12 Key Money Metrics in Mobile Game Development

🛠️ Product 1. LTV (Lifetime Value): The total revenue a player is expected to generate over their entire time playing the game.2. ARPU (Average Revenue Per User): The average revenue generated by a single user over a specific period (daily/weekly/monthly).3. Conversion Rate: The percentage of users who make at least one purchase.4. Average Check: The average amount spent per transaction. 🚀 Marketing 5. ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Evaluates the profitability of user acquisition.6. CPI (Cost Per Install): The average cost incurred to acquire a new user who installs the game.7. Target Spend: The planned budget for user acquisition (daily/weekly/monthly).Increasing the volume of target spending usually reduces ROAS.8. CPM (Cost Per Mille): The cost per thousand ad impressions. 💼 Business 9. ROI (Return on Investment): Measures overall profitability by comparing the net profit to the total investment cost.10. Burn Rate: […]

Anton Slashcev June 18

Journal

What Is The Process Of Creating a Narrative In Games?

Here is the pipeline I created and used when I was a Narrative Producer: 0) Logline— High-concept premise— Two or three sentences— Includes the protagonist, goal, and main conflict1) Synopsis— Brief story overview (1-2 pages)— Follows a three-act structure— Outlines main plot points, key characters, and the overall story arc2) Story Outline— Breakdown narrative into acts and major chapters— Highlight key events, character development, and plot twists— Roadmap for the entire story2A) Worldbuilding— Create the game's setting— Focus on aspects that influence the story and characters2B) Characters Passports— Backstory and motivation— Key character traits— Role in the plot— Description of appearance— References2C) Speech Characteristics— Unique speech patterns for each character— Examples: old-fashioned or slang speech, stuttering, etc.— Sample of dialogue3) Chapter Flowchart— Visual representation of story progression— Detail branching paths, scenes, player decisions, and possible outcomes— Indicates game mechanics used […]

Anton Slashcev June 17

Journal

Game Retention Cheatsheet

To improve retention, it's necessary to deconstruct the factors influencing it. Here’s a cheatsheet on how to keep players engaged from the start: I. Short-Term Retention (Day 1-3) 1) Onboarding:🎯 Clear objectives🧠 Minimal cognitive load⚡ Immediate action2) First Impressions:🎨 Strong graphics and good readability🖱️ Intuitive UI/UX📜 Compelling story hook3) Core Gameplay Loop:🎮 Fun & engaging gameplay📏 Easy-to-understand rules🎁 Rewarding sessions II. Mid-Term Retention (Day 3-30) 1) Game Depth:♟️ Diverse strategies🆕 New mechanics🗺️ Side quests2) Live-Ops:🔄 Regular updates🎉 Events⏳ Limited-time content3) Progression & Difficulty:🏆 Balanced challenges📈 Satisfying progression4) Engagement Mechanics:🎁 Daily bonuses🗓️ Quests🔔 Push notifications III. Long-Term Retention (Day 30-360) 1) Meta and Long-Term Goals📑 Narrative🏡 Decor👤 Character customization🎨 Cosmetic items2) Endgame content and loop 🏁3) Social engagement👪 Community Features:🛡️ Guilds and Clans🏅 Leaderboards🤝 Co-op, PvE & PvP events4) Balanced economy ⚖️5) Technical Stability🛠️ Continuous optimization🐛 Bug fixes IV. Monetization 💸 […]

Anton Slashcev June 17

Journal

Passion For Games Is A Huge Business Advantage

Why? 1. Passion = KnowledgeEver met someone who lights up when discussing a topic?They can talk for hours, knowing every tiny detail.This deep immersion can't be faked—it's driven by passion.2. Passion = Understanding the AudienceIf you love the games you make, you know exactly what your audience wantsBecause you are the audience!3. Passion = High Product ValuePassionate creators can't tolerate mediocrity.They strive to enhance every aspect of the game, adding interesting details and putting their soul into the project.Players notice this dedication.4. Passion = Going the Extra MileEvery project faces tough moments.In these times, the willingness to go the extra mile is crucial.Those who don't care will give up.Those who love the game will find creative solutions to succeed.Of course, other qualities are essential in game development.Game design, business skills, management, strategy, etc. All are critical.But a love for games […]

Anton Slashcev June 8

Journal

Most Game Tutorials Suck

But why?Because they feel like boring homework instead of an adventure. Limiting the player's freedom Making you do obvious things Requiring reading lots of dull text Nullifying challenge, excitement, and the sense of flow Yet, players still need the necessary context to understand the rules, objectives, and controls.So how do you do it right?Here are the key principles for creating effective tutorials:1. Teach through gameplay 🎮Let players learn by doing and experimenting.2. Use visuals 🖼Arrows, interface elements, and lighting work better than walls of text.3. Minimize tutorial steps 🕒Keep it short and engaging.4. Avoid "hard" tutorials 🔓Don’t lock controls unless it's absolutely necessary.5. Skip the obvious 🤔Don’t teach what players already know (familiar controls, or tutorials for features the player has already seen).6. Make actions intuitive 🧠Ensure the required actions are naturally understandable during the tutorial.By following these principles, you can create […]

Anton Slashcev May 20

Journal

Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Mobile Game Marketing

In a struggling market for performance marketing, mobile developers are increasingly exploring diverse promotional strategies for their games. 🔍 Let's break down what mobile game marketing consists of.Broadly, there are 2 sources of traffic for games:1. Organic Traffic: Players find your app in the store on their own 🌱2. Paid Traffic: Players click on an ad and go to the app page in the store 💸What drives Organic and Paid traffic?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Paid Traffic is influenced by four main factors:1. CVR (Conversion Rate): Measures the percentage of users who install the game after viewing the store page 📈2. CTR (Click-Through Rate): Indicates the percentage of people who click on an ad after seeing it 👀3. CPM (Cost Per Mille): Represents the cost of 1,000 ad impressions 💰4. UA Settings like target audience, network channel, geo, etc.🛠️------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Organic Traffic comes from either search results […]

Anton Slashcev May 17

Journal

Live-Ops Product Management: Cycle Breakdown

Product management during the live-ops stage is very much like maneuvering ships in the open ocean. 🌊Here’s a breakdown of the cycle, complete with sailors' analogies to keep you anchored! ⚓️🌟 1. Vision (1-10 years)Objective: Define the long-term purpose of the productParticipants: Executives, Producer/Product Managers, StakeholdersAnalogy: Guiding Star 🌟🧭 2. Strategy (6-24 months)Objective: Outline key directions to achieve the visionParticipants: Product Manager, Executives, MarketingAnalogy: Compass 🧭🗺️ 3. Roadmap (3-12 months)Objective: High-level plan for major milestones and deliverablesParticipants: Producer, PM, Heads of DepartmentsAnalogy: Treasure Map 🗺️⚓ 4. Milestones & Releases (1-2 months)Objective: Detail the next release with features and contentParticipants: Producer, PM, QA, Team LeadsAnalogy: Anchor ⚓🚢 5. Sprint (1-3 weeks)Objective: Plan the work for the next sprintParticipants: PM, Team Leads, Heads of DepartmentsAnalogy: At Full Sail! 🚢🛠️ 6. Daily Operations (daily)Objective: Execute tasks and monitor progressParticipants: Development, Design & QA, […]

Anton Slashcev May 13

Journal

Don’t Make New Mobile Games

A piece of advice for new dev teams:Don't make new mobile games.Choose another platform for now (PC / UGC / Web).Here's why:From a business perspective, developing new mobile games has lost its appeal over the past four years because of:📊 Success Rate (For Experienced Teams):— Then: ~1 successful game out of 10-15 projects.— Now: <1 successful game out of 50 projects, even for top teams. 🔽💰 Development Costs:— Then: MVP development required 5-8 experienced specialists.— Now: 20-30 or more for casual games. 🔼💲 Potential Profit (Revenue - UA spends): remains unchanged at best.➡ As a result, the Expected Value of prototyping has decreased. 🔻Expected Value = (Potential Profit * Success Rate) - Dev CostsEven the biggest companies like Playrix and Supercell struggle to launch new games despite unlimited budgets.What does this mean for new teams?— The entry ticket for mobile game […]

Anton Slashcev May 9

Journal

How To Review Game Builds Like a Pro?

After reviewing more than 1,000 game builds I have prepared a framework for a Producer \ Creative Director \ Lead GD to review a build.Here are the aspects to evaluate and questions to ask yourself while playing:1. General Game Feel 😊 Fun: Is the game enjoyable? Why or why not? Engagement: Does the game make you want to play more? Paying Motivation: What would make you spend money in the game? Memorable Moments: What stands out about the game? Confusion: What aspects were confusing and how can they be improved? 2. Core Gameplay 🎮 Basic Actions: Are the mechanics like shooting satisfying? Complexity & Depth: How deep are the game mechanics? Clarity: Are the game goals and rules easy to understand? Variability: Does the game offer various playstyles? Evolution: Do the game mechanics evolve? 3. Art & UI 🎨 Visual […]

Anton Slashcev May 6

Journal

Mobile Games Live-Ops Cheat Sheet

The ultimate goal of any product changes in a game is to increase LTV. However, LTV is a rather general metric, and changes in it are hard to measure after each individual update.🎯 Therefore, it's better to focus on improving 4 fundamental metrics, each of which will ultimately enhance LTV - either directly or indirectly, over time. 4️⃣ Key Metrics: 1. Retention2. Playtime3. Conversion to paying user4. ARPU (Daily / Weekly)🔍 Once you determine which metric you want to influence, you should choose an appropriate aspect that can be improved in this regard.> For example, improve the game Meta to enhance long-term Retention.Some aspects of the game can influence several key metrics simultaneously:> For instance, exciting competitions with other players can both increase ARPDAU and Playtime 🏆And some changes might improve one metric at the expense of another:> By increasing […]

Anton Slashcev May 6

Journal

How to Generate Hit Game Ideas?

Here Are 20 Creative Ways:1. Combine Successful Games 🕹️Mix key aspects from different games for a fresh experience.2. Mix Gameplay Elements 🌀Blend elements from various games for a unique hybrid.3. Simplify for Broader Appeal 🌐Take a mid-core game and simplify it for a casual audience.4. Improve Existing Concepts ⚙️Polish and enhance popular, yet unpolished games.5. Adapt Across Platforms 🔄Transfer successful games from one platform to another.6. Embrace Absurdity 🤪Create memorable games by combining the unexpected.7. Iconic Moments 🎥Transform famous scenes from media into gameplay.8. Inspired by Fake Ads 📺Create games based on viral, fake game ads.9. Historical Themes 🏰Incorporate rich cultural and historical elements.10. Evoke Emotions ❤️Design each element to evoke specific emotions.11. Break the Fourth Wall 🧩Engage players with meta-narratives.12. New Technologies 🚀Leverage emerging tech for innovative experiences.13. Fulfill Childhood Fantasies 🌟Tap into common childhood dreams.14. Game Mods 🛠️Turn […]

Anton Slashcev May 2

Journal

R&D Framework for Game Prototyping

After developing over 100 game prototypes, I found that having a flexible yet clear workflow can significantly simplify the R&D process.Below is the framework I often use when starting work on new projects: I. Pre-Production (2-4 weeks) 1. Idea Generation:▶ Market analysis, gathering references;▶ Brainstorming to pick the most promising ideas2. Greybox Prototyping:▶ Focus on a single core feature;▶ Find the fun factor3. Conceptualization:▶ Preparing the GDD, user flow, and key shots;▶ Selecting the right tools and creating a roadmap II. Production (4-9 weeks) 4. Features Development:▶ Concentrate on key gameplay mechanics and speed in development;▶ Minimal meta or progression5. Content Creation:▶ Craft key art, and fun levels, and use ready-made assets;▶ Secondary art, vfx, sounds, etc. can be draft6. Minimum Viable Product:▶ Ensure the game offers 20-40 minutes of engaging gameplay with a distinctive style and polished game feel▶ […]

Anton Slashcev May 2

Anton Slashcev

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