Anton Slashcev

10 Popular Monetization Features for Mobile GamesBased on the Playliner research, here are the top approaches developers are using to boost revenue:1. Starter Pack • A low-priced bundle ($0.99 to $9.99) offered in the first 30 minutes of gameplay. • Huge discounts (50%-90%) to attract early players.2. Rolling Offer • Offers with multiple deals, some free. • Unlocks deals in a sequence, keeping players engaged over time.3. Build Your Offer • Players choose rewards before purchasing. • Option to buy the entire bundle at a discounted price.4. Choose Your Offer • Multiple bundles targeting different spending cohorts, encouraging higher spending.5. Double & Triple Offers • Premium bundles with currencies and boosters available in the store. • Store is accessible from the beginning of the game.6. Shop Bundles • Short-term offers (less than 24 hours) regularly appear in the game store.7. […]

High ARPU vs Low ARPU: What's Driving the Difference?Here’s the breakdown:𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗔𝗥𝗣𝗨 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 💰 • Game Start: Immediate action or engaging intro that hooks players • Onboarding: Short, interactive tutorial integrated into gameplay• Core Loop: Addictive gameplay mechanics that encourage repeat play. • Generosity: Regular rewards and bonuses for active players. • Progression: Levels and rewards that feel achievable. • Goals: Clear short- and long-term objectives for players to strive toward. • Ads: Optional, minimal interruptions that offer rewards. • Game Balance: Skill-based success with balanced matchmaking and economy• Engagement: Daily challenges and fresh content to keep players involved. • Updates: Frequent updates with new features and bug fixes. • Feedback: Listening to players and communicating clearly. • Performance: Smooth gameplay, fast load times, minimal bugs. • Interface: Clean design, intuitive controls.𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗔𝗥𝗣𝗨 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 😕 • Game Start: Long loading […]

How the Mobile Market Changed from 2015 to 20241. Top Free Games [https://lnkd.in/emxuJNVX] • 2015: Subway Surfers and Talking Tom were leading. • 2024: Roblox dominates, driven by user-generated content.2. Top Grossing Games [https://lnkd.in/emxuJNVX] • 2015: Clash of Clans was on top. • 2024: Honor of Kings takes the lead, reflecting Tencent’s growing influence.3. Top Publishers [https://lnkd.in/eT9C8FUW] • 2015: Supercell and King were leading the industry. • 2024: Tencent, Scopely, and Playrix have emerged as key players.4. Top Casual Games [https://lnkd.in/e6MViVcK] • 2015: Candy Crush Saga held the top spot. • 2024: MONOPOLY GO! and Royal Match have surged in popularity.5. Top Hypercasual Games [https://lnkd.in/epJ6KA2Y] • 2015: Crossy Road was one of the big hits. • 2024: Puzzle-based games like Pizza Ready! now dominate.6. Top Midcore Games [https://lnkd.in/eJ7_A4Ed] • 2015: Clash of Clans led the charts. • 2024: Honor of […]

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: