Time Boosters can increase Player Engagement & Monetization

Do you believe that Time Boosters can increase not just player Engagement, but also Monetization?No? Then this post is for you. Many people underestimate the positive impact of Time Boosters. These boosters can elevate the gaming experience by adding VALUE:↳ motivating players to Stay Longer ↳ and Spend MorePopular Booster Types, that you can implement in your Game: ↳ Unlimited Lives ↳ Pre-Level Boosters ↳ Discount Boosters ↳ Extra Rewards ↳ More LiveOps Event Currency ↳ Faster Progression ↳ Other Specific Boosters (ex. Better Drop Rates)There are 3 options, how Boosters can HELP you to MAXIMIZE your KPIs: ↳ Prolong Player Sessions Length ↳ Encourage Currency Spending ↳ Smartly Remove a 'Session Limit' BarrierWant to know even more? - HOW boosters can help with 'New' and 'Returning' players? - WHY boosters are great currency for your Game Economy? - WHICH Boosters work best […]

Olha Semykina November 13

Journal

Why Location-Based Games Struggle

I wrote previously in my Substack about Niantic's product innovation in Pokémon Go. Before Pokemon Go, Niantic had already created an impressive game called Ingress, but it didn't succeed with pure gameplay innovation. The needed product innovation was integrating the well-known Pokemon IP into a simple, fresh, location-based gameplay where you'd walk outside and find Pokemon. The gameplay fits perfectly with the intellectual property and is an excellent example of product innovation. There are businesses to be made in geo games, but I've always had a hard time seeing any of them go mainstream without a massive IP and gameplay fit. In this piece, I will attempt to cover those reasons. Quick disclaimer: In this piece, I’ll define success as a product's potential to grow into a billion-dollar business, consistently generating over $100 million in annual revenue. While many excellent […]

Joakim Achren November 11

Journal

Even after 5 years, I still think this book is the BEST one!

This book helped me grow from Mid-level → Senior-level in Game Design 5 years ago. And no, it’s not ‘The Art of Game Design’ 😁 Even after 5 years, I still think this book is the BEST one!This Book is ‘Advanced Game Design: A system approach’ by Michael SellersTo understand WHY I like it so much:Here’s how I define a great Game Designer today. My TOP-3 criteria:↳ The way of thinking ↳ System approach ↳ Economy and balanceIt's hard to find one that truly builds all of them — but this one does.While reading it, I created one of my best-performing features of that period:↳ It boosted ARpDAU by +30%(!) whenever the feature was active↳ Even other projects in our company copied it↳ And it’s still alive, 5 years laterThe feature was as simple as it was smart:→ Solved a […]

Olha Semykina November 8

Journal

River Fence: The Evolution of a New Trend in Mobile Games

🎉 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 👇 Idle games have long-inspired genres, often requiring innovative marketing to compensate for their "low-action" gameplay. In March 2022, Idle Lumber by AppQuantum set a new standard by introducing a unique element in their creatives—a river fence that stops logs. This idea evolved further in September 2023, establishing a trend that’s been catching on ever since.It took a bit of time, but other games eventually picked up on this mechanic. By May 2024, Idle Fishing 2 (Multicastgames LLC) cleverly adapted the river fence concept, transforming it into a net that fits seamlessly into their gameplay. And then, things really got interesting. In July 2024, AppQuantum took this trend to the next level with a new publishing deal with Rockbite Games Armenia Games, releasing Idle Outpost. This game quickly scaled […]

Matej Lancaric November 8

Journal

350+ feature references from the top 100 mobile games.

I've collected 350+ feature references from the top 100 mobile games. What's inside:🎮 FTUE (First Time User Experience)🎟️ Season Pass🎁 Daily Bonus🔥 Starter Pack🛒 Shop🏆 Win/Lose Screens📖 Storytelling...and much moreHow to get it:1. Comment 'references' below.2. Add me as a connection so I can DM you.3. I'll send you the link to the Figma board → Duplicate and use it as you wish.References are gathered using the Playliner platform.

Anton Slashcev November 8

Journal

Games on the Rise #5

GAMES ON THE RISE # 5, WEEK, OCTOBER, 2024 The last week of October brought some interesting games on the rise! 📈 ✨Some of them have different mechanics and perform well.I've highlighted 4️⃣ titles.➡️ “Clue Master - Logic Puzzles” by Lion Studios.It's an outstanding logic puzzle game with a detective theme. 🕵️‍♀️Its UX is straightforward, similar to life simulators such as “BitLife” by Candywriter, LLC.Btw, the “Clue Master” developer is Regulus Studio, an Indonesian company led by Armandarius Darmadji, which has a successful simulator in its portfolio, “Family Tree! - Logic Puzzles” (US$1.2MM IAP revenue), also published by Lion.I loved “Clue Master”! 💞I played it for over an hour and a half non-stop! 🤪And it seems that I'm not the only one who thinks so…According to AppMagic, “Clue” has been growing in revenue and downloads recently, with a high market […]

Carlos Pereira November 8

Journal

Harsh truth for puzzle game developers:

Harsh truth for puzzle game developers: ✦ You can assemble a ‘’top-tier’’ team,✦ You can analyze the market inside and out,✦ You can utilize the ‘’state-of-art’’ mechanic,✦ You can produce a ‘’decent-polished’’ game,But if you aren’t:✧ Acquiring enough new users,✧ Monetizing aggressively without notice,✧ Using multiple networks for certain time,✧ Keeping your UA campaigns up for long time,You won’t get the results you expect.Take a moment to look at Appmagic Analytic link:https://lnkd.in/dGmX8jJ7There is not a single 2024 Puzzle Release on top.It all looks like ‘’big’’ players are making money.They all started from the bottom though.In today’s puzzle environment its not ‘’just’’ about:↳ Innovation on gameplay,↳ Aggressive UA campaign,Its about how long you can last spending:↳ Money on UA campaigns,↳ Time innovating with ‘’data’’,↳ Time and Money on your team.Its tough out there, But it is still, doable…Cheers! PS: Matej 🦩 […]

Gökhan Üzmez November 7

Journal

Trash Tycoon Idle Empire By Supersonic & Funcell

🔥 HYBRIDCASUAL IS ON FIRE! 🔥”TRASH TYCOON IDLE EMPIRE” BY SUPERSONIC & FUNCELL Hi, Mobile Gaming Family! 😍 The big publisher Supersonic from Unity has posted an insightful case study (link in the comments) on its recently released Hybridcasual game, “Trash Tycoon Idle Empire”. ♻️👷Idle Tycoon is one of the game genres closest to Hypercasual.Despite the depth of the narrative, its clicker mechanics are very accessible. 👆Not by chance, several Hypercasual publishers have released Tycoon titles. And now, in the Age of Hybridcasual, Tycoon has moved onto the development roadmap of the big publishers.“Trash Tycoon Idle Empire” is developed by Funcell Games .Funcell is a prominent studio with a portfolio of games with more than 300MM downloads. 🤯They developed big hits such as “Idle 9 Months” (46MM) and “Dog Life Simulator!” (34MM). 👏According to NextBigGames , life simulators are one […]

Carlos Pereira November 7

Journal

Super Cool Event in “Twisted Tangle” by Rollic Games

💡 Super Cool Event in "Twisted Tangle" by Rollic Games 💡 Just came across a brilliant event mechanic in "Twisted Tangle"! 🎉 Here’s the twist: the points or XP you earn to progress through event rewards are based on the seconds left on the timer when you complete each level. ⏱️ So, the faster you finish, the more points you get! 🚀This approach is fantastic, especially for puzzle games with timed challenges. It’s skill-based, so it feels super satisfying for players who master each level. Plus, from a monetization perspective, it’s genius! Players are motivated to beat levels quickly, which could lead to increased booster usage—and when those boosters run out, maybe even some purchases. 🛒What do you think of this timing-based reward system?

Michael Kopelovich November 7

Journal

Supercell ran the 2nd Beta test for Project R.I.S.E

Supercell ran the 2nd Beta test for Project R.I.S.E. during last weekend and there were some major changes 🤩 done to the core of the game from the 1st test, that we saw during July this year. Get the latest run down here 😎 The biggest change is the perk selection as it is going be asynchronous, meaning you don't need to wait ⏳ for other players to choose and the game won't stop during this time as in previous version. Each player now has their own pool to chose from, which is affected by their overall progression. Perks now cost elixir giving it a strategic choice, with the possibility to save it between floors. This is a great change as it removed a lot of friction and unlocked more metagame options to affect the perk pools 😁.Heroes got a […]

Jakub Remiar November 6

Journal

Start using 70/20/10 Game Design Theory.

In video game design, data reigns seriously supreme. You can start using 70/20/10 Game Design Theory. Building on genre proven mechanics and standards is key to creating next hits. What is 70-20-10? Let me explain, briefly.70% of your design should be proven,Something other games in the genre,Done extremely well,Considered ‘’standard’’ for the genre.20% of it should be something better.Depending on your team,Make something better than top competitorsSomething that team can improve.10% is the element of surprise.Try something new, mix other mechanics,Go crazy, sky is the limit.Minimum risk,Maximum reward.What is your approach at game design?Cheers!PS:This method is really useful for mobile games, but sure can be effectively used in other platforms.

Gökhan Üzmez November 6

Journal

Ultimate career advice for newcomers in GameDev

The ultimate career advice for newcomers in game development: Build long-term relationships with your peers.In this industry, connections are everything.The gaming industry might seem big, but it is like a "small village." You'll keep running into the same people in surprising ways as your career progresses.Here’s why relationships matter:• You never know where your peers will be in 10 years, or where you will be. • A single connection can open (or close) big doors down the road. • Opportunities often come from those you’ve worked with before.So, here’s what to do:• Stay in touch with former colleagues. • Keep your promises and always follow through. • Help others whenever you can.The relationships you build today can lead to unexpected opportunities tomorrow.

Anton Slashcev November 3

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