What Is Cozy Gaming? 🎀

Cozy games are a relatively new game genre/type. They help players to relax. There is no FOMO, time pressure, or violence inside this game.Typical for cozy games to have nature or farming topics. And beautiful visuals.The most famous cozy games are Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.This photo was taken during the last Game Habitat Playtest Session in Malmö. Around half of the games I saw/played were cozy games! New trend? Especially among small indie or solo devs.The growth of its popularity means that people face lots of anxiety nowadays and they are looking for relaxation and calmness 😌Players say that cozy games can help with mental well-being.Do you play any cozy games? Have a favorite one? 🩷P.S. My favs are Unpacking and Monument Valley.

Eva Piatrushina October 20

Journal

Which Country’s Developers Are Taking Japanese Mobile Gamers’ Money?

In the first 9 months of 2024, Japanese mobile game players spent ~$3.257 billion on games across Android and iOS platforms. But what's really fascinating is that 61% of this spending—about $1.99 billion—went to games developed by Japanese companies. Just a little note, 35.51% of the money spent by American players in the same time period goes into the pockets of American developers, you can check it out here. Data Source: Apptica Singapore (13.61%) ranked 2nd in successfully taking the most money from Japanese players' pockets, followed by China (8,79%) in 3rd, Hong Kong (5,17%) in 4th, the USA (4,81%) in 5th, Turkey (4,02%) in 6th, Finland (1,14%) in 7th, South Korea (1,00%) in 8th, and Ireland (0,34%) in 9th. This overwhelming preference for homegrown titles isn’t just about patriotism or familiarity; it’s a reflection of deeper cultural, social, and […]

Yagiz Gur October 14

Highlights

Mobile Gaming Today: 28

⚡️ 23-30 Sep Data Digest Hey Fam 👾 PGC Helsinki day today 🕺 Can’t wait for the Toilet-tier pitches! Please... Industry Highlights 🪦 Ahronson: Mobile Games Are Dead 📈 InvestGame: Gaming Company IPOs Since 2000 🎯 Slashcev: 40 Pieces of Advice for Beginning Game Devs 💰 WeChat Mini Games: Goldmine of Chinese Mobile Gaming 💬 Zubov: Startups are raising money for Telegram-based games 🔥 Kopelovich: Unpacking the “Lava Quest” Live-Ops Event 🇰🇷 Kim: Subculture Games in Korea: Successes & Failures 🤔 Üzmez: Where do you think most start-ups get stuck? 🇨🇳 Anosov: Female Gamers from China’s Tier-3 Cities Mobile Marketing 🕹️ Optimizing FTUE: First 30 Minutes of 30 Top Casual Games 🤝 Kopelovich: Voodoo x Hasbro Collab is Back in Mob Control 📢 Remiar: Smart Advertising of Last War by Rivergame 🏹 Lancaric: Slingshot Hook - New Trend Evolution 😺 […]

Gamigion September 30

Journal

Top AI Tools for Game Development:

Here are the top AI tools for game development: 1. Runway ML - AI-powered video editing and VFX tool for content creators.• Link: https://runwayml.com2. Meshy 3D - Generates 3D models using AI for faster game development.• Link: https://meshy.ai3. Leonardo AI - AI tool for creating detailed 2D art and game assets.• Link: https://www.leonardo.ai4. GPT o1-mini - Text generation AI for creating dialogues, scripts, and narrative• Link: https://openai.com5. Ludo AI - AI for automating game design concepts and brainstorming ideas• Link: https://ludo.ai6. Cascadeur - AI-assisted animation tool for smooth and realistic character movements.• Link: https://cascadeur.com7. Inworld AI - AI-driven tool to create intelligent and interactive NPCs.• Link: https://www.inworld.ai8. Nvidia ACE - AI platform for realistic NPC interaction and behavior in games.• Link: https://www.nvidia.com9. Aiva AI - AI music composition tool to generate soundtracks for games.• Link: https://www.aiva.ai10. ElevenLabs - AI-powered voiceover […]

Anton Slashcev September 26

Highlights

Mobile Gaming Today: 27

⚡️ 16-23 Sep Mobile Gaming Data Digest Industry Highlights ⭐️ Jobs of The Week 💔 Metacore: Discontinuing Everdale… 📱 Üzmez: Current Mobile Gaming Scene? 🎢 Huxter: Playtika - What a Rollercoaster! 💰 Slashcev: Why is SuperPlay valued at $2B? 💸 Remiar: WeChat Minigames made $2.3B in H1’24 📈 Success Rate of Top Mobile Game Publishers? 🇨🇳 Anosov: China’s Mobile Gaming Market 💻 Manuel: App Store Connect API Journey 🎨 Vasiuk: Know the 70/20/10 Rule? Mobile Marketing 📊 Slashcev: Layers of Game LTV 🦄 Lancaric: Creative Trends in Mobile Gaming 🚍 Pereira: Rising in the Charts: Bus Jam by ZPLAY 🚀 Braberg: WeChat Minigames Are Crushing It in China ❌ Bowen: Why Your Incentivized F2P UA Campaign Fails 🌍 Yogev: Bringing Eastern Games to the Western Market 🤝 Power of Partnerships: Mobile Gaming Collaborations 📺 Vargas: Video vs. Static Ads on Meta: Audience Behavior 🛠️ Kopelovich: MONOPOLY GO! x Marvel Collab 💵 Gąsiewski: Mobile Ad Spend in US by Industry 🕺 Kos: Create Stunning Statics with Midjouney 📈 Fodor: Elevate Your Creative Strategy Gaming Investments 💰 Playtika Acquires SuperPlay for $700M: Up to […]

Gamigion September 23

Highlights

Jobs in Mobile Gaming: 11

🎨 977 Jobs in Mobile Gaming » 16-20 September 📆 👉🏻 Data from Gamigion.com/jobs 🕺🏻 Dev 💻 Art 🎨 Product 📱 Marketing 🎯 Business 💰 Data 📈 QA ⚒️ 💻 Dev Client Engineer Scopely 🇪🇸 Senior Product Development Manager Scopely 🇪🇸 Senior Software Engineer Scopely 🇪🇸 Senior Analytics Engineer Scopely 🇪🇸 Full-Stack Developer, Creator Platform Supercell 🇫🇮 Senior Game Programmer, Hay Day Supercell 🇫🇮 Development Director Playrix 🇲🇪 🇨🇾 🇵🇱 🇷🇸 Director of Engineering Playrix 🇲🇪 🇵🇱 🇨🇾 🇷🇸 🇪🇺 Technical Director Playrix 🇲🇪 🇨🇾 🇷🇸 🇪🇺 🇵🇱 Senior Engineering Manager Playrix 🇨🇾 🇵🇱 🇲🇪 🇪🇺 Lead Unity Software Engineer (Gameplay) Playrix 🇪🇸 🇲🇪 🇹🇷 🇱🇹 🇪🇺 🇮🇱 🇨🇾 🇷🇸 🇬🇪 Mobile Game Engineer Zynga 🇹🇷 Engineering Manager 1 Zynga 🇮🇳 Gameplay Engineer 2 Zynga 🇮🇳 Senior Software Engineer 1 Zynga 🇮🇳 Principal Software Engineer – Developer Services, ZMGT Zynga […]

Gamigion September 20

Journal

Key Metrics Every Mobile Game Developer Should Know

Key Metrics Every Mobile Game Developer Should Know Here are 8 essential KPIs you need to track:1️⃣ DAU (Daily Active Users)- Unique users who engage with your app daily.- How to impact: Regular content updates and improving retention are key.2️⃣ Retention- Percentage of users who continue playing over time.- How to impact: Improve FTUE, progression systems, and introduce meta elements to keep players coming back.3️⃣ Playtime- Average time users spend in the game daily.- How to impact: Deepen the game loop, introduce engaging mechanics, and add social elements.4️⃣ ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)- Average revenue generated per user over a specific period (daily/monthly).- How to impact: Boost conversion rates, add new in-app purchases, and optimize ad placements.5️⃣ Conversion- Percentage of users who make a purchase.- How to impact: Offer targeted offers, adjust prices for different segments, and enhance the perceived […]

Anton Slashcev September 18

Journal

Career Guide for Your First Gaming Job

My career guide to help you land your first gaming job (Everything I've learned and wish I had known earlier)I started from scratch, just like youMy journey into gaming was filled with challengesI want to share everything I've learned to help you land your first gaming jobFollow this guide and make sure to check all the linked resourcesRemember, every step you take brings you closer to your dream job.

Ali Farha September 18

Journal

Developers Overcomplicate Live Ops Games.

Developers overcomplicate live ops games. Listen, it’s not complicated(!) at all:Seriously, it does look complicated,But if you lay high quality foundations,You can make it very simple to succeed. Avoid:✧ Rushed first time user experience,✧ Early game paying player conversion,✧ Real money centered game economy,✧ Copy paste linear content.Instead, focus on:✦ Absolutely flawless new user experience,✦ Proven core game mechanic,✦ Day 1-7-30 retention focus content,✦ Fun but challenging progress.Focus on your players,and watch your complications go away.Your metrics will get better over time.Cheers!PS: There are absolutely masterpiece examples of these games.Special thanks to Anton Slashcev, Sergei Vasiuk and Yağız Gür for inspiring this topic! hashtag#videogames hashtag#gamedevelopment hashtag#mobilegames hashtag#gamedesign

Gökhan Üzmez September 17

Journal

Technical knowledge isn’t just for Game Devs.

Technical knowledge isn’t just for game developers. Managers need it too. I was shocked by some comments on my recent post— some managers don’t realize that game designers don’t need to code to work within an engine. 🤯 That’s why I’m ready to die on this hill: understanding the technical details of game development is critical, even for producers and managers.Why? Because without this knowledge, you’re at risk of making costly mistakes, like:• Hiring only game designers who can code• Expecting 3D models to be animation-ready without rigging and skinning• Assuming a game will run smoothly on all devices because it works on one• Ignoring technical debt until the codebase falls apart• Adding "just one small feature" that could take a year to develop• Delaying QA until the last minute because "finding bugs isn’t a big deal"Some might argue that […]

Anton Slashcev September 17

Journal

Want to break into game development in 2024?

Want to break into game development in 2024? Here’s how to start from scratch:𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟 𝟬: Don’t spend a dollar on paid game design courses. → Focus on free, high-quality resources.𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟 𝟭: 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗬→ Use these resources to build your foundation:𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀: 🎥 Game Maker’s Toolkit (https://lnkd.in/eV8jiCC3) 🎥 Brackeys (https://lnkd.in/emePzUpy) 🎥 Thomas Brush (https://lnkd.in/e7NFK9vH)𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘀: 📝 Deconstructor of Fun (https://lnkd.in/eMdVqAPZ) 📝 Gamasutra (https://lnkd.in/e2cFCDBe) 📝 Game Design Skills (https://lnkd.in/ewXVpJ6H)𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀: 📚 Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (https://lnkd.in/etk_WeP5) 📚 The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell (https://lnkd.in/eFt9MRdf) 📚 Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier (https://lnkd.in/ebvmm7Ty)𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟 𝟮: 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗘→ Apply your knowledge in game jams every month:🕹️ Ludum Dare (https://ldjam.com) 🕹️ itch.io Game Jams (https://itch.io/jams) 🕹️ Game Jam Central (https://lnkd.in/et3fqfrk) 🕹️ One Game a Month (https://onegameamonth.com/) 🕹️ Global Game Jam (https://globalgamejam.org/) 🕹️ GMTK Game Jam (https://lnkd.in/ecSD6V_K)𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟 𝟯: 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞→ Connect with industry pros:𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄: Sergei VasiukGökhan Üzmez Jakub Remiar 𝗙𝗼𝗿 […]

Anton Slashcev September 16

Journal

New Game Dev Reality Check

New Game Dev Reality Check. "Publish fast" isn't always wise.Deadlines? Budgets? Players don't care.Quality beats panic releases. Here's why:1. Assuming you know players' tastes?❌ Wrong.Real insights come from player research.2. Big games = better games? ❌ False.Focus on core gameplay.3. Rushed launch? ❌ It's just "publishing crap."No polish = failure.

Sergei Vasiuk September 14

gamedevelopment

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