Michael Kopelovich

Co-written by Michael Kopelovich & Constantin-Alexandru Iorga The Lava Quest event has gained prominence as a Tier 1 live-ops event that blends competition, excitement, and clever psychological motivators to keep players engaged. Inspired by the battle royale mechanic, similar to Candy Crush’s "Candy Royale," Lava Quest has become a popular feature in match-3 games, including Royal Match. Although we may be a bit late to the party as this event has been running for quite some time, its popularity hasn’t waned—on the contrary, it has continued to grow and expand into other games and genres. This is why Constantin-Alexandru Iorga and I thought it would be interesting to break down the psychological aspects and design mechanics of Lava Quest, examining how it drives engagement and monetization. In this article, we’ll explore the core mechanics of Lava Quest, its psychological triggers, […]

💡 Interesting Monetization Strategy for Event Progression I recently encountered a well-designed offer during the game event. The game presented three different bundles, each offering items that help players progress faster in the event.What stood out to me was how these offers cater directly to players eager to make headway. Whether you go for the smaller bundle or the larger one, the focus is on giving players the tools they need to keep advancing without hitting a wall.It’s a smart approach that supports player progression while offering meaningful value, keeping players engaged and motivated.

🚀 Monetization Insight from Toon Blast --> I recently came across an interesting feature in Toon Blast that highlights how to effectively combine gameplay progression with monetization. The feature, called Progress Pack, rewards players with coins as they collect stars from completing levels. However, there’s a twist—players need to make a small purchase to claim the rewards they’ve already earned.💡 Here's why I find this compelling:1. Psychological Commitment: The pack offers up to 3500 coins with an attractive 95% off. The player earns stars naturally by playing, but to unlock the rewards they’ve "already earned," they need to pay a small amount. This taps into the psychology of ownership and sunk-cost fallacy, where players feel motivated to claim what they've worked towards.2. Gradual Engagement: The feature motivates longer engagement by gradually increasing the rewards as players reach higher milestones (10, […]