Journal

I compared 11 Best Publishers with 7 Q&A, on a journey to hybrid casual. You may have questions, I have the answers:✦ What is a hybrid casual in a nutshell?↳ Easy Access to the game (Hypercasual)↳ Core Game Mechanic (Casual + Hypercasual)↳ High Retention (Midcore)↳ Complex Monetization (Casual + Midcore)✦ Why is it a thing for Hyper Casual Publishers?↳ Rise on User Acquisition costs, ↳ Can’t make profit on high quantity of players,↳ Can’t come up with enough new ideas anymore.✦ How can we measure this change?↳ We can’t. But we can estimate byChecking In-App Purchases per new user.✦ Is this a list of successful publishers?↳ Absolutely not, they are all fantastic companies.✦ How did you put this data together?↳ Using AppMagic Analytics and formulas.↳ Check it out! https://lnkd.in/das_wrJm✦ Some publishers not listed, they aren’t good?↳ They are fantastic! Just […]

Live-ops events in mobile games have evolved beyond just engaging gameplay; they are now key revenue drivers for developers. A significant way games monetize during these events is through special offers that help players advance and increase their chances of winning. Whether it's exclusive event-specific bundles or integrated reward packs from regular offers, these in-game purchases incentivize players to keep progressing through time-limited challenges. In this article, we explore examples from various games and studios to showcase how these offers are implemented to balance gameplay progression with monetization. "Adventure Island Merge" by FlyBird The Insect Catching Contest event incentivizes players to complete the challenge faster by offering special packs. The screenshot on the right shows the available event-specific offers where players can purchase tools like "mowers" to speed up their progress, with bundles ranging from 10 to 35 tools. These […]

Startups are already raising money for Telegram-based games 🤔 Last week, I wrote about the phenomenal success of Hamster Kombat, which hit 110 million MAU and made Telegram one of the biggest platforms for play-to-earn games. Today, while looking through the deals for an upcoming InvestGame report we are preparing, I came across several investments targeting Telegram-based games — something I hadn’t noticed until recently! While some startups like PlaysOut and Animoca’s Gamee raised funds to publish multi-genre games for their Telegram mini-apps, others clearly took more inspiration from the recent success of Notcoin and Hamster Kombat.  🐹For example, Anomaly raised $1.45M in May’24 for ‘play-to-airdrop’ games, while Akedo secured funding for its ‘tap-to-earn’ game Akedog — both heavily influenced by Notcoin and Hamster Kombat.Some of the investors in these rounds are Yuga Labs, Kenetic Capital, 4399 Games, Mozaik Capital, […]

19 Pieces of Advice for Beginning Game Developers (I wish someone had told me these 10 years ago)1. Don't start with your big "dream game"—begin small and build up. 2. Finish your projects; any released game is better than an abandoned one. 3. Build long-term relationships; you never know where your peers will be in 10 years. 4. Your first game will be bad—that's okay. 5. Never deceive partners, colleagues, or players; trust is hard to rebuild. 6. Don't aim for quick cash; focus on creating lasting value. 7. Learn the technical basics—even if you're not a programmer. 8. Respect every discipline; games are a team effort. 9. Players aren't fools; they'll notice if you cut corners. 10. Sometimes, even great games fail; don't take it personally. 11. Keep playing games for fun; remember why you started. 12. Find your […]

TikTok Launches Search Ads Campaigns! TikTok is stepping up its game with the introduction of Search Ads, a new way for brands to connect with users in real-time as they search for relevant content. This feature allows businesses to place highly targeted ads that appear directly within TikTok’s search results. 💡 Key Benefits: * Reach users actively searching for relevant content * Drive conversions through intent-based targeting * Get new insights from TikTok’s Search Ads Toggle for performance measurement This move represents another leap forward for TikTok’s advertising platform, making it an essential tool for brands aiming to maximize ROI and connect with their target audience at the right moment. For more information:

Top Revenue-Driving Events in Royal Match Here are the top 4:𝟭. 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘀𝘁 | 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: 𝟲𝟳%• Type: Co-op with Friends • Mini-game: Plinko • Duration: 10 days • Description: Players work together to raise a dragon by earning tokens through a Plinko mini-game. Tokens are used to level up the dragon through three stages.𝟮. 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁 | 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: 𝟱𝟰%• Type: Tasks / Milestone Rewards • Duration: 3 days • Description: Players complete 5 tasks related to various activities, unlocking new stages as the difficulty ramps up. The goal is to collect items like magnifying glasses across 5 total stages.𝟯. 𝗟𝗮𝘃𝗮 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 | 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: 𝟯𝟰%• Type: Win Streak with Tournament • Duration: 1 day • Description: Players must clear 7 levels in a row without failing to stay in a group of 100 participants. The prize? A big reward—failure results in […]

Right now, a huge opportunity is emerging for mobile browser apps. Let me explain why. But first, let's take a step back and look at the broader landscape of mobile applications being downloaded from app stores. Many have recently speculated about the potential decline of dominant app stores run by Apple and Google. In early 2024, Epic Games launched its web store in Europe, and it's believed that other major players, including Microsoft, will follow suit with their app stores. Consider this: giants like Epic and Microsoft possess a wealth of intellectual property in their back catalog, which they would eagerly distribute to mobile users through their channels. Think about titles like Minecraft, Candy Crush, and Call of Duty. Suddenly, they wouldn't need to share revenue with device manufacturers. Now, let's delve deeper into how these app store apps perform […]