King’s Candy Crush Solitaire: What Went Wrong?

Candy Crush Solitaire Mobile Game by King

King’s Candy Crush Solitaire: What Went Wrong?

Candy Crush Solitaire by King had its global launch on Feb 6th. Looking at the numbers nearly one month later, the game did just $600K in revenue on 4 million downloads at that time. Doesn't seem like the result King was looking for after releasing it as the first Candy Crush-themed game in the last 6 years. The first impression of the game is that it's a little bit old, even though it's brand new. It carries the signature King UI that we are used to from their Match3 puzzlers, but both the style and layout of the UI evokes a 2015 vibe. This wouldn't be a problem if it were only visuals, but it seems the feature set is also not up to standard for the current generation of level-based puzzle games. And don’t get me started on the […]

Jakub Remiar March 5

Analysis

Playrix LiveOps Strategy

Playrix LiveOps Strategy • 🆚 PvP Duel ↳ Players face off 1v1, earning duel points by completing levels. The winner gets boosters. • 🏁 Race Tournament ↳ A 3-day challenge against 4 others. The top 3 finishers receive rewards. • 🔥 Lava Quest-like Win Streak ↳ A group of 100 competes to complete 7 consecutive levels. Winners split hard currency. • 🎯 Personal Win Streak ↳ Players complete levels without losing to stack boosters. Losing resets progress. • 🏆 Standard Tournament ↳ A personal competition where players collect special items on main levels. Top performers get rewards. • 🌍 Expedition ↳ Players explore themed locations, complete tasks, and progress through a story.• 🤝 Co-op Club: Team Chest ↳ Teams collect event items by completing levels. Rewards are shared, with extra prizes for top contributors. • 🎟️ Season Pass ↳ Free […]

Anton Slashcev February 26

Analysis

Casual Games LiveOps in Q1 2025

Casual Games LiveOps in Q1 2025 1️⃣ Luck-Based Cooking Mechanics • Dice rolls for ingredients (Family Farm Adventure, Seaside Escape) • Adds gambling excitement to cooking 2️⃣ PvP Sprint Tournaments • 1v1 battles feel more achievable • Short (1-hour) duration boosts urgency 3️⃣ New Mini-Game Variations • Arcade mechanics like Block Blast (Royal Kingdom) • Adds skill-based engagement 4️⃣ Social Co-Op Enhancements • Coin Master: Social reward multipliers in Plinko • Monopoly Go: Solo or team progress options 5️⃣ Point Multipliers Everywhere • Top 10 games use them to extend playtime • Loss aversion increases resource spending 6️⃣ Temporary Subscriptions • 7-day passes (Merge Mansion) • Daily rewards boost retention & monetization 7️⃣ Rise of Short-Term Events • 1-2 hour challenges (tournaments, mini-games) • Quick to start, easy to understand 8️⃣ Live Ops Calendar Compression • More frequent, shorter events […]

Anton Slashcev February 24

Analysis

Monopoly GO Top Revenue-Driving Events

Monopoly GO Top Revenue-Driving Events 𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 🎯 • Plinko-style mini-game using chips. • Chips can be bought or earned. • Multipliers boost spending and rewards. 𝟮. 𝗛𝗮𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 👻 • 8-player teams add social pressure. • Solo and team goals drive spending. • Blackjack-style mechanic encourages retries. • Limited time adds urgency. 𝟯. 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 🤝 • Team up with a friend. • Land on special tiles to earn currency. • Spin the lucky wheel for event points. • Grow 4 objects to unlock the final reward. 𝟰. 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 🏁 • Compete in teams of three. • Spend flags to roll dice and earn points. • Rewards for laps and placement. • Medals from three tournaments decide the winner. 𝟱. 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁 💎 • Tap squares to find hidden treasures. • Each tap costs a […]

Anton Slashcev February 21

Analysis

11 tips for Killer UA operations: Q1 2025

11 tips for Killer UA operations (Q1 2025) That’s it, 𝗻𝗼 𝗕𝗦 & 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁! No fluff intro, straight to the point. Here we go again! The previous UA killer articles were super successful, so I started writing a UA killer tips segment. I will keep sharing these tips; don’t worry. Keep reading the tips to improve your UA. Simple, practical & efficient! That’s it, no bullshit & brutally honest! No fluff intro, straight to the point. 1. Creative KPIs & custom columns on Meta This is more advanced stuff, so people who are new to Meta ads might not get it, but… …these are some metrics you need to keep an eye on when testing videos: We have hook rate, hold rate and engagement score. You need to watch these when checking your creative performance. Important thing is, there […]

Matej Lancaric February 18

Analysis

Royal Kingdom vs Royal Match

Royal Kingdom vs Royal Match 𝟭. 𝗙𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗣𝘃𝗣 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 ⚔️ • Every 10th level, players attack opponent castles using Match-3. • Shields protect, potions repair. 𝟮. 𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 ⭐ • Potions replace stars as rewards. • Variable potion amounts instead of a fixed one-star reward. 𝟯. 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗮 🏰 • Multiple separate locations instead of a single expanding one. • Clearer visual progression to show total work scope. • Team ranking system with weekly goals and rewards. • Player rank system that unlocks new areas. 𝟰. 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 💥 • Wizard Hat: Changes random color elements. • Bomber Plane: Drops 3 bombs that auto-activate. 𝟱. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 💎 • Earned through meta-tasks instead of level completion. • Players can request potions from teammates once per day. • More emphasis on team cooperation. 𝟲. 𝗨𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲s […]

Anton Slashcev February 5

Analysis

Why Some Puzzle Games are More Addicting?

The puzzle genre is a powerhouse in mobile gaming, generating over $7 billion annually in in-app purchases (IAP). Despite this immense market, more than half of the revenue comes from a single subgenre: Match-3. Established giants dominate not only Match-3 but also other popular subgenres like Merge and Blast, making it incredibly difficult for new entrants to gain traction. In such a highly competitive space, innovation is the key to creating new opportunities, and we've seen that with the rise of Physical Match and Tile Match games. Titles like Match Factory, Triple Match 3D, and Tile Busters have successfully carved out space by introducing fresh mechanics to the puzzle category. “Pair” games mainly consisting of Physical Match and Tile Match titles didn’t take long to become the third largest puzzle subgenre. As the puzzle market evolves, a new wave of […]

Ahmetcan Demirel February 5

Analysis

Surprise, You’re Hooked: The Fun World Of Gacha Games

Here’s what’s covered in this analysis article on Gacha; What is Gacha? Why Do People Love Gacha Games? Types of Gacha Systems: Not All Are Created Equal Supercell’s Secret Sauce: How They Do Gacha Right The Depth of a Gacha System: Why It Matters Trading Cards, Gacha-Style: A Familiar Twist The Psychology Behind Gacha: Why We Keep Coming Back Ethical Concerns: Is Gacha Gambling? The Gacha Balancing Act Analysis by Aylin Yazıcı. Feel free to contact me. What is Gacha in Mobile Gaming? A Beginner’s Guide to the Fun (and Madness) If you’ve ever played mobile games, or even just browsed the app store, you’ve probably stumbled across games that boast vibrant characters, cool weapons, or flashy loot. And somewhere in those games, you’ll hear the word “gacha.” But what does it mean? And why do people go crazy over it? Let’s break […]

Aylin YAZICI January 28

Analysis

Top Casual Games LiveOps Strategy

Top Casual Games LiveOps Strategy Based on Playliner research, here’s what’s working for the top titles: 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗼 • $92M/month revenue, 3M downloads • Focus: Co-op activities • Supporting features: Collection, passes, mini-games, task-based rewards 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀 • $41M/month revenue, 4M downloads • Focus: Expeditions & Adventures • Supporting features: PvP, tournaments, win streaks, passes 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 • $120M/month revenue, 4M downloads • Focus: Tournaments • Supporting features: Co-op, mini-games, collections, gacha 𝗖𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 • $53M/month revenue, 2.8M downloads • Focus: Task-based rewards • Supporting features: Tournaments, passes, win streaks 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘆 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 • $86M/month revenue, 7.7M downloads • Focus: Win streaks • Supporting features: Mini-games, tournaments, task-based rewards 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 • $35M/month revenue, 6.5M downloads • Focus: Expeditions & mini-games • Supporting features: Co-op (Regata), passes, tournaments 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗽 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗿 • $23M/month revenue, 2M downloads • Focus: Mini-games & decoration events • Supporting […]

Anton Slashcev January 20

Analysis

Magic Sort Analysis: Grand Games’ New Treasure

Here’s what’s covered in this analysis article on Magic Sort: The Rise of Magic Sort: Financial Success and Funding Gameplay and Monetization: Relaxation Meets Revenue User Acquisition Challenges Visual Appeal and Player Experience Grand Games: A Unique Player in Casual Gaming Future Opportunities: LiveOps, Progression, and Global Expansion Check out: The ‘Why’ Behind Grand Games’ $30M Investment Magic Sort: Impressive Earnings, But Can It Scale Globally? The buzz surrounding Magic Sort has been undeniable. With the game already raking in impressive daily revenues between $80K to $100K and securing $30 million in Series A funding, things are looking bright for the puzzle game. However, there’s an interesting question lingering: Can the game sustain this momentum with its current user acquisition (UA) strategy? And more importantly, is it really set for scaling on a global level? Magic Sort’s initial performance, especially […]

Aylin YAZICI January 16

Analysis

Royal Kingdom’s Big Gamble: Is It the Next Match-3 King?

Here’s what’s covered in this deep analysis article on Royal Kingdom; Royal Kingdom’s Launch & Early Challenges Core Mechanics & Features Financials & Monetization Strategies Royal Kingdom vs. Royal Match Retention & Player Engagement Tactics The Future of Royal Kingdom User Acquisition & Marketing Total Downloads & Revenue Royal Kingdom’s Big Gamble: Can It Usurp the Throne? The mobile gaming landscape is more competitive than ever, with developers constantly testing new waters. Enter Royal Kingdom, a bold new entry in the match-3 puzzle space. But is it poised to take over the crown from the mighty Royal Match? You’ll find an intriguing combination of mechanics that separate it from the usual suspects like Candy Crush and Royal Match. This game is much more than just a pretty face with an addictive core loop. Let’s dive deep into the nuts and bolts of this game and its […]

Aylin YAZICI January 9

Analysis

The Sweet Art of Feature Adaptation

In the ever-evolving landscape of the gaming industry, it's no secret that games often draw inspiration from one another. This cross-pollination of ideas isn't confined to a single genre or platform; it's a universal phenomenon that drives innovation continuously. Whether it's a unique gameplay mechanic from an indie title or a groundbreaking event in one of the biggest franchises, developers consistently look to each other to spark creativity and fuel progress. When a new feature or event makes waves in a particular game, it's only natural for others within the same genre to take notice. After all, if something resonates with players, why not explore its potential in a similar context? However, in a world where game updates are dissected in real-time by every other developer, keeping such innovations under wraps has become virtually impossible. The moment you introduce a […]

Ahmetcan Demirel January 6

Analysis

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