Journal

From Hyper to Hybrid Casual: The Mob Control Playbook I partnered with Playliner to analyze the evolution of Mob Control.In 2021, Mob Control was a typical hyper-casual game. ↳ Simple mechanics. ↳ Minimal progression. ↳ Ad-heavy monetization. Revenue? $10K in monthly IAP. Fast forward to 2024, it’s a top hybrid-casual game. → Now pulling in $2.5M per month. Here’s how they made the leap: 1. Production Quality2021: Generic, low-quality visuals. 2024: Polished, unique assets with smooth UI and engaging effects. 2. Gameplay Depth2021: Fun core mechanic but repetitive. 2024: New elements and modes introduced gradually. The game stays fresh and engaging. 3. Live Ops 2021: No live events. 2024: Tournaments, seasonal events, and big IP collabs (e.g., Transformers). 4. Meta & Progression 2021: Basic upgrades with minimal impact. 2024: Deep progression systems. Unit upgrades, abilities, and meaningful choices bring mid-core […]

I can't believe TikTok added this new feature 😲 I tried to increase the budget of a campaign in TikTok Ads today and got this popup.I mean..... a SAN is worrying about their clients and warning them about the loss of efficiency when you scale????This is good man, this is why I think TikTok is offering way more than Meta to their advertisers.

🎲🚀 Just came across this fun and rewarding screen while playing "Piggy GO" by Forever9 Games! I managed to surpass one of my friends on the leaderboard, and the game wasted no time in making me feel like a true champion! 🥇✨ This celebratory pop-up is such a nice touch, providing that extra dose of satisfaction and social motivation. Plus, the "Brag" button is an awesome way to encourage friendly competition among players. It’s a simple yet effective way to keep players engaged and socially connected.What do you think of features like these that emphasize player achievements? Do you find them motivating, or do they just add to the fun? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 👇hashtag#MobileGames hashtag#GameDesign hashtag#SocialFeatures hashtag#PiggyGO hashtag#PlayerMotivation

Retention is king. Here are the TOP 3 long-term retention champions, according to AppMagic: 1. HONOR OF KINGS• D90 Retention: 15% • Genre: Brawl/MOBA • Daily Active Users (DAU): 574k • Revenue per Download Tier-1: $37.5 • Secret to retention: Constant updates with new heroes and events, plus a thriving competitive scene. Players stay for the dynamic gameplay and strong social connections. 2. ROBLOX• D90 Retention: 14% • Genre: Simulation/Sandbox • DAU: 33M • Revenue per Download Tier-1: $12.8 • Secret to retention: User-generated content and social interactions. Players create, share, and explore countless experiences, fostering endless engagement. 3. GARDENSCAPES• D90 Retention: 13% • Genre: Match-3 with Meta • DAU: 4.9M • Revenue per Download Tier-1: $17.6 • Secret to retention: A perfect blend of puzzles, emotional storytelling, and immersive garden decoration. Regular updates and rewards keep players motivated. What’s […]

When I wrote, Economics of Battle Pass Are Broken. Let’s Fix It in 2o21, I argued that designers needed to play with ADMC (average daily monetization cap) to transform the pass from an engagement to a monetization vertical. Since then, every subsequent “innovation” has been a creative exercise in price increases. Fortnite realized this long ago, which is why the direct store has ballooned in content and uses “the vault” to sell past pass-specific content; the 67% direct store, 33% battle pass revenue split leaked from the 2012 Epic v. Apple trial likely skews harder direct store since. Two Options: d or fc In the original model, increasing spend depth may be achieved by decreasing dd or the pass length, thereby shipping more passes over a given period. averagedailymonetizationcap=N∑i=1(yi)+fcdaveragedailymonetizationcap=∑i=1N(yi)+fcd Mobile games mastered this in months, using low marginal cost, fractionalized, and storable content (currencies! resources!). For example, this was the exact strategy Marvel Snap […]

🎥 Rolling RV Offers in Fish of Fortune by Whalo 🎥 Spotted an intriguing Rolling Rewarded Video (RV) offer in "Fish of Fortune"!🐠 The “Video Binge” feature lets you unlock a series of rewards by watching ads, with each reward getting progressively better.🚀 What’s cool about it?- The setup encourages players to keep watching by offering more valuable rewards the further they go.- Great way to drive ad engagement while giving players something to work towards.It's fascinating to see more and more games experiment with RV sequences. Do you think this approach maximizes ad revenue effectively, or could it become repetitive for players over time?

TRACKING RELEASES & TRANSFERS# 1 LIST OF NOVEMBER, 2024 Hi Mobile Gaming Family! 💟Today I bring you another edition of our…💫 Tracking Releases & Transfers 💫November's first list brings releases and transfers to big publisher accounts between Oct 22 and Nov 9.I've found 100 relevant titles. 💪🔎I highlight 4️⃣ titles of them.✅ “Disassembly Master” by Supersonic from Unity.With this title, the big Israeli publisher 🇮🇱 steps into the profitable trend of screw & nuts puzzles. 🔩🧩“Disassembly” follows the mechanics of unscrewing pieces according to the sequence of toolboxes - similar to “Screw Jam” (US$32MM IAP revenue), but in a 3D object.Its main difference is that it features the popular design metagame. 🏠🪑🛏️At the end of each level, household objects are released to fill rooms, creating a clever connection between the game's mechanics and narrative.An innovative, simple proposal. 💡🧠I played it […]