What If Game Dev Happened In A Fantasy World?

What if your game studio was staffed entirely by fantasy races? We all know how wild game development can get—tight deadlines, broken builds, and caffeine-fueled feature drops. But what if your team had literal elves polishing UI, goblins running monetization, and a necromancer maintaining legacy code? Yeah, this is totally ridiculous… but also, kind of accurate. So here it is: a totally fictional (but weirdly relatable) lineup of a fantasy GameDev studio. No offense to actual trolls, vampires, or product managers — I love you all equally. 1. Elves – UX Designers & Narrative Designers Graceful, long-lived, and deeply connected to the flow of form and function. • Create UI so intuitive it feels enchanted. • Write narrative arcs that span centuries (and tug at your heart). • Likely to complain about pixel spacing… poetically. 2. Dwarves – Backend Engineers […]

Michael Khripin April 3

Highlights

Why Mediation Platforms Are Mobile’s Most Important Product?

Gold in the Middle: Why Mediation Platforms Are Mobile’s Most Important Product When I started in the mobile advertising space 8 years ago and asked about Mediation platforms, I was always brushed off with a: “It’s all that data."Great, that tells me so much… But what exactly is happening? Don’t worry. Let’s use this week's newsletter to explain the opportunities that present themselves to a mediation platform. By the end, I’m sure you’ll see why the mediation platform is the best strategic product to operate. Let’s talk about the fictitious ABC Inc. ABC Inc. has built and operates a successful mediation platform and a UA network in the fictitious mobile space. Here are the opportunities: Gatekeeping 🔐 Owning and operating a Mediation platform gives ABC Inc. leverage over other ad networks in the industry. They set the rules on who […]

Felix Braberg April 3

Journal

What does Mobile Game Monetization look like in 2025?

What does mobile game monetization look like in 2025? I examined this from a data perspective, focusing on recent Sensor Tower data (March 2024 - February 2025). Below is data showing the percentage of revenue and downloads in mobile gaming for games with specific monetization features. So we see the following: 🔸 F2P is the king, and paid games hardly exist on mobile 🔸 Currency bundles and Live ops are becoming the standard now for in-app games 🔸 Subscription and season pass are moving to heavy in-app games 🔸 Lootbox is a topic in bigger games 🔸 It is still not a year of NFT and Crypto in mobile gaming :).

Mariusz Gąsiewski April 3

Highlights

Race for TikTok: AppLovin and Amazon in the Mix

The clock’s ticking, and TikTok’s U.S. future is on the line. With an April 5 deadline fast approaching, ByteDance is under pressure to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations, or face a nationwide ban. Among the rumored buyers? Ad Tech titan AppLovin, reportedly deep in negotiations, and Amazon, whose all-in bid hasn’t gained much traction with ByteDance. The original January ban was delayed after President Trump returned to office, allowing more time for a sale. But the clock is almost out. If no deal is struck by Saturday, Trump could extend the deadline again, but there’s no guarantee. Big Bids, Bigger Stakes AppLovin’s interest is said to be known at the highest levels of the Trump administration. Meanwhile, Amazon’s offer—rumored to be for all of TikTok—has been viewed with skepticism. Still, both tech giants represent the growing U.S. appetite to control the […]

Gamigion April 3

Journal

SKAN can work better than AEM for Some Apps

📢SKAN can work better than AEM for some apps Yes, you read that right.AEM is not a silver bullet.It can fail when, for some reason, Meta is not able to fingerprint their users 😬(because yes, they obviously do fingerprinting😂)Today, I’m sharing a real case where this happened.We started a Trial Start campaign in early February using AEM to feed the algorithm with real-time signals which indeed helps the campaigns to optimize better.The campaign started to show more signals on AEM than SKAN during the first weeks but with the time, SKAN started capturing more CTA conversions daily (as shown in the graph), making a HUGE difference on the CPT for each attribution methodology.In my case:👉Cost per trial (last 14d) according to AEM: $71👉Cost per trial (last 14d) according to SKAN: $49🤯Difference: SKAN is 30% cheaper, making my campaigns profitable—unlike AEM.Despite […]

David Vargas April 3

Journal

Anti-AI Artists Need Better Arguments

𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲 Another wave of AI advances, another chorus of artists crying foul. Each wave has been unoccupied by serious argumentation; pro-Copyrightists need to advance something beyond an assumed conclusion if they want to win minds, not just hearts. Copyrightists routinely declare AI-generated art and "training" as copyright infringement and insist artists are owed royalties. This assumption is anything but obvious. If every artist owes royalties to those who came before, should every "pop" artist who creates in the style of Eduardo Paolozzi owe his estate royalties? Film director Tarantino routinely mirrors Spaghetti-western shots; his royalty bill must be absurd. Art and science have always evolved by imitation and influence; the very idea of copyright is a recent invention. No one knows this better than games!The universal outcry against WB Games' patenting […]

Phillip Black April 3

Highlights

When to Scale a Mobile Game?

Hey, FAM! What’s up? 🥃 Drink talk First, it was vibe coding; now, I have started seeing vibe prompting and even vibe marketing. Jesus fucking Christ. Are you serious? 🦩Tip of the week When to Scale a Mobile Game? 1. Analyze Soft Launch Performance Before scaling, a game must pass a soft launch and ideally some time after global launch. This phase serves as a litmus test for: Cohort Profitability: Tracking how different cohorts of players perform in terms of lifetime value (LTV). Retention Metrics: This includes Day 1, Day 7, and Day 30 retention rates. Successful scaling typically requires a minimum of 10-15% retention after Day 30. Monetization Consistency: Ensure that in-app purchases (IAP) and ad revenues are consistent and can be predicted over time. 2. Confirm Cohort Consistency While early cohorts may perform well, consistency is key. The […]

Matej Lancaric April 3

Journal

Good RV Placement in Cake Await

Good RV Placement in Cake Await Really like this approach to rewarded video at the level start screen. Instead of a generic RV offer, the game presents three boosters—giving players a clear and immediate benefit for watching an ad. This placement makes the decision feel natural, reinforcing the value of RV while improving gameplay. A small but effective way to boost engagement and monetization without disrupting the player experience.

Michael Kopelovich April 3

Journal

Beyond Battle Passes and Gacha: Retention-Driven Monetization Models

Battle passes and gacha mechanics have become standard monetization strategies in F2P games. However, they often lead to predictable engagement patterns and don’t always foster deep, long-term player investment. This post explores several new innovative monetization models designed to drive engagement and retention without relying solely on battle passes (including event and season passes) and/or gacha mechanics. These models explored in this article can create monetization opportunities that align with player behavior, community participation, and overall game experience. 1. Prestige & Legacy Systems (Monetizing Long-Term Engagement) Example: A game where high-level players can “retire” their progress in exchange for exclusive content. How It Could Work: Players who reach a certain milestone (e.g., max level, final tier of progression) can ‘prestige’ to gain exclusive benefits from a premium track (of e.g., cosmetics, skills, or VIP content). Monetization comes from prestige passes, premium tracks or premium currency […]

Antti Kananen April 3

Highlights

Mobile Gaming Today: April’1 Week

Hey Fam, Was Ramadan Festival week! I had the best time playing Mo-co, Squad Busters & Brawl Stars with my nephews! Lots of laughs & sweet moments all around (: 👌🏻 Top Gaming Content » Helping Your Players In a Smart Way 🌿 Top puzzle games know the secret: support players, even if it means less short-term cash. From Royal Match’s smart propeller targeting to Toon Blast’s clean levels, these subtle touches help players win without feeling squeezed ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Help is Help. Royal Match’s “take a look” before end-game offers might lower conversions, but it builds trust. These aren’t just kind gestures; they’re smart, player-first design that drives long-term loyalty and revenue. And it’s not just puzzles. A helpful AI or clear progression works wonders in any genre. Quick wins are easy, but great games play the long game by […]

Ömer Yakabagi April 3

Journal

Roblox Levels Up Advertising With Google Partnership

Roblox just pressed play on a major ad power-up, teaming up with Google to bring immersive ad formats, like Rewarded Video, straight into the game world through Google Ad Manager. This move lets brands seamlessly tap into Roblox’s massive Gen Z audience, reaching tens of millions of daily players. Advertisers can now buy video spots directly or programmatically, turning in-game moments into marketing magic. And? For creators, it’s a game-changer. Rewarded Videos offer players real perks—watch a 30-second ad, and score in-game rewards. Early tests? A jaw-dropping 80%+ completion rate. That’s what engagement marketers dream about. So? To boost credibility, Roblox is also partnering with heavyweights like Nielsen, Kantar, DoubleVerify, IAS, and Cint to give advertisers sharp tools to measure impact. This isn’t just ads in games—it’s a new era of immersive, measurable, and meaningful marketing.

Gamigion April 2

Highlights

2025 Mobile Gaming Report: Key Insights for Marketers

Sensor Tower recently released a 50-page report about the state of mobile gaming in 2025. I spent several hours reading and preparing a TL: DR version for you. I added some custom graphs and creatives for visual experience! Enjoy .. Key KPIs: Growth & Engagement In-App Purchase (IAP) Revenue: Mobile game spending returned to growth in 2024, with global IAP revenue up about 4% YoY (reaching roughly $82 billion). Notably, 84% of this revenue came from games with live operations features, underscoring the importance of ongoing content and events. User Engagement: Players spent more time and came back more often—total hours in-game rose ~7.9%, and sessions jumped 12% compared to 2023. This indicates that existing users are playing more frequently and for longer durations, even as new user growth slows. Daily engagement per user increased, helping offset a 6.6% drop in new game […]

Matej Lancaric April 2

Journal

Login to enjoy full advantages

Go Premium!

Enjoy the full advantage of the premium access.

Stop following

Cancel subscription