Core Loop in Top Casual Games Analyzed the main gameplay loop of several games:- Homescapes- Monopoly GO- Royal Match- Match Factory- Coin Master- Travel TownThe most interesting observation is that the live ops of top games are deeply integrated into the gameplay loop, becoming an essential part of it rather than a separate activity.
Shout out to Aarki and their new Retention Radar Report that I stumbled across. My key highlights there: โข Retention Decline in Casual Games: Casual titles saw a drop in D30 retention rates, reflecting shifting user engagement and the growing challenge of sustaining player interest over time. โข Rewarded Ads Continue to Dominate: Rewarded video ads outperform other formats, delivering both high retention and revenue impact, especially in Tier 2/3 regions where conversion to paying player (IAP) is harder. โข Regional Monetization Differences: Emerging markets see a higher dependence on ad monetization versus in-app purchases, emphasizing the need for flexible monetization models across regions, this includes eCPMโs and localised IAP pricings. โข RPGs Lead in Long-Term Retention (No Sh*t): Strategy and RPG games show the strongest long-term retention rates (D30 and beyond), highlighting the importance of deep, immersive gameplay and […]
Hola Fam โ๏ธ Just published our Podcast with Matej, was a big FUN! Bon appetiiit ๐ฆ Mobile Marketing ยป Top 10 Gaming Publishers in IAP Revenue in 2024 ๐ 1287326723 new AI tools every day! ๐ค Power of Partnership: Mobile Gaming Collaborations โ ๏ธ Careful with the new adROAS campaigns in Meta! ๐ฎ The Future of F2P Games & Hybrid Monetization ๐ How to Monetize Whales Through Milestone Events ๐ Monetization in emerging markets presents a significant challenge. ๐ฎ Tracking Game Releases & Transfers ๐ฅ Screw Master 3D: Hybrid Casual is on Fire ๐ Top 10 Tripeaks Solitaire Games Industry Highlights ยป Tรผrkiye: Rising Gaming Empireโs 5-Year ๐งฉ Why Some Puzzle Games are More Addicting? ๐ป๐ณ Vietnamโs Gaming Ecosystem & Regulatory Changes ๐ Take-Two Gaming Report: Losses Increased by 36% ๐จ Apple Faces Investigation in China Over Monopoly ๐ MTG posts […]
I listed 10 HOT Puzzle games of 2025, and here is the reasoning behind the heat: ๐ฅ This custom-made list is pretty straightforward. Any puzzle game released in 2024, and if it's still scaling in 2025? To measure this accurately, the trick is to set ๐บ๏ธ Download Geography and see if they are actuallySetting UA campaigns with higher budgets. ๐ฐ Keywords are obvious: ๐ซ Block Puzzle, ๐ Bus Theme, ๐จ Color Sort,What to do with this? ๐ Plan your next game,โถ๏ธ Play, deconstruct these,๐ช Design a creative iteration.
What makes a game unforgettable? Hereโs a breakdown of what truly matters in game design: ๐ญ. ๐๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ โณ Aesthetics + Narrative = A world players donโt want to leave ๐ฎ. ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ โณ Progression + Discovery = A reason to come back, again and again ๐ฏ. ๐ง๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป โก โณ Uncertainty + Urgency = Moments that keep players on the edge of their seats ๐ฐ. ๐๐น๐ผ๐ ๐ โณ Challenge + Skill = That perfect balance where time seems to disappear ๐ฑ. ๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฌ โณ Agency + Feedback = Players feeling their choices truly matter ๐ฒ. ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ โณ Iteration + Achievement = The thrill of leveling up and improving ๐ณ. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ โณ Effort + Reward = Clear goals that make every step satisfying ๐ด. ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ โณ Habit + Anticipation = A reason to log back in every day […]
TRACKING RELEASES & TRANSFERS# 5 WEEK, JANUARY, 2025 Hi Mobile Gaming Friends! ๐Today I bring you another edition of ourโฆ๐ซ Tracking Releases & Transfers ๐ซThis one brings releases and transfers to big publisher accounts from the 27th of January to the 2nd of February.I've found 17 titles. ๐ช๐I highlight 3๏ธโฃ of them.โ โGear Fight!โ by Voodoo & Eternal StudioThe big French publisher ๐ซ๐ท has launched another innovative title.โGear Fight!โ is a split-screen Roguelike (similar to another Voodoo hit, 'Cup Heroes' $10MM IAP revenue) with Idle mechanics using gear pieces (โGear Clickerโ 10MM downl.). โ๏ธWith a prehistoric theme, the game has a tasty dash of humor.Developed by Eternal Studio, "Gear Fight!" was transferred to Voodoo's account on January 31st. ๐๏ธโ โGang Upโ by RollicThe big Turkish publisher ๐น๐ท keeps pushing ahead with the development of Hybridcasual Runners.โGang Upโ is a Shooter […]
Candy Crush meets Solitaire! ๐ King just dropped Candy Crush Solitaireโtheir first new game in five years! Itโs a fresh spin on the classic TriPeaks Solitaire, packed with Candy Crush magicโpower-ups, boosters, and even a hold slot for extra strategy. ๐ Whatโs new?โ Familiar Candy Crush elements like Color Bombs, lollipop hammers & jelly bears ๐ฌโ Strategic gameplay with a hold slot for extra moves ๐ฏโ A rewarding Sweet Journey where players collect postcards from places like Paris & Japan โ๏ธ ๐ Why solitaire?Casual card games are booming! Candy Crush Solitaire keeps it relaxing yet strategic, blending satisfying progression with endless replayability. ๐ก Built for the long runKing is rolling out regular updates, seasonal events, and new levelsโso thereโs always something fresh to dive into! Here's what we hear from Oriol Canudas, General Manager, New Games at King: ๐ Exciting […]
Game devs! You build, you grind, you launch, yetsuccess is nowhere to be found. Familiar? User Acquisition costs too much,Game just can not scale in downloads,Keeping a profitable player retention is a struggle.Game Developers work HARD!Sometimes, they work day and night,Until even a cup of coffee canโt keep them going.So whatโs the matter?Hard work is often mistaken for working too long.And at some point, It becomes inefficient,ineffective and even misleadingโฆThey lose sight of working smart;Failing to focus their precious time,on the right areas of development.Remember working hard comes in many forms.And success is not only just about the effort.Itโs about when and where you put itโฆCheers to all hard working studios out there!
7-Step Mobile Game Prototyping Framework ๐ญ. ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏโข Research genres successful for newcomers. โข Focus on those with steady year-over-year growth. โข Target markets where a few big players donโt dominate. ๐ฎ. ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐ก โข Define your core gameplay mechanics. โข Establish a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). โข Learn from top-performing games and adapt their best practices. ๐ฏ. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ค โข Start small: 3โ5 skilled individuals (or outsource). โข Prioritize multidisciplinary skills (design, programming, marketing). โข Ensure the teamโs passion aligns with your gameโs vision. ๐ฐ. ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฝ ๐ฃ๏ธ โข Plan a short development cycle (2โ3 months for a prototype). โข Define measurable KPIs like CPI, retention, and tutorial completion. โข Use milestones to track progress and adjust as needed. ๐ฑ. ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ ๐ฎ โข Focus on the core gameplay loop, […]
NEW GAMES ON THE RISE# 5, WEEK, JANUARY, 2025 Hello, mobile gaming lovers! ๐๐ฒI am returning this week with our useful list of โGames on the riseโ.Here I bring you titles debuting at the top of the charts. ๐๐ These are this week's highlights. ๐โก๏ธ The big publisher Rollic keeps leading the Hybridcasual race. ๐๐โโ๏ธ๐จ Developed by Gybe Games, the puzzle โColor Block Jamโ has been performing very well. Another highlight from the Turkish giant ๐น๐ท is โTimeline Upโ. Developed by Mojo Games, โTimeline Upโ is one of the Runners released by Hypercasual publishers with the highest IAP revenue in History. ๐ฒ On February 2, it appeared in the ๐ 200 for mobile game revenue for the first time. ๐ A formidable feat! ๐ As I've said in other posts, the market will explode when publishers consolidate good practices for […]
Some nonobvious / insightful ๐ก takeaways from the CTA survey: โข 18% of gamers (28.6m) are hardcore; most economically active.ย 73% male, avg. 29 y/o.ย Play 42h / week, spend most time on premium games.ย 91% play on PC / consoles.ย 51% engaged in creating content. Preference for multiplayer games, shooters, open-world games.โข 46% of gamers (72.1m) are "core" gamers. Not as active as hardcore, play fewer games & genres, but still quite often.โข 36% (55 million people) are casual gamers (least engaged)โข Gaming lifecycle chart (below) is interesting food for thought, and resonates with my own experience.โข Every generation self-identifies more strongly as 'gamers' than the one before.From Consumer Technology Association Survey.For anyone with access to full survey, I'd be curious to know the ๐ฆ๐น๐ข๐ค๐ต criteria for placing a respondent into one of the three groups (hardcore, core, casual).
Royal Kingdom vs Royal Match ๐ญ. ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐๐ฃ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐๐น๐ฒ๐ โ๏ธ โข Every 10th level, players attack opponent castles using Match-3. โข Shields protect, potions repair. ๐ฎ. ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ โญ โข Potions replace stars as rewards. โข Variable potion amounts instead of a fixed one-star reward. ๐ฏ. ๐๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ ๐ฐ โข Multiple separate locations instead of a single expanding one. โข Clearer visual progression to show total work scope. โข Team ranking system with weekly goals and rewards. โข Player rank system that unlocks new areas. ๐ฐ. ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฅ โข Wizard Hat: Changes random color elements. โข Bomber Plane: Drops 3 bombs that auto-activate. ๐ฑ. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐ โข Earned through meta-tasks instead of level completion. โข Players can request potions from teammates once per day. โข More emphasis on team cooperation. ๐ฒ. ๐จ๐ฝ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒs […]
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