Anton Slashcev

I analyzed 19,977 new mobile games launched in 2024. Based on AppMagic data, here is how they performed:𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀 • $3.1B in IAP revenue — only 5% of total mobile game revenue • 5.5B downloads — representing 9.7% of all game downloads 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 • Only 1.9% of games made over $1M • 62% earned $0• Success in mobile gaming is rare 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲: 1. RPG: $2B IAP revenue | 7.2% success rate • Top new apps of the genre: https://lnkd.in/epWcqxe72. Strategy: $352M | 3.8% success rate • Top new apps of the genre: https://lnkd.in/e4k7N2Sc3. Shooter: $38M | 2.3% success rate • Top new apps of the genre: https://lnkd.in/eMBmFEyf𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 • Only 1.3% of games surpassed 5M+ downloads • 38.5% didn’t even hit 10k downloads 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀: 1. Simulation: 1B downloads | 10.2% success rate • […]

The Top 10 Social Features in Casual Games Based on the Playliner research, here are the most popular social features: 1. Clans/Teams Players can join or create teams to unlock several benefits: • Exchange lives every 4 hours • Chat with teammates • Compete on team leaderboards • Earn rewards by helping others 2. Friends Interactions with friends are key: • Add or remove friends • Invite friends and get rewards • Send and receive gifts • Play mini-games or joint events 3. Leaderboards & Rankings Competition thrives with rankings: • Global and regional leaderboards • Team Ranking: Based on total levels completed • Player Ranking: Tracks individual progress 4. Tournaments • Players collect tokens to climb leaderboards and win prizes when the event ends. 5. Weekly Contests A week-long challenge: • Earn points by completing new levels • Top […]

20 traps that ruin your Live Ops (and how to avoid it) I teamed up with Sergei Vasiuk to break down the most common mistakes in Live Ops and share tips on how to improve them.• Trends• Events• Whales• Failures• Metrics• Content• Updates• Paywalls• Feedback• Segments• A/B Testing• Community• Progression• Onboarding• Radio Silent• Past Success• Monetization• Tech Performance• Customer Support• Cultural RelevanceThese elements combine to satisfy players.It's where design meets player satisfaction.It’s not about perfection ↳ it’s about continuous improvement.That’s the mark of a truly great game.A standard we can all aim for.

Hybrid Casual Games: Key Monetization Insights Based on the Playliner report, here’s a breakdown of top games like Wood Nuts Bolts Puzzle, Block Jam 3D, and Twisted Tangle:🎯 Level Difficulty and Playtime • Wood Nuts Bolts Puzzle and Block Jam 3D have longer levels due to complex mechanics. • Players often fail on the first attempt, adding challenge and replay value. 🚀 Booster Usage and Value • In Wood Nuts Bolts Puzzle, players frequently use boosters, mostly earned via ads. • Twisted Tangle has high-cost boosters, with players using about 30 across 100 levels. 📺 Popular Ad Placements • Reward x2 – Win screen for double rewards. • Continue Playing – Fail screen for extra time or lives. • Life Refill – Available in mechanics windows. • Booster Activation – Mid-level for extra power-ups. 📊 Ads Watched Per Game • […]

Mobile Games Heatmap for 2024 Here’s a detailed analysis of the genres' performance this year:🟥 𝗥𝗣𝗚𝘀: $𝟭𝟱.𝟯𝗕 (-𝟭𝟮.𝟱%)↳ Top apps of the genre: https://lnkd.in/eTZdHNNs• Action RPG/MMORPG: $6.0B (-15.3%) • Team Battlers: $4.8B (-14.6%) • Idle RPG: $2.1B (+16.3%) • Puzzle RPG: $1.2B (-21.9%) • Other RPGs: $1.2B (-15.6%) 🟩 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆: $𝟵.𝟰𝗕 (+𝟯.𝟱%)↳ Top apps: https://lnkd.in/eGrYsVai• 4X Strategy: $6.6B (+1.5%)• Real-Time Strategy (RTS): $1.3B (+7.4%)• Tactics: $905M (+23.4%)• Card Battler: $545M (-8.7%)🟩 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗼: $𝟴.𝟴𝗕 (+𝟭𝟮%)Top apps: https://lnkd.in/eHWj_VBa• Slots: $3.6B (-6.2%)• Casual Casino: $2.8B (+82%)• Casino Card Games: $937M (+0%)• Bingo: $475M (-6.3%)• Other Casino: $900M (-3.5%)🟩 𝗣𝘂𝘇𝘇𝗹𝗲: $𝟴.𝟱𝗕 (+𝟭𝟮.𝟴%)Top apps: https://lnkd.in/eXuTZuc6• Match-3: $5.3B (+4.6%)• Merge: $1.1B (+55.4%)• Match-2: $550M (+1.6%)• Other Puzzle Games: $863M (+14.7%)• 3D Match: $297M (+46%)🟩 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: $𝟯.𝟴𝗕 (+𝟰.𝟯%)Top apps: https://lnkd.in/ex_P_EsA• Sandbox: $1.4B (+19.9%)• Farming: $1.1B (-0.5%)• Life Sim: $192M (-12.0%)• Fashion: $186M (-13%)• Other Simulations: $912M (+2.4%)🟩 […]

Think games are made only by programmers? Think again! Here’s a glimpse into the professionals it takes to bring a game to life:Development • Programming: gameplay programmers, AI engineers, full-stack developers • Art: concept artists, 3D modelers, illustrators • Game Design: level designers, narrative designers, system designers • Quality Assurance: QA testers, compliance testers, automation engineers • Animation & Audio: character animators, sound designers, audio engineers Localization & Community • Localization: translators, cultural adaptation specialists • Community Management: community managers, social media managers, moderators Marketing & Sales • Marketing: creative producers, content makers, growth managers • Business Development: sales managers, licensing managers, monetization experts Administration • Management: CEOs, CTOs, product managers • HR & Finance: recruiters, payroll managers, legal counsel • Support: customer service reps, player support specialists Other Key Roles • Esports & Events: tournament organizers, coaches, commentators • […]

Which game metrics drive the most ROAS impact? Here is a Tier List:S-Tier (Highest Impact)• Long-Term Retention• ARPDAU (Average Revenue Per Daily Active User)A-Tier• CPI (Cost Per Install)• Conversion to Payer Rate• Short-Term RetentionB-Tier• Sticky Factor• Average Purchase Value• Session Length• Number of SessionsC-Tier• Purchase Frequency• Levels per Session• Churn Rate• Tutorial Completion RateD-Tier• CTR (Click-Through Rate)• eCPM (Effective Cost Per Mille)E-Tier• K-Factor• CVR (Store Page Conversion Rate)• Time to First Purchase