Journal

Meta vs. Progression in Games: What's the Difference? These two concepts often get mixed up, but they serve different purposes.1. MetaMeta refers to anything that motivates players outside of direct gameplay advantages. ↳ Think of cosmetic items, skins, storylines, or leaderboards. ↳ Meta keeps players engaged but doesn't change how the game is played2. ProgressionProgression, on the other hand, directly affects gameplay. ↳ Leveling up, unlocking abilities, or gaining in-game power-ups, etc.↳ These rewards help players advance and unlock new gameplay experiences.3. There are also cases where Meta and Progression overlap. ↳ For example, unlocking a new character may offer cool visuals and a backstory (meta) while also giving new abilities (progression).Both are crucial for player engagement but serve different roles.

𝟬𝟰 - 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗨𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 While level exploration is not an exact science and every player behaves differently, there are general behavior patterns that can be considered when designing a free-navigation level. Players tend to be attracted to areas they perceive will provide the greatest and most immediate reward.In this example, the player needs to find and collect 4 boxes in any order. The question is: 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹? The player has the following information:𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁The player’s brain rewards them in two key moments: first, when they locate a box, and second, when they collect it. Interestingly, locating a box but leaving it behind […]

A founder from one of my portfolio companies recently asked how I would prefer them to handle the winding down process if their company were to fail. Here are some things to consider:- Keep your investors constantly updated over email, a few times a week isn't too much.- Don’t hesitate to ask for help. Investors have seen many companies going through wind-downs and can offer advice on how to navigate the process effectively.- If any capital remains, return it to the investors. While it’s often not feasible, even a partial return, like 10% of invested capital, demonstrates good faith and shows that the founder was committed to being a responsible steward of investor capital until the very end.- Even during the winding down process, there may still be opportunities to sell assets or pursue an acquihire deal. If these options […]

When starting the development of a new game, ask yourself: What’s your superpower?Because games with a clear superpower succeed.↳ They build loyal communities.↳ They attract players.↳ They leave a mark.Your superpower is your game's identity.It's what players remember.So, pinpoint it.Embrace it.• Is it a unique mechanic?• A gripping story?• Or maybe stunning visuals?Identifying this early helps focus your team.It guides decisions.It shapes the player experience.So before you dive deep, ask yourself:What makes our game truly special?

GAMES ON THE RISE # 5, WEEK, SEPTEMBER, 2024 Hi, mobile game family! 💟Let's get to the next edition of our…💫 Games On The Rise💫I've highlighted 3️⃣ games.➡️ “Conquer Countries” by Supersonic from Unity.A few months ago, I published a post about this promising Hybridcasual.Today, the promise has come true. 😎According to AppMagic, “Conquer Countries” broke into the world's Top 1,000 most downloaded games on September 29th. 🔝Developed by Ridgge, "Conquer Countries" is an inventive mix between a Clicker/Life Simulator and a war strategy game. 🪖It is based on the game structure of Supersonic's other successful, “Family Life”.Having a good market share in Tier 1 countries, “Conquer” has been performing very well, with an excellent session length of 21 minutes. 👏➡️ “The Superhero League 2” by Lion Studios.With this title, the big American publisher 🇺🇸 is expanding its franchise of […]

Imagine a worse version of whatever newsletter you read converted to a Tweet thread, then converted to a corporate slideshow.

Q3 was tough for hypercasual. Downloads of top games dropped by 20-50%. Full report on hypercasual games in Q3:

🎉 Slingshot Hook: The Iteration of a New Trend👇 Evony has emerged as a significant player in leveraging the "slingshot hook" within its marketing creatives. The company is actively iterating on this concept, releasing several new versions each month that include:▶️ More Heroes: Introducing additional characters to engage players.▶️ Mjolnir Integration: Incorporating the legendary hammer may raise legal considerations. (lawsuit in 3..2..1..)▶️Alligator Elements: Adding dynamic wildlife interactions to enhance visual appeal.Why Is It So Effective?The slingshot mechanic is a compelling visual tool that captures audience attention almost immediately. Despite minor delays—such as waiting for alligators to appear—the concept is straightforward and easily understood. It provides instant feedback, tapping into the audience's appreciation for tension and release dynamics, which can lead to increased engagement.What's the Next Twist?There is already an expansion on this hook, and Evony appears to be intensifying its focus […]

Review Radar #6 📡 is back with 13 games that we already covered on the podcast in the last 3 months, as we keep them on our "radar" 😅. Get the latest status updates from big names such as Peak, Supercell, Zynga, Netmarble, miHoYo, AppQuantum, ABI Game Studio, Space Ape Games, 😎. Peak game's Match Factory hasn't peaked 😅 yet and is still scaling up scoring the studio a hattrick of 3rd successful big hit 😁. On the other hand, both Wood Nuts & Bolts and Chrome Valley customs are scaling down, probably because of the fierce opposition from Century Games's Truck Star 🚚 for the latter. The Banana Steam game is still keeping around 350K average monthly CCU as it seems bot farms just won't let go of this dream to waste 😅🤖.Supercell's SquadBusters is keeping stable numbers, with […]