Background
  • arrow_back Home
  • keyboard_arrow_right#GameDev

#GameDev

trending_flat

The Next Billion-Dollar Merge Games

Merge games segment on mobile has seen interesting takes in past couple years, from Merge Mansion originally boasting the genre up โ€” with Travel Town and Gossip Harbor raising their heads up as followers, who managed to raise to the genreโ€™s top.This article focuses on looking beyond what is currently out there, with giving some trends and predictions for the near and longer future, in terms of what type of merge games we would be seeing (hopefully) โ€” and, discussing, why these introduced topics could make sense for the genre.Note: This article has data from AppMagic; Merge Games segment.Innovation Meets DepthMerge games have proven their staying power with Travel Town and Gossip Harbor blending solid grid management with narrative-driven building layers (in terms of grid management and how it boasts from engagement to economy and monetization, Travel Town has done […]

trending_flat

GPT vs. Royal Match: Can AI Win a Hard Level?

Introduction Ever wondered if GPT could help beat a tricky level in Royal Match? Well, I decided to put it to the test. Before diving into the game, I made sure to "train" GPT on the basics of Royal Match, explaining the mechanics, how to create power-ups, and ensuring it understood the fundamentals as best as I could. With that prep done, I tackled a hard level with GPT as my guide, move by move. Here's how it went: The Setup The level was challenging, with limited moves and multiple objectives: clear the wooden crates, collect yellow crowns, and free the piggies. Armed with screenshots for every move, I consulted GPT for its recommendations, following them step by step. Did GPTโ€™s logic bring me victory? Letโ€™s find out. The Moves Move 1: Match three red tiles in the bottom right […]

trending_flat

10 signs you might be working on a dead game ๐Ÿšฉ

10 signs you might be working on a dead game ๐Ÿšฉ (you don't want to miss them)๐Ÿญ. ๐—ก๐—ผ ๐—ฐ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐Ÿ‘€โ†ณ Without direction, priorities scatter and time is wasted. ๐Ÿฎ. ๐—˜๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—บ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ป'๐˜ ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฒ. ๐ŸŽฎ โ†ณ If developers donโ€™t enjoy it, players wonโ€™t either. ๐Ÿฏ. ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ผ๐˜๐˜€ ๐Ÿ”„ โ†ณ Frequent changes derail progress and drain morale. ๐Ÿฐ. ๐—ก๐—ผ ๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ฃ ๐Ÿชโ†ณ A generic game canโ€™t stand out in a crowded market. ๐Ÿฑ. ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐ŸŒ€ โ†ณ When no one knows whoโ€™s responsible, chaos reigns. ๐Ÿฒ. ๐—•๐—น๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐—น๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐Ÿ›‘ โ†ณ Finger-pointing creates toxicity and stalls solutions. ๐Ÿณ. ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—น๐˜† ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐Ÿ“‰ โ†ณ Players donโ€™t come back if the game doesnโ€™t hook them early. ๐Ÿด. ๐—™๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ โ‰๏ธ โ†ณ Adding more instead of fixing the basics only bloats the game. ๐Ÿต. ๐—ก๐—ผ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐Ÿ—จ๏ธ โ†ณ Empty forums and social […]

trending_flat

Creative Animation Alert!

๐ŸŽ‰ Creative Animation Alert! ๐Ÿช› Spotted this fantastic end-of-level reward multiplier animation in Screw Tile by ABI Game Studio. The screw animation adds such a unique and satisfying touch to the experience. ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ‘Love seeing creative design ideas like thisโ€”kudos to the team for making rewards feel extra rewarding! ๐Ÿ’กโœจCheck out the game here:iOS: https://shorturl.at/0UhwSAndroid: https://shorturl.at/MTvzj

trending_flat

What gaming has taught me

What gaming has taught meโ€”and what I tell non-gaming founders: social gameplay is the engine behind long-term user retention. Hereโ€™s how it works. 1. Players who form in-game friendships stay 2-3x longer. I've talked to veteran players who say they would've quit ages ago if not for their guild relationships.2. The best social mechanics connect solo and group play:- Rewards from guild activities help individual progress- Individual contributions strengthen the guild- Creates a powerful engagement loop3. Live events and competitions give social groups clear goals to rally around. When players collaborate towards shared achievements, it builds lasting bonds.4. The data is clear: games with strong social features consistently show higher D90+ retention rates. No other feature comes close to matching this impact.5. Building meaningful social systems early is crucial. You can't bolt them on later and expect the same results.

trending_flat

Live Ops features to boost Retention

Live Ops features to boost Retention Based on the Playliner research, here are 7 proven Live Ops features that can boost retention for your game:1. Daily bonus โ€ข ๐ŸŽ Rewards players for logging in daily. โ€ข ๐Ÿ”„ Encourages habitual play with escalating rewards for consecutive logins.2. Daily quests โ€ข ๐Ÿ“… Fresh tasks reset every 24 hours. โ€ข ๐ŸŽฏ Keeps players motivated with achievable short-term goals.3. Push notifications โ€ข ๐Ÿ”” Gentle nudges to remind players of events or updates. โ€ข โฐ Timing is key to re-engage without annoying.4. Mini-games โ€ข ๐ŸŽฎ Adds variety with small games inside the main game. โ€ข ๐ŸŒ€ Keeps the experience fresh and reduces monotony.5. Collection systems โ€ข ๐Ÿƒ Let players collect items or characters to complete sets. โ€ข ๐ŸŒŸ Appeals to collectors and provides long-term goals.6. Season pass โ€ข ๐Ÿ•’ Time-limited rewards system that motivates continuous […]

trending_flat

R&D Framework for Game Prototyping

๐Ÿ•น R&D Framework for Game Prototyping ๐Ÿ•น Below is the framework we often use when starting work on new projects:I. Pre-Production (2-4 weeks)1. Idea Generation: โ–ถ Market analysis, gathering references; โ–ถ Brainstorming to pick the most promising ideas2. Greybox Prototyping: โ–ถ Focus on a single core feature; โ–ถ Find the fun factor3. Conceptualization: โ–ถ Preparing the GDD, user flow, and key shots;โ–ถ Selecting the right tools and creating a roadmapII. Production (4-10 weeks)4. Features Development: โ–ถ Concentrate on key gameplay mechanics and speed in development;โ–ถ Minimal meta or progression5. Content Creation: โ–ถ Craft key art, and fun levels, and use ready-made assets;โ–ถ Secondary art, vfx, sounds, etc. can be draft6. Minimum Viable Product: โ–ถ Ensure the game offers 20-40 minutes of engaging gameplay with a distinctive style and polished game feelโ–ถ Better fewer, but betterIII. Product-Market Fit Validation (1-3 weeks)7. […]

trending_flat

Smart Design Meets Convenience!

๐ŸŽฎ Smart Design Meets Convenience! ๐Ÿš€ I came across this intriguing feature in Color Clash by Voodoo. Typically, upgrading your troops requires winning battles to get upgrade packs. The catch? Only one pack can unlock at a time, so you have to keep coming back to start unlocking the next one.Hereโ€™s the twist: theyโ€™re now offering an *auto-start* option for a price! Itโ€™s a clever way to keep players engaged while introducing a monetization opportunity.

trending_flat

Mobile Gaming Today: 40

Hej Fam!Ready for the last Mobile Gaming Today of the year?Let's go!Some cool news here ๐Ÿ•บ๐ŸปWas included in the โ€˜Top Gaming Insights Sourcesโ€™ list made by AAA Agency.Kudos to everyone who supports this lovely industry ๐Ÿฟ๏ธLetโ€™s get this party started!Weekly Quote: Christmas & NY Editionโ€œOur minds deserve unplugging, no Slack pings, no emails, no LinkedIn scrollsโ€”just you, your priorities, and the freedom without interruptions.โ€ ยฏ\_(ใƒ„)_/ยฏMobile Marketingยป Match Factoryโ€™s Success & Gameplay Mechanicsโšก๏ธ Game Analysis: Spyke Gamesโ€™ Tile Busters๐ŸŽ… 2025 App Marketing Predictions ๐Ÿค Power of Partnerships in Gaming๐ŸŒ Mobile Gaming in South East Asia๐ŸŽข โ€˜Pick Me Upโ€™ By SuperSonic๐Ÿ“Š New AdROAS in Meta๐Ÿ”” Push Notifications Guide๐Ÿ“š New week & New case study๐Ÿ”— Cross-Promotion for Mobile Games๐Ÿง  Smart Signal IntegrationIndustry Highlightsยป Top 10 Predictions for Mobile Gaming in 2025โ˜ƒ๏ธ Survive(d) to 2025๐ŸŒ Mobile Games Downloads Heatmap๐Ÿ…Sports Apps are becoming increasingly popular๐Ÿ’ผ […]

trending_flat

LiveOps Full Breakdown

LiveOps Full Breakdown Here's a list of the most popular LiveOps events:๐Ÿญ. ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด-๐—ง๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—บ ๐—˜๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜€ ๐Ÿ“… โ€ข Collection / Album โ€ข Single Season Pass โ€ข Double Season Pass ๐Ÿฎ. ๐—ง๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜€ ๐Ÿ† โ€ข Weekly Contest โ€ข Leaderboard โ€ข Solo Tournament โ€ข Race Tournament โ€ข Team Race / Regatta โ€ข Team Tournament โ€ข PvP / Duel Tournament ๐Ÿฏ. ๐—ง๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฒ-๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€ โณ โ€ข Unlimited Lives โ€ข Daily Bonus โ€ข Double Rewards โ€ข Cost Reduction โ€ข Faster Production โ€ข Better Drop Rates โ€ข Special Mechanic โ€ข Stat Improvement ๐Ÿฐ. ๐—ฆ๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—™๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐Ÿค โ€ข Clans / Teams โ€ข Friends โ€ข Leagues โ€ข Partners (Co-Op) โ€ข Heist / Raid ๐Ÿฑ. ๐—ช๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ธ๐˜€ โญ โ€ข Level Completion Streaks โ€ข Multiplier Streaks โ€ข Group Challenge Streaks โ€ข Tournament Point Streaks โ€ข Time-Limited Streaks ๐Ÿฒ. ๐—ง๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ธ๐˜€-๐—•๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐˜€ ๐Ÿฅ‡ โ€ข Milestone Tasks โ€ข Team Chest โ€ข Daily Quests โ€ข Time-Sensitive Challenge […]

trending_flat

Mobile Gaming Today: 40

Hej Fam! Ready for the last Mobile Gaming Today of the year? Let's go! Some cool news here ๐Ÿ•บ๐Ÿป Was included in the โ€˜Top Gaming Insights Sourcesโ€™ list made by AAA Agency. Kudos to everyone who supports this lovely industry ๐Ÿฟ๏ธ Letโ€™s get this party started! Weekly Quote: Christmas & NY Edition โ€œOur minds deserve unplugging, no Slack pings, no emails, no LinkedIn scrollsโ€”just you, your priorities, and the freedom without interruptions.โ€ ยฏ\_(ใƒ„)_/ยฏ Mobile Marketing ยป Match Factoryโ€™s Success & Gameplay Mechanics โšก๏ธ Game Analysis: Spyke Gamesโ€™ Tile Busters ๐ŸŽ… 2025 App Marketing Predictions ๐Ÿค Power of Partnerships in Gaming ๐ŸŒ Mobile Gaming in South East Asia ๐ŸŽข โ€˜Pick Me Upโ€™ By SuperSonic ๐Ÿ“Š New AdROAS in Meta ๐Ÿ”” Push Notifications Guide ๐Ÿ“š New week & New case study ๐Ÿ”— Cross-Promotion for Mobile Games ๐Ÿง  Smart Signal Integration Industry Highlights […]

trending_flat

My Top 10 Predictions for Mobile Gaming in 2025

My Top 10 Predictions for Mobile Gaming in 2025: 1. ๐Ÿšจ Stagnation ahead โ€ข Expect slow growth in revenue and a slight drop in downloads. Rising costs for user acquisition and marketing are making things tough.2. ๐Ÿ’ณ Alternative stores take the stage โ€ข Developers are moving to platforms like Amazon, Appstore or Galaxy Store and embracing web payments to avoid heavy app store fees.3. ๐Ÿค IP collaborations will thrive โ€ข Big games are teaming up with famous brands for live-ops events. Itโ€™s a marketing and engagement win-win.4. ๐Ÿงฉ Puzzle games rise to the topโ€ข Puzzle games will dominate revenue growth, while action, arcade, and simulation games lead in downloads.5. โšก Hybrid casual is the new trendsetter โ€ข Games with simple yet engaging mechanics are blending monetization models and extending live-ops.6. ๐Ÿ“ˆ M&A heats upโ€ข Major players will expand portfolios through […]

Login to enjoy full advantages

Please login or subscribe to continue.

โœ–

Go Premium!

Enjoy the full advantage of the premium access.

โœ–

Stop following

Unfollow Cancel

โœ–

Cancel subscription

Are you sure you want to cancel your subscription? You will lose your Premium access and stored playlists.

Go back Confirm cancellation

โœ–