Anton Slashcev

The $1B Playbook behind Royal Match success. Here’s the breakdown of their Live Ops strategy: 𝟭. 🏆 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: • Weekly Contest Challenge (full-week tournament) https://lnkd.in/e7rC3yWR • King’s Cup (2-day midweek tournament) https://lnkd.in/eu-YfraP • Sky Race (3-day end-of-week race) https://lnkd.in/eMwbwwuy • Lightning Rush (fast-paced 1-hour tournament) https://lnkd.in/eajrD8iR • Archery Arena (daily weekend tournament) https://lnkd.in/eRajA8Y7 𝟮. 🤝 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: • Team Treasure (weekly rotating team event) https://lnkd.in/eWV7BXdc • Team Tournament (weekly rotating team event) https://lnkd.in/eEiFwW7p • Dragon Nest (co-op team event inspired by Monopoly) https://lnkd.in/eE4_PNai 𝟯. 🎲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶-𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆: • Hidden Temple (4-day midweek treasure-digging mini-game) https://lnkd.in/eQkHtKvS • Duke’s Fortune (slot machine mini-game, 3 days) https://lnkd.in/eJ2mmFZe • Magic Cauldron (potion-making mini-game, 3 days) https://lnkd.in/eh6ACvX4 𝟰. 🏅 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: • Mission Control (4-day milestone event) https://lnkd.in/eDsdQYpm• Mission Pursuit (3-day milestone event) https://lnkd.in/egWaAGNC • Book of Treasures […]

What to do if your game has low retention? I teamed up with Mykola Veremiev to make a decision tree for your game.If your game is struggling, ask these questions: 1. Is the FTUE completion rate high? 2. Are players engaged with the core loop? 3. Are paywalls causing drop-offs? 4. Are there difficulty spikes? 5. Is the player funnel strong? 6. Is the game technically stable? 7. Do players have clear long-term goals? 8. Are players pursuing those goals? 9. Is feedback on gameplay positive? 10. Does your team still believe in the vision? Depending on the answers, you have 3 paths: • 🔁 Iterate: Minor fixes can boost retention. • ↩ Pivot: Core gameplay has potential but lacks depth. • ☠ Kill: Systemic issues with no clear solution. Use data to guide your decisions. Iterate, pivot, or cut […]

From Hyper to Hybrid Casual: The Mob Control Playbook I partnered with Playliner to analyze the evolution of Mob Control.In 2021, Mob Control was a typical hyper-casual game. ↳ Simple mechanics. ↳ Minimal progression. ↳ Ad-heavy monetization. Revenue? $10K in monthly IAP. Fast forward to 2024, it’s a top hybrid-casual game. → Now pulling in $2.5M per month. Here’s how they made the leap: 1. Production Quality2021: Generic, low-quality visuals. 2024: Polished, unique assets with smooth UI and engaging effects. 2. Gameplay Depth2021: Fun core mechanic but repetitive. 2024: New elements and modes introduced gradually. The game stays fresh and engaging. 3. Live Ops 2021: No live events. 2024: Tournaments, seasonal events, and big IP collabs (e.g., Transformers). 4. Meta & Progression 2021: Basic upgrades with minimal impact. 2024: Deep progression systems. Unit upgrades, abilities, and meaningful choices bring mid-core […]

Retention is king. Here are the TOP 3 long-term retention champions, according to AppMagic: 1. HONOR OF KINGS• D90 Retention: 15% • Genre: Brawl/MOBA • Daily Active Users (DAU): 574k • Revenue per Download Tier-1: $37.5 • Secret to retention: Constant updates with new heroes and events, plus a thriving competitive scene. Players stay for the dynamic gameplay and strong social connections. 2. ROBLOX• D90 Retention: 14% • Genre: Simulation/Sandbox • DAU: 33M • Revenue per Download Tier-1: $12.8 • Secret to retention: User-generated content and social interactions. Players create, share, and explore countless experiences, fostering endless engagement. 3. GARDENSCAPES• D90 Retention: 13% • Genre: Match-3 with Meta • DAU: 4.9M • Revenue per Download Tier-1: $17.6 • Secret to retention: A perfect blend of puzzles, emotional storytelling, and immersive garden decoration. Regular updates and rewards keep players motivated. What’s […]

I analyzed 19,977 new mobile games launched in 2024. Based on AppMagic data, here is how they performed:𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀 • $3.1B in IAP revenue — only 5% of total mobile game revenue • 5.5B downloads — representing 9.7% of all game downloads 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 • Only 1.9% of games made over $1M • 62% earned $0• Success in mobile gaming is rare 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲: 1. RPG: $2B IAP revenue | 7.2% success rate • Top new apps of the genre: https://lnkd.in/epWcqxe72. Strategy: $352M | 3.8% success rate • Top new apps of the genre: https://lnkd.in/e4k7N2Sc3. Shooter: $38M | 2.3% success rate • Top new apps of the genre: https://lnkd.in/eMBmFEyf𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 • Only 1.3% of games surpassed 5M+ downloads • 38.5% didn’t even hit 10k downloads 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀: 1. Simulation: 1B downloads | 10.2% success rate • […]

The Top 10 Social Features in Casual Games Based on the Playliner research, here are the most popular social features: 1. Clans/Teams Players can join or create teams to unlock several benefits: • Exchange lives every 4 hours • Chat with teammates • Compete on team leaderboards • Earn rewards by helping others 2. Friends Interactions with friends are key: • Add or remove friends • Invite friends and get rewards • Send and receive gifts • Play mini-games or joint events 3. Leaderboards & Rankings Competition thrives with rankings: • Global and regional leaderboards • Team Ranking: Based on total levels completed • Player Ranking: Tracks individual progress 4. Tournaments • Players collect tokens to climb leaderboards and win prizes when the event ends. 5. Weekly Contests A week-long challenge: • Earn points by completing new levels • Top […]

20 traps that ruin your Live Ops (and how to avoid it) I teamed up with Sergei Vasiuk to break down the most common mistakes in Live Ops and share tips on how to improve them.• Trends• Events• Whales• Failures• Metrics• Content• Updates• Paywalls• Feedback• Segments• A/B Testing• Community• Progression• Onboarding• Radio Silent• Past Success• Monetization• Tech Performance• Customer Support• Cultural RelevanceThese elements combine to satisfy players.It's where design meets player satisfaction.It’s not about perfection ↳ it’s about continuous improvement.That’s the mark of a truly great game.A standard we can all aim for.

Hybrid Casual Games: Key Monetization Insights Based on the Playliner report, here’s a breakdown of top games like Wood Nuts Bolts Puzzle, Block Jam 3D, and Twisted Tangle:🎯 Level Difficulty and Playtime • Wood Nuts Bolts Puzzle and Block Jam 3D have longer levels due to complex mechanics. • Players often fail on the first attempt, adding challenge and replay value. 🚀 Booster Usage and Value • In Wood Nuts Bolts Puzzle, players frequently use boosters, mostly earned via ads. • Twisted Tangle has high-cost boosters, with players using about 30 across 100 levels. 📺 Popular Ad Placements • Reward x2 – Win screen for double rewards. • Continue Playing – Fail screen for extra time or lives. • Life Refill – Available in mechanics windows. • Booster Activation – Mid-level for extra power-ups. 📊 Ads Watched Per Game • […]