How Physiology & Psychology Explain Mobile F2P Game Metrics

🎮 How Physiology and Psychology Explain Mobile F2P Game Metrics 🧠📈 We're not just talking numbers When we talk about session times, retention rates, and monetization in F2P mobile games. These metrics reveal how player habits, behaviors, and decision-making are rooted in human physiology and psychology.Here's a deeper look at how we tap into these principles to build successful games:⚙️ 1. Engagement Loops & Habits Formation:Gratification systems, feedback loops, and well-designed hooks turn gameplay into a habit. By offering immediate rewards and clear progress, games stimulate the brain's reward centers, fostering daily routines that players naturally integrate into their lives. There's also a clear pacing to things; as some reactions in the human body need to wash out from time to time, before you can drive players back to them.💰 2. Monetization Behavior and Conversion:Conversion strategies aren’t just about prompting […]

Antti Kananen October 28

Journal

How to Analyze Your Game Competitors:

How to Analyze Your Game Competitors: A Step-by-Step Guide:1. Identify Competitors • Go to AppMagic (https://lnkd.in/ek8Npiyr) • Select your game subgenre. • Choose top 2-3 games from "Top Grossing" and "Top Free" categories. • Check the “Competitors” tab to find games with the highest overlap scores. 2. Compile a List • Include both high-revenue games and underperformers. • This helps you see the full range of competitive elements in your space. 3. Study Reviews • Go to the App Store (https://lnkd.in/e2Ajf7j4) or Google Play (https://lnkd.in/eNJdH5hg) • Download games-competitors • Check reviews on this games • Look for common feedback: What do players love? What’s missing? What’s frustrating them? 4. Play and Analyze Key Aspects • FTUE (First-Time User Experience): Evaluate tutorials and initial game goals. • Core Gameplay: Identify mechanics, gameplay loop, and engagement factors. • Progression & Balance: Assess […]

Anton Slashcev October 27

Journal

Why do launched games fail?

Why do launched games fail? It often comes down to one of three things: 1. Weak Product ↳ The game doesn’t provide enough value to its core players. ↳ It’s not fun to keep players engaged. 2. Weak Marketing ↳ The game could be a hit, but it’s lost in the noise. ↳ Players who would love it simply don’t know it exists. 3. Weak Market Research ↳ The game resonates with players, but the audience is too small. ↳ A loyal fanbase is great, but without enough players, costs won’t be covered. Having a fun game (Point 1) is critical. But most games fail because of Points 2 and 3. So, remember: Creating a great game is only half the battle. To win, you need a sizable niche and the ability to connect with players.

Anton Slashcev October 26

Journal

Short-form entertainment reshaped the UA creatives landscape

Short-form entertainment has reshaped the UA creatives landscape, influencing everything from interactive novels to 4X games. 👇 This shift began to take hold in July 2022 when Rise of Kingdoms (Lilith Games) released video ads that left many viewers scratching their heads, feeling cringy, and wondering, "Is this really working?" That was also when Reelshort soft-launched—though hardly anyone noticed at the time. It wasn’t until mid-2023 that Reelshort (Crazy Maple Studio) made waves, scaling rapidly with a unique approach: short-episode content in ads. With engaging, one-minute episodes, it brought drama content directly into advertising—allowing viewers to indulge in endless mini-stories anytime, anywhere. The ads tapped into a library filled with gripping tales of romantic entanglements with billionaires, heart-wrenching tragedies, epic comebacks, passionate love stories, revenge plots, and more. And that’s exactly what they showcased in their creatives. By 2024, the […]

Matej Lancaric October 25

Journal

Here’s 1 core issue I see in growth-stage game studios

I've managed $100M+ budgets. Here's 1 core issue I see in growth-stage game studios:They're throwing money around without realizing it.Example:Not enough partners? Missing annual targets?The typical response: "We need to hire more salespeople."But is recruiting new salespeople the answer?Or are you just adding more water to an overflowing ocean?Truth is, you don't have a sales problem.You have a foundational problem.Who is this really for?What makes you different?What does your strategy actually deliver?How do you communicate your value?If you don't address these foundational issues,you'll end up in a cycle of slow growth.Here's what I'd do this week:1. Identify your top 3-5 customers2. Schedule calls with them today3. Ask key questions about your value and impact4. Refine your messaging to sharpen differentiationRemember:Growth challenges are constant.It's how you tackle them that matters.I learned this the hard way at Gameloft, Blizzard, and Huuuge.Now I […]

Alexis Gresoviac October 24

Journal

How Cup Heroes Monetizes Its Success

How Cup Heroes Monetizes Its Success10M+ downloads and $1.7M in monthly revenue (https://lnkd.in/eyg_hWaK)Cup Heroes is a masterclass in hybrid-casual monetization. Here’s how they do it:I. Core-Gameplay Ads Monetization:• 🛡️ Watch ads to unlock skills like boosting damage or crit rate.>>>> Skills last for only one chapter, so players keep watching.• 💀 Revive your character once per chapter by watching an ad.• 🎁 Double your rewards at the end of each chapter with another ad.II. Progression IAP Monetization:• 🎉 Starter packs offer hard and soft currency, plus bonuses.• 🏆 Season passes keep players engaged with rewards and daily quests.• 💎 Hard currency packs let players fast-track progress for a premium price.• 🎲 Gacha chests offer upgrades and characters with a bit of surprise.• 🔓 Unlock new characters by collecting fragments or buying them with diamonds.III. Other Monetization Options:• ⚡ Speed boosts […]

Anton Slashcev October 24

Highlights

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

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

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

A good case with AEM in Meta Ads

Last week we had a good case with AEM in Meta Ads (check my last posts to see the whole story!) so I applied the strategy with a different app but in this case... the results were not successful.I am working with a client who recently launched an app. This means that they have NO presence at all in UK, which is the country that we are targeting in this test.This is VERY evident if you go to Revenue Cat and check the data (see screenshot). As you can see, we had zero activity in the country until October 16th, when we decided to launch the first campaign in Meta using AEM and focusing on free trials.If you count the trials from 16th to 20th, you will see 90 free trials in RevenueCat while if you go to AEM, I […]

David Vargas October 22

Journal

Creative Trends in Mobile Games – September 2024

September uncovers some interesting mashups & new creative trends 👇 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗔 & 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆:↳Celebrity endorsements can significantly impact game marketing and user acquisition. Antony Starr, looking at you!↳AI is becoming increasingly important in game development and marketing strategies.↳Game creatives are becoming more polished & more complex, utilizing various game features and game genres.𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁:↳celebrities↳hypercasual inspiration↳genre mashups↳hooks↳animals (sharks!)↳The 3D high production value in casual games↳new gates iterations (mindblowing stuff) Celebrities https://youtu.be/OYAYKkMdcKU Link to the original article.

Matej Lancaric October 22

#Marketing

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