The Next Billion-Dollar Merge Games

Merge games segment on mobile has seen interesting takes in past couple years, from Merge Mansion originally boasting the genre up — with Travel Town and Gossip Harbor raising their heads up as followers, who managed to raise to the genre’s top.This article focuses on looking beyond what is currently out there, with giving some trends and predictions for the near and longer future, in terms of what type of merge games we would be seeing (hopefully) — and, discussing, why these introduced topics could make sense for the genre.Note: This article has data from AppMagic; Merge Games segment.Innovation Meets DepthMerge games have proven their staying power with Travel Town and Gossip Harbor blending solid grid management with narrative-driven building layers (in terms of grid management and how it boasts from engagement to economy and monetization, Travel Town has done […]

Antti Kananen December 31

Journal

GPT vs. Royal Match: Can AI Win a Hard Level?

Introduction Ever wondered if GPT could help beat a tricky level in Royal Match? Well, I decided to put it to the test. Before diving into the game, I made sure to "train" GPT on the basics of Royal Match, explaining the mechanics, how to create power-ups, and ensuring it understood the fundamentals as best as I could. With that prep done, I tackled a hard level with GPT as my guide, move by move. Here's how it went: The Setup The level was challenging, with limited moves and multiple objectives: clear the wooden crates, collect yellow crowns, and free the piggies. Armed with screenshots for every move, I consulted GPT for its recommendations, following them step by step. Did GPT’s logic bring me victory? Let’s find out. The Moves Move 1: Match three red tiles in the bottom right […]

Michael Kopelovich December 30

Journal

I don’t get Sora, but Kling AI is a game-changer.

𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗔 → 𝗞𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗜 → 𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗠𝗟 I don't get Sora, but Kling AI is a game-changer. 👇Using them together is pretty cool. You can clearly see the difference. 1 base image from Midjourney, and three different video outputs. 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁: *Silhouette of a skeleton in a hood in the dark, face not visible, Yellow neon eyes are visible, cyberpunk*𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁:*skeleton turns his head and looks into the camera, the camera slowly zooms into his eyes and ends very close, extensive fire burns in the background*𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 & 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀• I don't understand Sora (or Sora doesn't understand me)• Runway needs a special prompt approach• Kling AI is killing it• there is infinite potential • Keyframes in Runway/Luma/KlingGot exactly what I wanted... Only from KlingAI!🦄 How to decrease CPI by 40% and triple ROAS with AI creatives: https://lnkd.in/dM-2VACa🎈How to use AI in […]

Matej Lancaric December 30

Journal

Social Engagement Time in Mobile Games

Social Engagement Time in Mobile Games Based on the Playliner research, here's the breakdown of social presence in popular games:• Zynga Poker (with Core): 85%• Monopoly Go: 70%• Board Kings: 70%• Coin Master: 67%• Dice Dreams: 27%• Animals & Coins: 18%• Solitaire Tripeaks: 10%• June’s Journey: 9%• Candy Crush Saga: 7%• Royal Match: 5%• Zynga Poker (without Core): 5%• Fishdom: 4%• Best Fiends: 0%• Solitaire Grand Harvest: 0%Statistics are based on 10-hour playtests for each game, during which all moments where the player sees avatars or names of other players on the screen were counted.

Anton Slashcev December 30

Journal

iOS Games: Top Free ASO & ASA Tools

Here’s my little gift to you: Top free tools for ASO & ASA. 🌍 Switchr – App Store looker | https://lnkd.in/ewMD_Dit🔎 Ad Repository – Competitor research | https://lnkd.in/eynfFNGz📸 Scrnshts Club – Design inspo | https://scrnshts.club💬 ASO CustomGPT – Strategy tool | https://lnkd.in/eNep5fbZ📊 MobileAction Action – App Store insights | https://lnkd.in/eyX9n2nA⭐ Sensor Tower – Top charts WW | https://lnkd.in/eac3PCSk

Julie Tonna December 30

Journal

10 signs you might be working on a dead game 🚩

10 signs you might be working on a dead game 🚩 (you don't want to miss them)𝟭. 𝗡𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 👀↳ Without direction, priorities scatter and time is wasted. 𝟮. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲. 🎮 ↳ If developers don’t enjoy it, players won’t either. 𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁𝘀 🔄 ↳ Frequent changes derail progress and drain morale. 𝟰. 𝗡𝗼 𝗨𝗦𝗣 🪝↳ A generic game can’t stand out in a crowded market. 𝟱. 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 🌀 ↳ When no one knows who’s responsible, chaos reigns. 𝟲. 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 🛑 ↳ Finger-pointing creates toxicity and stalls solutions. 𝟳. 𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 📉 ↳ Players don’t come back if the game doesn’t hook them early. 𝟴. 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗽 ⁉️ ↳ Adding more instead of fixing the basics only bloats the game. 𝟵. 𝗡𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 🗨️ ↳ Empty forums and social […]

Anton Slashcev December 30

Journal

Creative Animation Alert!

🎉 Creative Animation Alert! 🪛 Spotted this fantastic end-of-level reward multiplier animation in Screw Tile by ABI Game Studio. The screw animation adds such a unique and satisfying touch to the experience. 🎨👏Love seeing creative design ideas like this—kudos to the team for making rewards feel extra rewarding! 💡✨Check out the game here:iOS: https://shorturl.at/0UhwSAndroid: https://shorturl.at/MTvzj

Michael Kopelovich December 30

Journal

What gaming has taught me

What gaming has taught me—and what I tell non-gaming founders: social gameplay is the engine behind long-term user retention. Here’s how it works. 1. Players who form in-game friendships stay 2-3x longer. I've talked to veteran players who say they would've quit ages ago if not for their guild relationships.2. The best social mechanics connect solo and group play:- Rewards from guild activities help individual progress- Individual contributions strengthen the guild- Creates a powerful engagement loop3. Live events and competitions give social groups clear goals to rally around. When players collaborate towards shared achievements, it builds lasting bonds.4. The data is clear: games with strong social features consistently show higher D90+ retention rates. No other feature comes close to matching this impact.5. Building meaningful social systems early is crucial. You can't bolt them on later and expect the same results.

Joakim Achren December 27

Highlights

Brutally Honest #144

Hey, FAM! What’s up? 🥃 Drink talk Happy Holidays to everyone. The annual UA & Creatives Learnings article is coming! Stay tuned.. 🦩Tip of the week Experimenting with Runway prompts taught me how subtle changes can completely transform the outcome of a video. Here's how I refined my process: 1. The Iteration Process First Attempt: The camera shakes wildly while zooming in. Not ideal, but it kickstarted experimentation. Second Attempt : Prompt: "The camera slowly pushes in on the bird looking at the egg and then on the machine in the background. The machine slowly rotates its arm." Result: Improved focus, but the random opener didn't feel cohesive. Final Version: Prompt: "Subject sadly looks at the egg, machinery in the background slowly moves its arm." Added the MidJourney-generated image as the first frame to set the tone. Focused prompts on […]

Matej Lancaric December 27

Journal

Decrease the CPIs. Whatever it takes!

𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗣𝗜𝘀. Whatever it takes! 🚀 The creative inspiration flow has shifted—𝟰𝗫 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀, and it all comes down to one important thing: 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 👇 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄:4X games -> Casual & Puzzle games -> other genres As we’ve seen in our Creative Trends episodes and discussed repeatedly in this creative investigation column, games like Royal Match (Dream Games) and even Fishdom (Playrix) take cues from the 4X genre. Why? Because the stakes are higher than ever, 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗣𝗜𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹.To achieve this, they’re adopting tactics and hooks previously dominated by 4X games—runner gates mechanics, King’s Nightmares (think "minigames"), Monstrous Sharks, and slingshots. It all comes back to one thing and one thing only. Emotions, AKA near-death experience. These moments of tension and […]

Matej Lancaric December 27

Journal

Live Ops features to boost Retention

Live Ops features to boost Retention Based on the Playliner research, here are 7 proven Live Ops features that can boost retention for your game:1. Daily bonus • 🎁 Rewards players for logging in daily. • 🔄 Encourages habitual play with escalating rewards for consecutive logins.2. Daily quests • 📅 Fresh tasks reset every 24 hours. • 🎯 Keeps players motivated with achievable short-term goals.3. Push notifications • 🔔 Gentle nudges to remind players of events or updates. • ⏰ Timing is key to re-engage without annoying.4. Mini-games • 🎮 Adds variety with small games inside the main game. • 🌀 Keeps the experience fresh and reduces monotony.5. Collection systems • 🃏 Let players collect items or characters to complete sets. • 🌟 Appeals to collectors and provides long-term goals.6. Season pass • 🕒 Time-limited rewards system that motivates continuous […]

Anton Slashcev December 27

Journal

Why Business Modeling Your F2P Mobile Game is Important?

Business modeling is key nowadays, when the mobile games funnel is operated from top of the funnel approach, in building and Live Operating your mobile game(s) successfully.This article discusses, in short, about key points and principles of business modeling — and why it’s needed for successful new game development and Live Ops in mobile games business.Why Business Modeling?The answer lies within two basic principles:1. Healthiness of your product in terms of LTV > CPI:Having your e.g., ROAS profiled properly against your UA efforts.One step down more from ROAS?Overall with that you can look into your retention metrics, retention curve, monetization KPIs as well as UA metrics, cohorts, and so on.Helps you to realize if you have business case, or not — navigation / exploration tool during iterative development; find more about iterative development and method here (https://gamesalchemy.substack.com/p/2-get-iterative-game-development):2. Prioritization for your […]

Antti Kananen December 26

Journal

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