Rewarded UA: Incentivised Ad Platforms 2024

What's going on in this Rewarded UA Space? A big shoutout to Paul Bowen for writing on this topic! Cool to collaborate :) We're tracking a new company launch every week at this point. Especially gift card reward apps. What's causing the explosion of incentivized/rewarded UA channels recently?Is it because IDFA deprecation killed other channels? Or is it because advertisers are seeing great results from these channels? Or something else? Paul's main hypothesis is that most other ad formats have incumbents that dominate the 3rd party supply meaning there's little innovation available for new entrants. Rewarded video Banners Display OEM These are all 2-Sided marketplaces that are nearly impossible for startups to compete in.However, rewarding players for playing games is a 1-Sided marketplace. Once you've created value for the advertiser, you've got a viable business. The benefit for these new […]

Ömer Yakabagi August 29

Journal

Keep Players Happy With Rewards

—a common game dev mantra.It makes sense,but have you ever wondered why?***There's a scientific theory behind it:Reinforcement Theory. *** In simple terms,it means that the likelihood of a behavior being repeated in the future depends on the consequences that follow it.1) 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: In games, positive reinforcement happens when players receive rewards after completing an action. This motivates them to repeat that action.↳ For example, giving a reward when a player finishes a level motivates them to complete the next one. Or, in a slot game, hitting a mega win pushes the player to keep searching for the next mega win.*2) 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: This increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated by removing an unpleasant situation. In other words, something the player doesn't like goes away after they perform a certain action, encouraging them to repeat it.↳ Remember the […]

Yagiz Gur August 29

Journal

Idea of needing to see you to know you’re working persists

Even remote companies are having a tough time moving past the concept of an office. The idea of needing to see you to know you’re working persists, even virtually.Enter the rise of browser-based and VR virtual offices, complete with features like:🗄️ Virtual cubicles 🗣️ Virtual taps on the shoulder🏓 Virtual ping pong & foosball tables🧑‍💼 Managers can “walk the floor” virtually💧 Virtual watercoolers for unexpected face time with execsVirtual overtime and crunch, anyone?And a VR office… who could stomach wearing a headset eight hours a day?We’re perpetuating all the dysfunctions and distractions of the office virtually.Let the office go.As the fully remote 37Signals (makers of Basecamp) put it:“Don’t emulate the office.Work remotely, not locally apart. Don’t just have the same meetings on Zoom, have fewer meetings. Rather than discussing everything in real-time, communicate asynchronously instead. Rather than feel the need […]

Jon Leslie August 28

Journal

Mobile Gaming is in trouble.

Monthly downloads and revenue for the top 10 genres are still lower than 3 years ago. Revenue is down by 13%. ↳ Top genres like RPGs and Shooters saw big drops↳ Puzzle and Action/Brawl games are on the riseDownloads have dipped by 4%.↳ Arcade games took a hit↳ Genres like Casino and Sports are gaining momentumKey takeaways:• RPGs: -23% revenue• Puzzle: +17% revenue• Arcade: -19% downloads• Casino: +23% downloads

Anton Slashcev August 28

Journal

How Race Events Drive Engagement in Mobile Games

Race events have become a powerful tool in mobile gaming, fueling competition and keeping players hooked. Whether completing levels, collecting items, or earning points, these events turn gameplay into a thrilling race against time and other players. Here’s why race events are so effective: 🏆 Competitive Edge: Live leaderboards and real-time tracking push players to keep playing and outperform their rivals.🎁 Tiered Rewards: The faster you race, the better the rewards! Top finishers get exclusive prizes, but everyone walks away with something.⏳ Time-Limited Challenges: With only a limited time to win, the urgency keeps players engaged and returning for more.Examples like Candy Crush Soda Saga’s Rainbow Road and Royal Match’s Sky Race showcase how race events create excitement and drive continuous play.These events increase playtime and provide opportunities for monetization and community building. If you’re looking to boost engagement, race […]

Michael Kopelovich August 28

Journal

Climbing the Charts: “Game of Thrones: Legends RPG” by Zynga

RISING IN THE CHARTS ”GAME OF THRONES: LEGENDS RPG” BY ZYNGA In recent days, the market has noticed a newcomer at the top of the charts.It’s Zynga’s new release, “Game of Thrones: Legends RPG”. ⚔️This is not the first game in which the American gaming company has used the GoT franchise.In 2019, they launched “Game of Thrones Slots Casino”. 🎰The game has amassed US$222MM in IAP revenue with 8.6MM downloads to date.In this new title, Zynga has mixed GoT with a Puzzle RPG: Match-3 gameplay - a sub-genre similar to its biggest hit, “Empire & Puzzles” (US$1.6Bi).It looks like Zynga is taking a big bet on the game. 💎On the day of the game's release, the company published a trailer starring Kit Harington, one of the main stars of GoT.👇Watch the video trailer below. 👇But it seems that the game […]

Carlos Pereira August 28

Journal

Decoding the Creative Testing for Meta Ads

In the dynamic world of Meta Ads, creative content plays a pivotal role, constituting around 56% of the success equation according to Aazar Shad. As the influence of AI in media buying processes continues to grow, understanding the nuances of creative testing becomes imperative for marketers. Aazar, drawing insights from a community of over 45 top-performing marketers, has compiled the ultimate guide for refining your ads roadmap. Key Steps to Optimize Creative Testing: Step #1 — Streamlined Campaign Structure Maintain simplicity in your account structure by focusing on two types of campaigns: the main prospecting campaign and the creative testing campaign. The main campaign scales winning ads, while the creative testing campaign identifies and moves these winning ads into the main campaign. Step #2 — Strategic Testing Frequency Tailor your creative testing frequency based on budget considerations. For budgets ranging […]

Doruk Kasoglu August 28

Journal

Lucky Defense Scaled to $300K a Day

Daily $300K - just from IAP! 🤑 Launched on May 25th the game already did $20M+ revenue and 3,5M downloads. This is the same company that did Random Dice, the other very successful Tower defense game, which was later "westernized" into Rush Royale 😎.The main iteration of the game is in its core gameplay. It's a Cooperative game instead of PvP ⚔ (even though you can play the PvP event). Instead of monsters getting into some kind of a portal, where you lose lives, they just circle the map. The loose condition is based on the number of these monsters on the whole map, if it crosses 105 you lose the game. The random merging mechanic now continues into Mythic unit recipes, which are the main Damage units of the game + there is a gambling mechanic 🎰, where special […]

Jakub Remiar August 28

Journal

Wheel of Emotions for your next game emotional objectives

Have you used this tool before? Take a look at the Wheel of Emotions to decide which emotional objectives you'll set for your next game, keeping feel unified throughout the project! 🎡 First introduced to me by Renee Gittins, founder of Stumbling Cat and all around very smart person, the Wheel of Emotions is a fantastic tool to help you pick how your game is aiming to make your players feel. By setting these emotions early you set your team up with a common direction of where to head that extends to every department. If your game is supposed to elicit a sense of betrayal, how does that manifest in your character design? In your environment design? In the mechanics your team chooses?This kind of focused design also makes the end product much more punchy, as often going just a […]

Willem Delventhal August 27

Journal

Mobile Game Race: Shooter vs RPG vs 4x

Explore, Expand, Exploit, and Exterminate, and that’s exactly what 4X mobile games are doing to top charts right now, but how?35% of top-grossing Mobile Games are 4X.How does this sub-genre stand against the main genres?I think of 4 main reasons (see what I did there 🕺)1️⃣ They blend widely common mechanics,Such as RTS and RPG (Example: Top Heroes).2️⃣ They are a perfect place of gameplay to showVarious level and difficulty curve designs.Therefore they keep a high retention.3️⃣ They get ‘’creative’’ on User Acquisition.Some say it is a misleading, or false ad,While data argues they get, ''results''.4️⃣ They can be enjoyed by ALL player types:Achievers, Explorers, Socializers, and Killers.Do you think 4X will get higher?

Gökhan Üzmez August 27

Journal

Live or Leave: Beyond Turkish Mobile Gaming

This post aims to provide a comprehensive guide for anyone considering moving to Turkey, especially those in the mobile gaming industry. By understanding the culture, daily life, work environment, and practical aspects, newcomers can better navigate their new home and enjoy all that Turkey has to offer. Live or Leave! The headline sounds cool, right? This shot is the #3 after our last two articles ‘Mobile Gaming World: Türkiye’ & ‘Mobile Games Leaderboard: Top Turkish Studios’. Today, I want to address the questions from my friends abroad who are curious about visiting or relocating to Turkey, particularly those considering investments in mobile gaming studios. If you are fortunate enough to choose where to live, I will provide a balanced view of life in Turkey—the highs and the lows—so you can determine if it’s the right fit for you. Culture & Life […]

Rabia Dincer August 27

Journal

Unico Studio Pioneers of Tricky Puzzle

In the dynamic world of mobile gaming, few studios shine as brightly as Unico Studio. With an astonishing 800 million+ downloads under their belt, they've truly revolutionized the puzzle genre with their flagship series: Brain Test. 🧩🎮 🧠 Brain Test Series: A Global Brain Teaser Sensation 🧠Unico Studio's journey took off with the wildly popular Brain Test, a game that turned heads with its tricky 2D puzzles. This success story led to a series that has enthralled millions of players worldwide. Check out the jaw-dropping stats:Brain Test: 📈 372 million downloadsBrain Test 2: 📈 128 million downloadsBrain Test 3: 📈 90 million downloadsBrain Test 4: 📈 27 million downloadsTogether, these sequels have racked up a phenomenal 617 million downloads, propelling Unico Studio led by Erk Uzun , Uzeyir Baser , Mehmet A. , Cemil Alc , Buğra Güngör , Sadi […]

Vamsi Penmetsa August 27

Journal

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