Outpost, and we’re still polishing the core. There are already many subtle details in the game, and we’ve shared some of them before. But even more plot and gameplay twists are in store.

For instance, the game already features an event where cows milk a cow (yes, really), as well as a reference to a former U.S. president who carries a gun and behaves oddly.

Players are scratching their heads, trying to figure out what all of this means. Meanwhile, the game has a coherent plot, lore, and logical storytelling through cutscenes. Isn’t it intriguing to find out how it all ties together?

Remember the series Lost, where nearly every episode contained clues in the form of mysterious events or objects whose significance was only revealed many episodes later? We’re using a similar principle and preparing story cutscenes that will gradually unveil new events.

We’re not claiming that long-term retention can be sustained solely through cutscenes or unexpected twists. Retention is secured by introducing the right features at the right time, maintaining balance, refining the core gameplay, and so on. However, once the project’s foundation is solid and healthy, these little enhancements can elevate the project across all metrics.

Ultimately, it’s enjoyable and rewarding for everyone — the team who worked on them and the players who discover the game’s depth. And in our next piece, we’ll dive into how we approach creating Easter eggs and the mistakes we’ve made along the way.