Game Deconstruction: Magic Sort by Grand Games

🎮 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, […]

Oxana Fomina May 29

Journal

The Event Strategy That Got Players Hooked and Paid Off

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 – 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐎𝐟𝐟 Century Games launched the Moonlight Festival in 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥, showcasing how deeply integrated event design can drive engagement and monetization.📈 The result was +23.8% 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 +20% 𝐀𝐑𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐔, according to Sensor Tower. This is a powerful reminder that event design pays off for players and publishers when it is purposeful and player-centric. 🎯 The Festival featured six synergistic components — all woven together to create a sense of purpose, urgency, and progression:🔹 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 – A 21-level battle pass acting as the central hub, offering both free and premium tracks. 🔹 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 – Daily tasks with tournament-style leaderboards. 🔹 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴' 𝘚𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘺 – A table-based task system with clear goals and instant feedback. 🔹 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘙𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 – Rewarding regular in-game activity. 🔹 𝘛𝘰𝘱-𝘶𝘱 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘴 – […]

Oxana Fomina May 15

Journal

Fishdom by Playrix: Fantastic Results

What I truly admire about Playrix’s games is their innovative approach to monetization and retention. Let's explore the event that led to fantastic 📈 results according to Sensor Tower data:+32.3% 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞+44.4% 𝐀𝐑𝐏𝐏𝐔+13% 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬+16.6% 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 Over the past two years, Fishdom has introduced long-term meta-events that run for nearly a month. These aren’t just side content—they’re strategic systems with independent mechanics layered over the core gameplay, keeping players engaged on multiple levels.🔍 On the Playliner calendar below, you can see two examples: One with a Merge mechanicOne with an Expedition mechanicLet’s dive deeper into the 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭—especially how it evolved in 2024 with the introduction of the 𝐆𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭.🗺️ Expedition is an exploration event with its own map, storyline, and energy system. Players explore, clear obstacles, collect resources, and help characters progress.💎 Gemstone Trail runs alongside […]

Oxana Fomina May 6

Journal

Extraordinary results from Monopoly Go’s Tycoon Racers event

In June 2024, Scopely's Monopoly Go introduced "Tycoon Racers," Team-based event that delivered extraordinary results: a 48.8% revenue increase and a 71% jump in Average Revenue Per Daily Active User, according to Sensor Tower data. This marks the second consecutive year a Monopoly Go event has ranked among the top five monetization events in mobile gaming.What made it work? Building on the success of their 2023 "Baking Partners" event, the team enhanced:✅ 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐝𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬 - expanding from pairs to teams, creating stronger social obligations✅ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 - introducing real-time competition against other teams✅ 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 - breaking into shorter tournaments requiring daily participation✅ 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 - implementing choice-based rewards with higher perceived value✅ 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 - allowing resource collection before events beginThe evolution from "Baking Partners" to "Tycoon Racers" demonstrates how thoughtful enhancement of social mechanics, competition frameworks, and reward […]

Oxana Fomina April 25

Journal

Smart Monetization Approach for Hard Levels in Match-3 Games

🔥 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.

Oxana Fomina December 4

Journal

Web Stores Impact & Trends

🎮 Web Stores Impact & TrendsThe mobile gaming industry has faced significant revenue challenges in 2024, with a notable decline across various genres and platforms. One key factor contributing to this shift is game developers' increasing adoption of web stores, bypassing platform fees, and offering better value to players. The shift toward web stores represents a significant evolution in mobile game monetization. Games implementing these strategies create direct relationships with players while offering better value, potentially reshaping the industry's revenue distribution model.

Oxana Fomina November 5

Journal

Successful Growth Strategy Behind Dice Dreams

SuperPlay first rolled the dice on Dice Dreams back in 2019, and fast forward to 2024, it’s enjoying its biggest winning streak yet. Not only has the studio managed to scale Dice Dreams to new heights, but they've also introduced a rising star: Domino Dreams. Launching a new hit in today’s hyper-competitive market? That’s no small feat. The buzz around SuperPlay’s meteoric rise hasn’t gone unnoticed. Gaming giant Playtika is now set to acquire SuperPlay in a blockbuster deal potentially worth up to $1.95 billion. In the fast-paced world of mobile gaming, few titles can boast such rapid and sustained growth as Dice Dreams. Since its global launch on February 5th, 2020, the game has transformed from an underdog into a board game juggernaut—especially throughout 2023 and 2024. According to Sensor Tower, since the start of 2023, Dice Dreams has […]

Oxana Fomina October 9

Journal

Multiple Paid Pass: Boost Player Choice, Rewards, Playtimes, And Revenue

Based on an analysis of 44 games we show how multiple paid pass options can impact player retention and monetization. In recent years, the Battle Pass system has become a cornerstone of monetization strategies in the video game industry. However, with new mechanics like the "Multiple Paid Pass," developers are discovering even more opportunities to enhance player engagement and revenue growth. This article explores this model's trend and successful implementations, based on an analysis of 44 games across various genres, and discusses how multiple paid pass options can impact player retention and monetization. As the gaming market becomes increasingly competitive, developers constantly seek new ways to retain players and increase monetization. The introduction of the Multiple Paid Pass model reflects a growing trend towards providing players with more personalized and flexible engagement options. The introduction of the Multiple Paid Pass […]

Oxana Fomina August 16

Journal

Candy Crush Saga’s Unique Challenge For More Lives

The innovative challenge mechanism activates in Candy Crush Saga by King when a player has exhausted all lives, presenting an exclusive opportunity for an additional attempt to conquer the level. This unique feature, offers a player the chance to earn 1 life as a reward for successful completion of the level. This daily-available challenge surfaces once all lives are depleted, opening a challenge window that grants players an extra shot at level completion, making it a strategic and engaging addition to the game's dynamics. ✅ 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 By offering an additional attempt after all lives are spent, the game effectively encourages players to continue engaging with it, even after facing setbacks. This can increase the time spent in the game and improve player retention rates. ✅ 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 The incentive of receiving an extra life for completing the challenge […]

Oxana Fomina April 29

Journal

What Do You Like Most About Your Job?

I really enjoy finding cause-and-effect relationships in player behavior, discovering insights in data, exploring games, and identifying triggers and call-to-actions that motivate players to engage, return, and pay. I love learning not just why a game/event/offer evokes certain emotions and feelings, but most importantly, because of what? I am fascinated by deconstructing the gameplay and events to understand the secret to a game's success. I am incredibly inspired when I see the beauty and pattern of engagement and monetization mechanics. I sincerely admire the work that the game creators have done, and I often want to meet and learn about those who have created a particular event or mechanic in a game. I feel absolute exhilaration when I first research an event and it seems genius to me, and then I study the game's metrics during the first launch of […]

Oxana Fomina April 1

Journal

All Players Are Paying With Different Payment Methods

𝘗𝘢𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴: ✅ 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 They pay with their time, creating the core part of your game's audience.✅ 𝐈𝐧-𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Directly, as in Minecraft, or indirectly by joining teams, players participate in cooperative battles, collaborate with others, demonstrate their skill level through combat or build defensive structures, etc.✅ 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 Players might not pay directly but will bring organic traffic by telling their friends and acquaintances about your game.✅𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 Non-paying players are engaged in the game and completing events to gather as much in-game currency as possible and spend it on heroes or Battle Passes. They are already paying you.✅ 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐝𝐬. 𝘗𝘢𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴: ✅ 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞✅ 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬✅ 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (Subscription, Seasonal Pass, etc.To ensure your events generate real income, you must identify the most effective triggers and call-to-actions for all payment […]

Oxana Fomina March 29

Journal

Personalized Gaming Offers Through Phone Numbers

The trend of expanding sales channels for in-app purchases (IAP) continues. Initially, sales were available only through the Apple and Google stores, then web shops appeared. Now, there is a trend of selling in-game purchases through messenger services, where you can send push messages and personalized offers specifically for that player, which won't be available to others.Two pioneering games, Monopoly GO! by Scopely and Coin Master by Moon Active are leading the charge by collecting phone numbers from users beyond the conventional Facebook Connect and email integrations. This strategy opens many opportunities to deepen engagement and streamline the sales process.I see this as a golden opportunity to expand communication channels with players and innovate to sell in-game currency. Imagine leveraging direct-to-consumer technology with a 'Buy Button' that can be seamlessly integrated into any messaging app. This personalizes the player's journey, […]

Oxana Fomina March 18

Oxana Fomina

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