Oxana Fomina

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞.There is a lot of discussion today about revenue growth in puzzle games, especially driven by merge and sort genres. Some claim that match-3 is no longer relevant and that even flagship titles fromPlayrixandKingare declining. But this is not genre fatigue. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬.Match-3 games traditionally satisfy these needs:• Challenge and self-validation• Proving “I can handle this”• Solving puzzles and finding optimal solutions• Clear win/lose confirmation of competenceThis worked well when players had enough mental capacity to seek additional challenges. But today’s reality is different. People live under constant stress: COVID aftermath, inflation, instability, unpredictability, and an endless stream of real-life challenges. The nervous system is overloaded.Some of those players are no longer looking for new challenges in games. They are looking for relief.Merge and sort games satisfy different needs:• Calm […]

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬, 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐨Across genres, the most profitable events are built on three universal elements that consistently increase both engagement and revenue. These principles are not limited to one type of game — they scale across Slots, Solitaire, and Bingo. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 + 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐭 + 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫1. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬On top of the core gameplay, players receive an additional track: a mini-board, hidden cells, or a win-streak progression. This gives players the feeling of constant movement and achievement, while encouraging them to play longer sessions and perform more actions.2. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 '𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐭'Players face the risk of losing progress if they fail or run out of time. Quest chains, streak-based tasks, or boosters that last until the first loss all create the tension of maintaining progress. This pressure […]

𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐛𝐲 14.6% In May 2025, Dream Games launched a new weekend tournament in RoyalMatch, Propeller Rush. The player competes in 30-minute rounds against four opponents, aiming to create the most Propeller bonuses. The event has three stages with increasing rewards, but losing at any stage immediately ends the tournament. To advance, the player must take first place every time. This weekend's tournament runs from Friday to Sunday. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 The “sudden death” rule — the event ends after the first loss, creating a unique sense of risk and intensity compared to traditional tournaments. “Sudden death” elimination rule after any loss is a new feature for popular Match-3 games.This mechanic immediately proved effective: during the first 3 days, revenue increased by 14.6% compared to the previous weekend. The tension of […]

🎮 Game Deconstruction: Magic Sort by Grand Games 🚀 From Flow to Fatigue — A Player’s Journey I recently discovered Magic Sort, and on the first day, I completed 60 levels. I was in flow — fully immersed, effortlessly progressing. But over time, I started to observe when and why that flow started to break. What engaged me? What pulled me out? And what was missing? 🔍 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 The game offers early access to flow — intuitive mechanics, fast onboarding, clear rewards.Events are introduced quite early: Broom Streak, Jetpack Race, Sky Jump — an attempt to diversify engagement and appeal to different player types. ⚖️ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 Flow is easily broken by spikes in level difficulty and a lack of balance between easy and hard levels. With an increasing number of “hard” and “super hard” levels, […]

🔥 Smart Monetization Approach for Hard Levels in Match-3 Games 🔥The game's brilliantly designed "hard level bundle" system demonstrates how thoughtful player psychology integration can drive both revenue and player satisfaction. The strategy revolves around offering premium bundles at precisely timed moments when players face challenging levels, with offers that include unlimited boosters, lives, and extra moves. What makes this system particularly innovative is its integration with a streak mechanic. The system goes even further with sophisticated player segmentation, offering different bundle variations based on player profiles and behaviors. The addition of ad-watched unlimited boosters shows how the system continues to evolve, creating multiple monetization pathways while maintaining player engagement.