Anton Slashcev

No monetization strategy can fix a bad game. A studio once approached me for advice on doubling their LTV. My first question: How's your game’s long-term retention? I explained: ↳ To see such growth, you’ll need to improve the game first ↳ Boost engagement, and offer more value to players ↳ Then, you can focus on monetization Their response? → 'We don’t want to change the game much or invest resources. That’s why we brought in top Advisors!' I politely declined. Even the best Advisors can't perform miracles. Monetization is not a magic pill for poor retention or low engagement. You want to significantly improve your LTV? First, you must significantly improve your game. P.S. A year later, after multiple failed attempts to scale, that studio ended up redesigning the game from scratch.

Blue Ocean Puzzle Subgenres with the Highest Success Rate1. Coloring [https://lnkd.in/e3WH8Bzs] • $40M Total IAP Revenue Last Year • 626M Total Downloads • 148 New Apps • 24 Successful Apps • 16.2% Success Rate2. Logic Puzzles [https://lnkd.in/e4cG8YRg] • $71M Total IAP Revenue Last Year • 1.3B Total Downloads • 342 New Apps • 49 Successful Apps • 14.3% Success Rate3. Merge: Simple [https://lnkd.in/ehARzjjp] • $2.6M Total IAP Revenue Last Year • 141M Total Downloads • 120 New Apps • 17 Successful Apps • 14.2% Success Rate4. Sort Puzzle [https://lnkd.in/e5rd5ecs] • $102M Total IAP Revenue Last Year • 695M Total Downloads • 420 New Apps • 40 Successful Apps • 9.5% Success Rate5. Match-3 Tile [https://lnkd.in/eqt6StFU] • $129M Total IAP Revenue Last Year • 361M Total Downloads • 239 New Apps • 19 Successful Apps • 7.9% Success RateFind other blue […]

22 Lessons Learned from Working on Billion-Dollar Games 1. Team + Passion + Data = Success ↳ A great product alone won’t guarantee success—it's about leveraging data and a passionate team.2. No One Knows the Secret Sauce ↳ Even the biggest companies can’t predict what will work; it’s always a risk filled with trial and error.3. Quality Over Quantity ↳ One high-quality feature can make a huge impact, while many mediocre ones add little value.4. Focus Is Everything ↳ Don’t spread your resources too thin. Focused efforts lead to better results.5. Small Teams, Big Results ↳ Agile, smaller teams are more efficient than large, slow-moving ones.6. If You’re Small, Innovate. If You’re Big, Imitate ↳ Big companies often stick to what’s proven, while smaller teams take the risks.7. Company Culture Is More Than Perks ↳ Creativity and empowerment come from […]

What makes movement in games feel fast?(spoiler: it's not the speed parameter)It’s the little details that create the feeling of velocity:1. Camera Angle & FOV↳ Lowering the camera and increasing FOV heightens the sense of motion.2. VFX & Particles↳ Dust, engine smoke, and wind particles enhance the illusion of speed.3. Blur & Vignette↳ Edge blur and a slight vignette immerse players more deeply.4. Camera Shake↳ A small shake adds intensity, but be careful not to overdo it.5. Sound Effects↳ The roar of an engine or rushing wind can make the experience more convincing than visuals alone.These small tweaks make a game feel faster without changing the speed.Video Source: Youtube Channel @rymd-raket

Top Mobile Casual Games Benchmark MetricsDashboard comparing these games: https://lnkd.in/ev35XSDD🔹 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 (https://lnkd.in/eWaRH9x5) - ARPDAU: $0.51 - D1 Retention: 44% - Avg. Playtime: 85 min - Sticky Factor: 43% - Sessions per Day: 5 - Strong playtime, solid retention, and high engagement make this a standout.🔹 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗼 (https://lnkd.in/es3UMvZv) - ARPDAU: $1.28 - D1 Retention: 39% - Avg. Playtime: 66 min - Sticky Factor: 10% - With the highest ARPDAU, but lower stickiness compared to others.🔹 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀 (https://lnkd.in/e-Xdquju) - ARPDAU: $0.24 - D1 Retention: 40% - Avg. Playtime: 80 min - Sticky Factor: 25% - Impressive playtime, though the retention curve declines faster over time.🔹 𝗖𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 (https://lnkd.in/eJcAYpAd) - ARPDAU: $0.30 - D1 Retention: 40% - Avg. Playtime: 40 min - Sticky Factor: 46% - High engagement with a solid sticky factor despite lower playtime.🔹 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘆 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 (https://lnkd.in/ea7CXEQZ) - ARPDAU: […]

25 Unusual Tips for Game Designers (To level up your GD skills faster)1. Play a wide variety of games → Not just your favorite genres. → Explore indie games, retro titles, and even NFT and casino games. 2. Rapid prototype your ideas → Test concepts quickly to see what works and what doesn’t.3. Analyze successful games → Dissect what makes them fun. → Is it the mechanics, the story, or the progression?4. Join game jams → Short deadlines force creativity and help you collaborate.5. Embrace failure → Test bad ideas, break things, and learn from what doesn’t work.6. Play bad games → Study why they fail. It's just as valuable as learning from good games.7. Watch Let's Plays → Observe how different players interact with the same game. → You’ll get a range of perspectives.8. Try speedrunning → Mastering a […]

Meta vs. Progression in Games: What's the Difference? These two concepts often get mixed up, but they serve different purposes.1. MetaMeta refers to anything that motivates players outside of direct gameplay advantages. ↳ Think of cosmetic items, skins, storylines, or leaderboards. ↳ Meta keeps players engaged but doesn't change how the game is played2. ProgressionProgression, on the other hand, directly affects gameplay. ↳ Leveling up, unlocking abilities, or gaining in-game power-ups, etc.↳ These rewards help players advance and unlock new gameplay experiences.3. There are also cases where Meta and Progression overlap. ↳ For example, unlocking a new character may offer cool visuals and a backstory (meta) while also giving new abilities (progression).Both are crucial for player engagement but serve different roles.

When starting the development of a new game, ask yourself: What’s your superpower?Because games with a clear superpower succeed.↳ They build loyal communities.↳ They attract players.↳ They leave a mark.Your superpower is your game's identity.It's what players remember.So, pinpoint it.Embrace it.• Is it a unique mechanic?• A gripping story?• Or maybe stunning visuals?Identifying this early helps focus your team.It guides decisions.It shapes the player experience.So before you dive deep, ask yourself:What makes our game truly special?

Q3 was tough for hypercasual. Downloads of top games dropped by 20-50%. Full report on hypercasual games in Q3:

How to Find the Perfect Game Idea Spoiler: It's not just about having a 'cool concept'.It’s about aligning key areas:• Fun Concept – A 'toy' that’s enjoyable to play• Team Expertise – A project your team is capable of building successfully• Players' Demand – Gameplay that players want and are excited to play• Monetization Potential – A genre with the potential to generate profitTrue success lies at the intersection of all four.Hit that sweet spot, and you’ve got your next big game idea.

Here are the top mobile game launches of 2024 so far: 𝟭. 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 (https://lnkd.in/e5D_Hpfd ) • Publisher: Supercell • Release Date: May 2024 • Genre: Mid-core; Action-Brawl • Monthly Revenue: $6.7M • Total Downloads: 44M 𝟮. 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗻 & 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿: 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 (https://lnkd.in/eegX8Zc5) • Publisher: Tencent • Release Date: May 2024 • Genre: Mid-core; Action RPG/MMORPG • Monthly Revenue: $78M • Total Downloads: 6.4M 𝟯. 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 (https://lnkd.in/eVhvSpTH) • Publisher: Paper Games • Release Date: January 2024 • Genre: Mid-core; Visual Novels, Adventure • Monthly Revenue: $21.4M • Total Downloads: 15M 𝟰. 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗝𝗮𝗺 (https://lnkd.in/eqDPrJAi) • Publisher: Rollic Games • Release Date: January 2024 • Genre: Hybrid-Casual; Logic Puzzle • Monthly Revenue: $5M • Total Downloads: 7.3M 𝟱. 𝗭𝗲𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼 (https://lnkd.in/esSN6z9V) • Publisher: COGNOSPHERE • Release Date: June 2024 • Genre: Mid-core; Action RPG/MMORPG • Monthly Revenue: $20.6M • […]

✅ Green and 🚩 Red Flags for Game Producers: 🚩 Red Flags:- Ignoring player feedback and focusing only on profit.- Believing personal "vision" outweighs market research.- Adding AI features just because competitors are.- Pushing for deadlines at the cost of quality, skipping strategic planning.- Micromanaging the team and disregarding their input.- Overlooking quality assurance, expecting players to report bugs.- Treating burnout with quick fixes like pizza instead of real solutions.- Insisting on strict office presence, underestimating flexible work.✅ Green Flags:- Player feedback is a priority, tied directly to the game's success.- Decisions are guided by market insights and true innovation.- Strategic planning balances deadlines and quality.- Teams are empowered, with every voice heard and a focus on work-life balance.- Quality assurance is a top priority, aiming for the best player experience.- Burnout is addressed with meaningful support and well-being initiatives.- […]