The ‘Why’ Behind Grand Games’ $30M Investment

We wrote about "Grand Games secures $30M Series A" last week. Cooler stuff? Just published our "Magic Sort Analysis", check it out! Let's talk about the How & Why. Securing $30M just 9 months after its launch? 🦄 Folks, it's something big. The publisher behind Magic Sort made $4M+ in 6 months. Among the largest Series A rounds for Turkish gaming startups. Turkey’s Casual Mobile Gaming scene is booming. Or, it's been booming 😅 Check out: Mobile Gaming World: Türkiye Dream Games raised $255 million in 2022. Peak Games was acquired by Zynga in 2020 for $1.8 billion. Spyke raised $50M last year and launched with $55 million. DoubleU Games Acquires Turkish Studio Paxie Games Azur Games, has acquired the hypercasual portfolio of Good Job Games. Agave Games' $18M Series A at a valuation of around $100M last month. Cypher Games Secures 10M$ Investment […]

Ömer Yakabagi January 17

Journal

How to use Player Segmentation to boost LTV

How to use Player Segmentation to boost LTV Based on Playliner research, here are the most common approaches to player segmentation𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁: • Tailored experiences: Match offers to player preferences. • Optimized monetization: Align pricing with spending capacity. • Better engagement: Address player needs, reduce churn. • Smarter resource allocation: Focus on what works. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: 1. Non-payers: $0 spent. 2. Minnows: Under $10 (75% of paying players). 3. Dolphins: $10–$50 (15%). 4. Whales: $50–$150 (9%). 5. Grand Whales: $200+ (1%). 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀: • Non-payers: Ad rewards, starter bundles. • Minnows: Affordable offers. • Dolphins: Upsell with double offers. • Whales: High-value bundles. • Grand Whales: Exclusive premium content. 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: • Engagement: Hardcore vs. casual players. • Demographics: Age, region. • Behavior: Social vs. solo. • Device type: High-end vs. low-end. • Play style: Achievers, […]

Anton Slashcev January 17

Journal

How paid campaigns affect your app’s organic traffic

Explore the connection between paid campaigns and organic app growth—and how to make them work together. Nearly all apps today use paid campaigns to grow. After working with more than 95 apps over the last six years, I’ve seen how important paid traffic is—not just for driving installs but also for improving organic traffic. In the long run, organic traffic is what creates the consistent cash flow apps need to scale effectively. Paid campaigns significantly influence organic traffic, no matter the channel. Yet, paid campaigns and ASO (App Store Optimization) are often handled by separate teams. To thrive it’s essential to understand how these two areas work together. In this post, we’ll cover: Why optimizing ASO is crucial before running paid campaigns. How ASO and paid user acquisition (UA) support each other. Real-world examples of how paid campaigns can boost […]

David Vargas January 17

Journal

Here is the WORST way to generate game ideas:

Here is the WORST way to generate game ideas: (avoid it at all costs)1. Open the top-grossing charts.2. Pick two random top games.3. Mash them together, Frankenstein-style.↳ Get a clunky, unplayable game, appealing to no one.Yet, I see so many studios still follow this terrible pipeline.Here’s how to do it right:𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁.Look for blue ocean opportunities:• Genres growing year over year.• Low oligopoly index (top 5 games have <50% of the market).• High success rates for newcomers (reaching 1M+ in revenue or downloads).𝟮. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲.𝟯. 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 • Their strengths and weaknesses.• Dive into player reviews. Learn what they love and hate.• Study the ads. Ads often highlight what players want but rarely get.↳ 𝘐𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦.𝟰. 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 […]

Anton Slashcev January 17

Journal

2025 Mobile Games Marketing Predictions

As we enter 2025, the digital advertising and mobile gaming industries are transforming remarkably. Despite initial concerns in the post-IDFA era, there are encouraging signs of growth and opportunity, albeit on a smaller scale than many of us anticipated just a few years ago. As always, there are winners and losers, and within mobile gaming, certain genres stand out as clear frontrunners. Casino, Puzzle (Casual), and Strategy games are flourishing, with blockbuster titles like Monopoly Go and Royal Match driving incredible success. Even when factoring out these standout performers, these categories continue to experience levels of growth, propelled by a broader shift in player preferences. Post-hyper-casual, today’s gamers are seeking more engaging and robust experiences, which is evident in the shift toward casual gaming and the surging popularity of live ops in leading titles. One game I’ll be keeping a […]

John Wright January 17

Journal

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀

🎉𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 🎉An early form of the “stacking” mechanic has been around for a while, but it caught the industry’s attention 👇 ..when Fortnite introduced its dynamic building features in 2017. Fast-forward to 2020, and we see Cube Surfer (May) and Shortcut Run (October) hitting the hyper-casual scene, both developed by Voodoo—refining and popularizing stacking in a whole new way. Early 2021 saw High Heels (Rollic) and a surge of similar stacking games dominating the top hyper-casual charts. One standout was Bridge Race by Garawell Games in partnership with Supersonic from Unity, which took stacking to the next level by adding an extra output: players collect tiles to build bridges and advance through levels. This not only resulted in 750 seconds of average playtime and 45% D1 retention but also helped drive down CPI […]

Matej Lancaric January 17

Highlights

Magic Sort Analysis: Grand Games’ New Treasure

Here’s what’s covered in this analysis article on Magic Sort: The Rise of Magic Sort: Financial Success and Funding Gameplay and Monetization: Relaxation Meets Revenue User Acquisition Challenges Visual Appeal and Player Experience Grand Games: A Unique Player in Casual Gaming Future Opportunities: LiveOps, Progression, and Global Expansion Magic Sort: Impressive Earnings, But Can It Scale Globally? The buzz surrounding Magic Sort has been undeniable. With the game already raking in impressive daily revenues between $80K to $100K and securing $30 million in Series A funding, things are looking bright for the puzzle game. However, there’s an interesting question lingering: Can the game sustain this momentum with its current user acquisition (UA) strategy? And more importantly, is it really set for scaling on a global level? Magic Sort’s initial performance, especially in markets like Türkiye, has been nothing short of […]

Aylin YAZICI January 16

Journal

Top 10 Turkish Mobile Game Publishers

🇹🇷 Top 10 Türk mobile game publishers you need to know!What makes a publisher successful in your eyes? We, have been rapidly growing over the years.While getting faster in game production,Adapting to the marketing trends is a MUST.These studios not only mastered the development,They also kept their marketing uplift.Now that’s the challenge.Now that’s success… 🥂 Cheers!Data by AppMagic as always. PS: These publishers/self publisher developers have all different strategies.DM for deeper conversations. Data is worldwide, numbers are approximate estimations, rounded for better display.Not included in game ad revenue, which can significantly change the listing. #gamedevelopment #videogames

Gökhan Üzmez January 16

Journal

SayGames is stepping up its no-ads offer game!

Juice King by SayGames is really stepping up its no-ads offer game! 🍹 This package goes above and beyond, packing over 12 benefits + resources into one irresistible deal. It's clear a lot of thought went into designing this—making it almost impossible to say no!

Michael Kopelovich January 16

Journal

10 Live Ops traps to avoid

10 Live Ops traps to avoid I teamed up with Sergei to break down the most common mistakes in Live Ops and share tips on improving them:1. Over-focusing on a single metric 📊 Track retention, engagement, and happiness—not just revenue. 2. Event overload 🔄 Too many events burn players out. Space them out. 3. Copy-paste strategies 📋 What worked before might not work now. Adapt and test. 4. Ignoring feedback 🗣️ Complaints = insights. Use them to catch problems early. 5. Over-relying on whales 🐋 Cater to all players, not just big spenders. 6. Content drought 🌵 No new content? Players leave. Keep it fresh. 7. Inconsistent updates ⏰ No schedule = frustrated players. Be reliable. 8. Misusing A/B testing ⚖️ Bad tests, bad data. Test properly to improve. 9. Weak onboarding 🛠️ Confusion = churn. Make onboarding fun and […]

Anton Slashcev January 16

Highlights

The Strategy Behind Aonic’s $70M Acquisition of Mega Fortuna

Turkish Ad Tech startup Mega Fortuna boasts 10 million MAUs for its mobile gaming discovery and loyalty platform. Aonic, a fast-growing video gaming and technology group, has completed a $10M minority investment in Mega Fortuna. The deal includes an option for Aonic to acquire the entire share capital of Mega Fortuna for a valuation of up to $70M. The WHY behind the investment Paul Bowen This acquisition is logical in the highly fragmented Play & Earn (P&E) ecosystem, which is experiencing unprecedented growth. With 27 companies listed in the Incentivized Advertising Database offering gift card reward services, consolidation is inevitable as larger players and their owners absorb smaller companies to expand their P&E portfolios. However, key questions remain, particularly around the total addressable market (TAM) for users interested in earning gift cards by playing games. I anticipate we'll see further consolidation […]

Ömer Yakabagi January 16

Journal

Mobile Ad Monetization #6

After a long hiatus the best Mobile Ad Monetization Newsletter in the world is back... and this time it will keep coming back.. Once a week! Promise. 🥇Block Blast! The Next Largest Mobile Game Publisher?🥇 Block Blast! is on the road to becoming the largest mobile publisher app in the world. On December 20th it looks like Block Blast! for the first time whizzed passed the second-largest mobile game publisher “8 Ball Pool” by Miniclip. Block Blast! is firing on all cylinders and has been downloaded 28.2 Million downloads in the last 30 days and has a DAU of 13 Million users compared to 8 Ball Pool’s 12 Million DAU. I estimate that Block Blast! is earning anywhere between $800k-1.1m a day in ad revenue. 🤯 The largest mobile game publisher remains “Subway Surfers” by Sybo (also owned by Miniclip) […]

Felix Braberg January 16

#Marketing

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