Brutally Honest #135

Hey, FAM! What’s up? 🥃 Drink talk See you all in California this week! Already in LA and moving Santa Barbara tomorrow.. 🦩Tip of the week UA is all about getting enough unique daily events on a campaign level to get thebest out of each UA channel (someone said UA diversification?) 2024 UA Playbook: Diversifying beyond Traditional Channels Read full story Each channel has a different number of events to hit to exit the learning phase or for algo to work perfectly. Let’s remind ourselves of some basics: Facebook: 50 events in 7 days (recently decreased to 10 events in 7 days) to exit the learning phase Google: 10-15 events per day for algo to work properly Applovin: 10 unique events per day for Algo to work properly TikTok: 50 events in […]

Matej Lancaric October 24

Journal

Take note, casual game developers!

Take note, casual game developers! 🎯In Cake Sort, I noticed a clever approach that I hadn't seen before—Skip It offers placed directly next to each Rewarded Video (RV) placement in the game. Instead of hiding the option in the game store, they make it super clear how buying these 10 tickets can let players skip watching the RV and still claim the rewards. This strategy boosts both visibility and the appeal of the purchase, making it easier for players to understand the advantage of grabbing these tickets! 💡 Definitely something worth considering for your own game!

Michael Kopelovich October 24

Journal

Top Progression Mechanics from Peak Games

Top Progression Mechanics from Peak GamesBased on the Playliner report, here are the 11 most popular progression mechanics in Peak games:1. Short-term goals ↳ Players are introduced to goals within the first minutes to keep them focused and motivated.2. Progress visualization ↳ Thematic rooms or stages unlock at specific levels, offering visual changes and rewards.3. Event locks ↳ Teasers for upcoming events encourage players to progress and unlock new content.4. Global maps ↳ A visually engaging path shows players how far they've come and what’s next.5. Daily bonuses ↳ Players receive rewards for logging in daily, promoting consistent engagement.6. Win streaks ↳ Winning multiple levels grants escalating rewards, with FOMO kicking in after a defeat.7. Sprint tournaments ↳ Players compete to complete levels faster, often using boosters for an advantage.8. Regular tournaments ↳ Players earn points through level completion to […]

Anton Slashcev October 23

Journal

G-STAR 2024 Preview

As we gear up for G-STAR 2024, the largest gaming exhibition in Korea, excitement is building around the major game developers who are unveiling their highly anticipated titles. This year’s G-STAR, set to take place from November 14 to 17 at the BEXCO Convention Center in Busan, promises to be the biggest yet, with 3,281 booths—101% larger than last year. With global gaming powerhouses like Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton showcasing their latest innovations, here’s a sneak peek at what to expect. Nexon Leads with Massive Presence Nexon, the event’s main sponsor, is expected to draw significant attention with its lineup, though details remain under wraps until the upcoming “Nexon Media Day” on October 30. Speculation is rife that titles like First Berserker: Kazan, which was teased at Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show, will headline the booth. With 300 booths dedicated to their […]

Myoungwon Kim October 23

Journal

Balancing Act of F2P Games: Acquire, Retain, and Engage Players

Every F2P game relies on UA channels to attract new players, through organic or paid methods. For mobile games, social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are popular acquisition channels. In contrast, PC and console games often use platforms such as Steam, Reddit, YouTube, and Twitter to reach potential players. Regardless of how newcomers discover your game, a seamless onboarding experience and engaging tutorial are essential to ensure early retention (D1, D3, D7). Especially today, with acquisition costs higher than they were four years ago, it's crucial to treat every player as a potential paying customer and find ways to maximize their engagement. Players acquired through these channels are often referred to as "newcomers" or "casual players." They may join your game because a friend invited them, they saw their favorite influencer playing it, or most commonly, they clicked on […]

Gökhan Üzmez October 23

Journal

Interesting offer in Tile Busters: Buying New Avatars

I came across this interesting offer in Tile Busters where players can purchase new avatars using either in-game currency or through in-app purchases. 🎨👤 While I’m probably not the target audience for buying avatars, I’m sure there are plenty of players who love customizing their profile. It’s a cool option to keep in mind if your game offers any skins or avatar elements. There’s definitely a segment of players who really value personalization! 🎮✨ hashtag#TileBusters hashtag#GameOffers hashtag#Customization hashtag#Avatars hashtag#MobileGaming

Michael Kopelovich October 23

Journal

Mobile Gaming: Growth of Countries

Quo vadis mobile gaming? love analyzing data from multiple perspectives to gain a clearer understanding of its implications.I examined trends in the mobile gaming industry (using Sensor Tower data) to understand growth patterns in different markets. To gain a broader perspective, I analyzed data not only from the first three quarters of 2024 (Q1-Q3), comparing it to the same period in 2023, but also compared it with the growth of those countries between 2022 and 2023. This provides a comprehensive view of the 'journey' of these countries in the mobile gaming landscape.It is quite visible that: ▶️ iOS is very strong in last quarters (both in case of T1 and T2/T3 markets) ▶️ US, although big, is gaining on importance in the last months (how long yet?) ▶️ majority of Asian markets perform much better in last months than before […]

Mariusz Gąsiewski October 22

Journal

App Store is getting SPOOKY 🎃

The App Store is getting SPOOKY 🎃Many game developers are embracing the Halloween spirit.And after, we already have to prep for upcoming end-of-year holidays ☃️Here are some tips:🦇 Align with the season: Update your app icons to follow the theme.🧛‍♂️ Create some in-app events: Engage your users with themed challenges and rewards.🕯️ Make the most of Custom Product Pages (CPPs): Test seasonal visuals before fully updating your App Store page.Check out the carousel below for more insights 👻

Julie Tonna October 22

Journal

Soft-launch Sonar #6

Soft-launch Sonar #6 📡 is back with 15 brand new soft launched games with no particular filter 😅. There are games from a lot of big players in the market such as MY.GAMES, tap4fun, Rollic, Wooga, Habby, Lion Studios, Supercent, Kwalee, CrazyLabs & Estoty Riga LLC. Come check out what we caught this time 😎. MY.GAMES continues some bold iterations with a combat version of Hexasort - Hex Heroes. This is done in the same manner as Empires & Puzzles took match3 gameplay and put it into a puzzle 🧩 RPG combat. Also, there is an iteration on Clash Quest - Castle Duels with merging elements and Bounty Buddies, which is taking notes from Rumble Heroes. Looks very similar to the newest Supercell soft-launched title R.I.S.E, just single-player.Wooga is stepping again out of its comfort zone trying its meta with […]

Jakub Remiar October 22

Journal

How to Evaluate Your Game Ideas?

How to Evaluate Your Game Ideas?Here are some critical questions you need to ask:1. Market Size: • Is your genre growing or declining? • Are new developers entering the niche, or is it saturated? • How could future trends and technology impact your genre?2. Competitive Analysis: • Who are your competitors, and what made them successful? • Why did similar games fail? • What makes your game stand out?3. Know Your Audience: • Who is your audience, and what do they value (e.g., story, competition)? • What are people saying about similar games on platforms like Reddit, Steam, or App Store?4. Core Game Design: • Can you pitch your game in one sentence? • Does the art style and core gameplay loop stand out? • What will keep players coming back?5. Marketing & Community Building: • How will you reach […]

Anton Slashcev October 22

Journal

Balatro: The Indie Poker Deckbuilder Taking Over Mobile & PC

🎲 Balatro: The Indie Poker Deckbuilder Taking Over Mobile & PC!🃏Originally published by Playstack and developed by Localthunk, Balatro has become one of 2024's breakout indie hits. Launched on Steam in February at $14.99, this poker-deckbuilding game has already sold over 2 million copies, with 44K+ reviews and a 97% positive rating. That’s $30 million in revenue! 💰 In September Balatro was released for $9.99 on mobile, and it’s already climbed to #2 on the mobile premium grossing chart, which is rare since it seems like the same 4-5 games have been there since 2015🌟ℹ️ In Balatro, you play simple poker hands to score points and progress to levels where higher points are required. It starts with simple rules and then begins to layer new layers of complexity to upgrade cards, which changes how many points you score. Balatro shows […]

Felix Braberg October 22

Journal

Boost Your Team, Boost Your Game!

🚀 Boost Your Team, Boost Your Game! 🚀Teamwork just got even more rewarding! Check out this 'Team Pack' offer — for just $9.99, not only do you get some awesome in-game goodies like energy, chests, and time boosts, but your entire team benefits too! 🎁 It’s a great example of how games are evolving to build stronger communities through cooperative rewards. In-game purchases like these aren't just about individual progress anymore, they're about team success.What do you think? Does team-based monetization add value to the player experience?

Michael Kopelovich October 22

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