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Gökhan Üzmez

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3 things Lion Studios doing right in 2024.

3 things Lion Studios doing right in 2024. Hexa - Sort and, Puzzle. Cause it looks like that’s all they need. Looking at the overall downloads on their portfolio,Lion doesn’t look like they are trying new games,Or working on something new, at all.Because they figured out one of the bestPuzzle games of recent years, and how to monetize it properly. Hexa Sort is making more than $14M a monthWith over 30M downloads around the world.Double congrats to Yunus and gamebra.inThis game ‘’inspired’’ 77 other ‘’Hexa’’ puzzles,While the closest got only 5M downloadsWhile Lion Studios is below on downloads list,They do monetize what they get, very well.Hybrid Monetization and concentration on 4-5 games,They could be one of the most profitable mobile gameCompanies in 2024 in terms of execution-revenue.

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Harsh truth for puzzle game developers:

Harsh truth for puzzle game developers: ✦ You can assemble a ‘’top-tier’’ team,✦ You can analyze the market inside and out,✦ You can utilize the ‘’state-of-art’’ mechanic,✦ You can produce a ‘’decent-polished’’ game,But if you aren’t:✧ Acquiring enough new users,✧ Monetizing aggressively without notice,✧ Using multiple networks for certain time,✧ Keeping your UA campaigns up for long time,You won’t get the results you expect.Take a moment to look at Appmagic Analytic link:https://lnkd.in/dGmX8jJ7There is not a single 2024 Puzzle Release on top.It all looks like ‘’big’’ players are making money.They all started from the bottom though.In today’s puzzle environment its not ‘’just’’ about:↳ Innovation on gameplay,↳ Aggressive UA campaign,Its about how long you can last spending:↳ Money on UA campaigns,↳ Time innovating with ‘’data’’,↳ Time and Money on your team.Its tough out there, But it is still, doable…Cheers! PS: Matej 🦩 […]

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Start using 70/20/10 Game Design Theory.

In video game design, data reigns seriously supreme. You can start using 70/20/10 Game Design Theory. Building on genre proven mechanics and standards is key to creating next hits. What is 70-20-10? Let me explain, briefly.70% of your design should be proven,Something other games in the genre,Done extremely well,Considered ‘’standard’’ for the genre.20% of it should be something better.Depending on your team,Make something better than top competitorsSomething that team can improve.10% is the element of surprise.Try something new, mix other mechanics,Go crazy, sky is the limit.Minimum risk,Maximum reward.What is your approach at game design?Cheers!PS:This method is really useful for mobile games, but sure can be effectively used in other platforms.

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The Best Casual Mobile Game Lesson You Will Learn Today

The best casual mobile game lesson you'll learn today: 6 Insights from MY custom dashboard! Watch the change on top games,But define your own path!✦ Not every game needs to be on top,They do need to be profitable though.✦ When we look at the comparison of these games,You can see different strategies.↳This proves there is no ‘’market saturation’’.There is ‘’bad’’ execution on both gameplay and UA. ✦ When Candy Crush was leading, they definedThe match-3 puzzle genre, over and over again,Until Royal Match has arrived…✦ When Coin Master dominated the revenue charts,Monopoly GO! was in the making, now it’s on top.✦ Meanwhile, other heavy hitters from,Playrix, Peak, Metacore are on a steady pathAnd holding their impact on the industry.✦ Some of these games are considered ''old'',Well, not in terms of players eyes! If you watch the charts carefully,You can make […]

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Supersonic Studios: 7 Data-Driven Insights You Can’t Miss

In 5 pages, I evaluated Supersonic in 2024.7 Super insightful, data backed take aways: If you ever played a runner hyper casual game,Chances of that being a Supersonic game is HIGH.And, they like those odds. Because,In terms of 2024 publishing,They kept that strategy. Here are my personal insights:✦ In terms of new users, they get high tier countries.✦ Their Flagships are still runner games.✦ Runner Games + High Tier Countries =Succesful ad monetization..✦ These two things probably failed:1- A ‘’Mid-Core’’ attempt(s),2- Many puzzle games in logic sub-genre focus,Because Supersonic is used to see high Play Timeson runners that generates revenue on Ads.✦ They are probably sharing a high amount of same players on their top games, (ad channels)✦ Low number of attempt on new games can mean:1- Workin on something ‘’big’’ on a different genre,2- Testing different UA platforms,3- Using […]

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6 key steps on successful puzzle games

I shared the stage with Yunus to discuss 6 key steps on successful puzzle games. Step 6 is the real DEAL! Yunus is the developer behind Hexa Sort,Currently making $15M a month.Published by Lion StudiosThis is not his first puzzle game.He has been fighting in frontlines in this genre.Here are the 6 key steps we discussed:1- Creating a hit mobile puzzle game is not easy:↳ Watching the market, closely,↳ Constant Iteration - (Hexagon theme)↳ Constant Innovation - (Auto Sort)2- You can’t scale a game without a low CPI:↳ Focus on new User Acquisition,↳ Keep your retention high,↳ Iterate CREATIVES as well,3- Level design doesn’t mean quantity:↳ Having 350 levels means nothing,↳ Amount of FUN per level means everything.4- Polished art is not a unique selling point↳ Smooth game play is,↳ Flowing animations are.5- You need patience and practice:↳ What looks […]

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Voodoo’s 2024 Activities with 12 Main Subjects

I am breaking down Voodoo's 2024 activities with 12 main subjects:Over the years, they have surpassed 7 Billion downloads worldwide. Some developers don't understand the basics.They think if design looks good on paper,It will also scale on charts. Yea, about that... I follow all major mobile game publishers,On a custom dashboard, made within minutes.I am starting analysis with Voodoo,And I’ll keep publishing similar reports,On Hyper-Casual Game publishers.Here are discussions for Voodoo in 2024:✦ No major scale in 2024 games,✦ Their Flagships remains the same,✦ They are struggling to keep CPIs low,✦ Live Ops teams are doing a great job,✦ New game attempts focuses on puzzles,✦ They are still acquiring TONS of new users,✦ Their Hybrid Monetization is paying off well.I think they will take the following actions:↳ Work on more Mid-Core games on secret accounts,↳ Strengthen their live ops teams […]

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My 6 crucial metric every game developer should track

My 6 crucial metric every game developer should track, because in modern video game design, DATA reigns supreme. Today, every successful game isa result of data driven game design.Every game developer should:- Design, create and maintain a data warehouse,- Validate player data from every source,- Define game metrics such as retention and ltv,- Use efficient dashboards to track progress,For a profitable and fun game.I am actually impressed by Dive and how it simplifies everything. From data collection to clear, actionable insights, it saves both time and money.Making it very “cost-efficient”. If you want:✦ A clear understanding of your game metrics, ✦ To make smarter, data-driven decisions,✦ And save valuable time and money,You should definitely try DIVE because, Data is no longer optional in game development;It's your most powerful ALLY.Cheers! PS: Curious to see how DIVE can transform your game? Send […]

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My 5-year of Mobile Casual Game Analysis

My 5-year mobile casual game analysis makes you see the big picture.Numbers, tell a story, here are take aways: Think you work with complicated Excel sheets?Take a look at my visuals to tell you a story. It's almost like I don't have a design degree, because I, almost, always NEED more graphs! Seriously, I spent hours to make it look simple,And somehow it looks more complicated. 🤡 Here are my take aways:✦ Market is NOT saturated,(DM me if you think so)✦ Yes, release of Monopoly GO! made an impact,✦ Adventure games added a LOT of Ad Revenue,✦ Organic growth is still a thing,(Super market !)✦ Simulation games are the most steady ones,✦ Big Publisher’s IAP driven strategy paid off,✦ It gets harder define genres every year,✦ RPG Download increase is REAL

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What does even success means?

These 10 games kept their revenue throne on the top charts, are they all successful? What does even success means? In terms of revenue, success mean a lot of money.Full lists are https://lnkd.in/dynmZZ4NHowever,When you look at the big picture You see it takes time to define success.And its not necessarily means revenue.Though it helps to define it.Here are some other success metrics:-Functional Minimum Viable Product-Early Retention Rate-Day 0 Play Time-Enough players for metrics to make senseAnd here are ‘’scaled’’ success metrics:-LTV-Low CPI-High Install-ARPDAU-Late Retention RateTherefore,↳ Look from a zoomed out perspective↳ Combine it with your talent,↳ Define the your OWN metrics,↳ And set a path for your ‘’success’’.Most importantly, keep it up! If you want to define yours, DM meAndrei Zubov or Diana Levintovaand learn more about metrics.What are your success metrics?Cheers! AppMagic

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I analyzed puzzle games and only 1.5% were successful

I analyzed puzzle games and only 1.5% were successful*.Here are 6 HOT takeaways you should be aware of:Check out the whole list at https://lnkd.in/dynmZZ4N There are 1229 mobile casual puzzle releases in 2024.Only 62 games made more than 500K downloads.Only 19 games made more than 1M downloads.Here are my takeaways1. Crazy misleading ad creatives on top 10,2. Sorting comes in different ways,3. Logic puzzles have an increase, especially on those open up to reveal,4. IAPs still relies on boosters, thoughThere are good examples ‘’content locks’’,5. ‘’Color’’ and ‘’Sort’’ are the most common by far,6. If you can get creative with creatives, you can thenfocus on player onboarding and journey.*: success meaning can change, for me, it's the comparison where majority of downloads cumulate.

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Balancing Act of F2P Games: Acquire, Retain, and Engage Players

Every F2P game relies on UA channels to attract new players, through organic or paid methods. For mobile games, social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are popular acquisition channels. In contrast, PC and console games often use platforms such as Steam, Reddit, YouTube, and Twitter to reach potential players. Regardless of how newcomers discover your game, a seamless onboarding experience and engaging tutorial are essential to ensure early retention (D1, D3, D7). Especially today, with acquisition costs higher than they were four years ago, it's crucial to treat every player as a potential paying customer and find ways to maximize their engagement. Players acquired through these channels are often referred to as "newcomers" or "casual players." They may join your game because a friend invited them, they saw their favorite influencer playing it, or most commonly, they clicked on […]

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