Analysis

Pizza Ready! – From Dough to Domination: The Idle Arcade Success

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that pizza is a universal love language. So when Supercent decided to channel that into a mobile game, it’s no wonder they struck gold. Or in this case, a piping hot slice of success. Pizza Ready! didn’t just show up – it dominated. It became the mozzarella on the hyper-casual genre’s crust, the sauce that bound mobile gamers together. But how did it manage to do that? Well, buckle up, because we’re about to dive into the gooey, cheesy center of why Pizza Ready! became one of the most downloaded and, surprisingly, most monetarily delicious games of the past year. 🎮 The Simulation Gold Rush - Why Everyone’s Making Arcade Idle Games Here’s the thing – making an arcade idle game might seem like the easiest recipe in the book. You’ve got the simplified […]

Aylin YAZICI April 8

Analysis

Monopoly GO makes $104M per month. Their 3.7K Ads Strategy?

🎲♟️ Monopoly Go is making $104M per month. Here’s what I saw in their 3.7k ads strategy 👇 🎯 Winning Ads Run for 30+ DaysMost of their Meta ads stay live for over a month, which means (for me) they’re betting more on branding than rapid iteration.👵📊 Older Players == More Spending PowerUnlike many mobile games, 40+ users make up a bigger share of their audience. And older players tend to spend more.🥐 France #1France gets the most ad impressions in Europe, which matches its high download ranking.📱 Google Play Gets More TrafficThey drive 64.5% of their traffic to Google Play vs. 35% to Apple. I am not sure why that is, honestly.🎥 Simple Ads Work (again)Their best-performing ad? No voiceover, just in-game animations and a catchy hook:✅ “Simple Tips to Get Rich!” (will also work in 100 years, I […]

Sven Jürgens April 7

Analysis

How does PvP counter play systems work?

Warning ☢️ Heavy Game Design post ahead 😁 How does PvP counterplay systems work? We already talked about the elemental system driving PvE games, but how about Player versus Player games? Again, similar to the elemental system, PvP counterplay systems can go from pretty straightforward (rock-paper-scissors ✂️) to some very advanced mechanics as faction and unit synergies, specific traits, direct immunity mechanics, and environment advantages. This system is powering some of the most biggest games on the market, such as Riot Games's League of Legends or Supercell's Clash Royale & Brawl Stars. Again, it is the hidden reason why you need to be able to master and, most importantly, collect or upgrade all or most of the characters in the game to stay competitive 😎. This takes much more skill than just playing with elemental affinities and throwing water dungeons […]

Jakub Remiar April 7

Analysis

What’s Wrong With Vita Mahjong?

Want to know what's wrong with Vita Mahjong from Vita Studio? My wife got seriously hooked on this game, and I resisted for a while before giving it a try. Then I saw it ranked in the Top 15 Free Games on the App Store, and decided to run a poll—should I review it or not? Only one person voted yes, which felt odd… but I went ahead anyway. According to my wife, the game is overloaded with ads—which drives her crazy. But when I launched it for the first time, I saw zero ads. NONE. The gameplay was chill, familiar from other mahjong titles, and surprisingly soothing. And then I played for three hours straight. Can you imagine that kind of session for a mobile game? And again—not a single ad. There’s even a “No Ads” option in the […]

Michael Khripin April 7

Analysis

Why Now Is the Worst Time to Launch a Match-3

For any team eyeing a sizable market, Match-3 has always been an incredibly tempting target. Puzzle games remain one of the biggest and most consistent genres on mobile, and within that space, Match-3 stands out as a true titan. Generating over 60% of puzzle IAP revenue and pulling in more than $5 billion last year, Match-3 has long held the promise of massive returns. It’s the kind of stat that makes even the most disciplined team think, “If we could just carve out 1% of this market…” That thinking has led so many teams into the grinder… Despite the genre’s enormous size, we haven’t seen a single new Match-3 title cross the $100M lifetime revenue mark in the West since Royal Match, which launched in 2020. Considering the scale of the market, that benchmark isn’t just fair, but it’s actually […]

Ahmetcan Demirel April 7

Analysis

Sort Games Monetization: Complete Guide

Hello and welcome back, everyone! Thank you for joining me for another genre exploration in our journey through the diverse world of mobile gaming monetization. If you missed our last discussion on the most utilized monetization strategies in merge games, be sure to check it out here. It's full of insights that might inspire your next big idea, regardless of the genre you're currently working on. Today, we're delving into the captivating world of sort games. While different from merge games, the principles of monetization remain universal and highly adaptable. So, let's uncover how this genre keeps players engaged and, more importantly, how it turns that engagement into revenue. Market Trends and Evolution in Sort Games Sort games have seen a massive surge in popularity over the past few years, evolving from ultra-casual tap experiences into deeper, more strategic titles […]

Michael Kopelovich April 7

Analysis

Captivating Mobile Video Ads in 4 Seconds

Mobile video ads' view rates reveal that attention starts dropping after just four seconds. Today, attention is advertising’s most valuable currency, making the hook—the opening of each video—the most crucial element of the ad creative. What makes a great hook? Straight to the point: Within the first 2 seconds of your ad, it should be blatantly clear what’s happening. Add movement: Movement, whether fast and dynamic or slow and hypnotic, is a great way to catch the eye. Evoke curiosity: Implement elements that give the viewer no choice but to continue watching. Create humorous, shocking, or awe moments: Play with emotions. You can never go wrong with a good WTF moment! Use all the tools at your disposal: Not just visual, but audio, SFX, voice-over, and text. For research, ad intelligence platforms like Apptica can help you spot top-performing creatives by showing which ads have the highest […]

Alexandra Pulinets April 6

Analysis

What’s Wrong With mo.co?

Another review based on my poll, second top choice—the latest release from Supercell — mo.co. For those who will read till the end, there is a bonus—a chance to get an invite. I really like the visual aesthetic—it’s fresh and vibrant. The idea of receiving quests via chat with NPCs and collecting rewards right there is great—very modern. Feels like chatting in DMs, familiar and intuitive. Brilliant marketing move with the invite system—you get 3 invites after reaching level 8. That’s going to bring in high-quality, motivated viral traffic. At first, the shop only offers loot boxes for merch tokens (currency earned through gameplay), and there’s no way to spend real money. Later, the full store unlocks. It follows a classic structure: Short LTO offersLong 3-week bundlesHard currency packs for IAPsA free resource pack on 24h cooldownLoot boxes for hard […]

Michael Khripin April 5

Analysis

Take-aways from playing Block Blast

Want to know what’s wrong with Block Blast from Hungry Studio ? The game is #1 in the casual category at the moment (March 20), but from a monetization perspective it is pure AdMon and much more simple that many other casual games on the market. Static banners at the bottom. Interstitials after every level, short ones, easily skippable. The only case of rewarded videos – revival after losing. In this case, the video ad is long because the player is motivated to wait, providing better CPM. Revival happens only one time. If you lose again, it will be final. There are no IAPs, so there is no game shop, no offers, no resources, no energy, no lives, you name it. Players can play as long as they want. Game sessions are not limited. But absence of IAPs also means […]

Michael Khripin April 1

Analysis

What Makes CAPYBARA GO! Successful?

A stylish game that attracts you at first sight! Adventure RPG, where you fight with players using magic, swords, and build your own unique character strategy to win the battle, but as a cute, fluffy character. So let’s dive into what makes this game successful and worth playing. First pillar – Setting. Setting in games is the world and style where the game happens. It can be realistic, fantasy, cute, dark — and it helps the game feel unique and attract the right players. Nowadays, style can be one of the main USPs of a game. It reflects user preferences — that’s why we see a lot of similar games with different settings. The most common example: PUBG and Fortnite. Very similar gameplay core, but completely different approaches, one goes for realism, the other for a stylized, fun experience. Both […]

Taras Svityk March 28

Analysis

Supercell’s mo.co: A Constructive Deep Dive

Supercell has once again entered the mobile gaming landscape with their newest title, mo.co, a game that blends elements of Action RPGs, MMOs, and a bit of Extraction Shooters (specifically, given how its core loop is currently constructed, it resembles some elements from Extraction genres — if you have played e.g., Helldivers 2 recently, you can spot the similarities definitely in terms of jumping in and out for missions).Note! This is a constructive analysis and review with all good and “bad” laid out to discuss and analyze this game and its current state properly. This post’s intention is not to judge and point any fingers — the intention is solely to educate and discuss about the game and its current state in a professional manner, and give pointers for my readers on where this type’s of game’s strengths and challenges […]

Antti Kananen March 27

Analysis

Engaging Mini Games and Where to Find Them

Like any business, games exist to generate revenue. Without a solid monetization strategy, even the most passionate developers struggle to sustain their projects. But every successful developer knows that a game’s ability to make money is deeply tied to its retention metrics. While revenue is the ultimate measure of success, retention serves as a crucial intermediate indicator that is often prioritized even over direct revenue figures. And the strategies to ensure strong retention evolve over different stages of a game’s lifecycle. In the short term (call it D1 to D7), a compelling core loop is essential: a mechanic that is easy to pick up but challenging to master, providing endless variations without becoming stale. In the long term (call it D180 and beyond), retention hinges on intrinsic motivation: social engagement, a thriving community, and compelling end-game content. But what about […]

Ahmetcan Demirel March 23

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