Disney Solitaire makes $300K a Day, wake-up call for King.

Soft-launched in late 2024 and was globally released in April 2025. Disney Solitaire 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 more than 🤑 $𝟯𝟬𝟬𝗸/𝗱𝗮𝘆 out of the gate, building up on that nostalgia factor and awesome execution. 👇 This is a wake-up call for King. It's true that Candy Crush Solitaire started scaling in the last week or so, but only installs, and most installs are coming from outside the US. Yes, US installs doubled. What about revenue impact? Absolutely nothing. Anyway, this title expands SuperPlay’s portfolio into the card/solitaire genre, leveraging one of the world’s most powerful entertainment brands. Completing levels in Disney Solitaire allows players to unlock and rebuild famous scenes from Disney and Pixar films. Each chapter in the game is themed around a movie (e.g., The Lion King, Moana, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, etc.) 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘀 […]

Matej Lancaric May 5

Journal

First 30 Days Checklist for Mobile Games

The first 30 days as a mobile game producer can make or break your impact. 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭: 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽 & 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁• Get access to key tools: Jira, Slack, Confluence, Analytics• Play the game to understand gameplay, meta, and monetization• Meet the team, review roadmap, backlog, and deadlines𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝟮–𝟯: 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 & 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲• Analyze retention, playtime, churn, ARPU, LTV, CPI• Study A/B test results and competitor benchmarks• Read player reviews and feedback• Map the workflow: sprint cycles, daily standups, Live Ops• Identify early wins for quick impact𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟳 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀: 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 & 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆• Review the content pipeline and Live Ops setup• Spot inefficiencies and improve communication• Learn dashboards and tracking tools• Use data to validate decisions• Start forming hypotheses around pricing, retention, engagement𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟰 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀: 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 & 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻• Align on vision and KPIs with stakeholders• Define focus areas and improvement […]

Anton Slashcev May 5

Journal

Spotify without Apple Payment Processing is Approved

🚨Spotify App without Apple Payment Processing is Approved 🚨 💸For the last 15 years in mobile gaming, Apple and Google have charged a 30% fee on app store payments. In 2021, a court ruling allowed developers to show alternative payment solutions to users, but Apple and Google implemented anti-steering policies that prohibited showing direct links to other payment methods.💸🚨On April 30, 2025, a new ruling in a US court stated that anti-steering policies are anti-competitive and have to be removed for US users. Apple will comply but appeal the verdict. 🚨🎼Spotify has already removed Apple processing from its payments in the USA, and Apple has approved it. Gaming Studios are urged to act quickly, as the window of opportunity might not last. 🎼Developers should plan how to promote web stores in their games and prepare a go-to-market strategy. 📈Here to help us […]

Felix Braberg May 5

Highlights

Automatic difficulty adjustment in Match3 levels

Hello! My name is Anton, and I am a game designer and match3 level designer. I've been working on match3 games for over 15 years (am I considered a veteran yet? :)), participated in the creation of new games, and joined projects at various stages of their life cycle. I've accumulated a lot of experience and have some free time, so I want to start a series of articles where I will share useful information. The first topic I'd like to cover is the use of automatic difficulty adjustment in match3 levels. When we play cool (successful) match3 projects, we often encounter a situation where you can't pass a certain level for a long time, everyone remembers level 65 in Candy Crush, right? Candy Crush 65 level (old) But after a few days, or sessions, for example, you spent 5 […]

Anton Heorhiiev May 3

Journal

New Hybrid: Kingdom Life by SuperSonic

NEW HYBRID IS COMING? ”KINGDOM LIFE” BY SUPERSONIC & MOOD GAMES Supersonic from Unity 🇮🇱 has released yet another promising casual hybrid title.Developed by Turkish game studio Mood Games 🇹🇷, “Kingdom Life” is a life simulator that cleverly mixes two other successful life simulators from Supersonic, “Family Life” (31MM down.) and “Conquer Countries” (16MM down.).From “Family Life”, “Kingdom Life ” takes the gameplay based on the growth of a family from its family tree. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧After acquiring 15k coins, “Kingdom Life” unlocks the map mode, which the player can use to conquer territories, similar to “Conquer Countries”. 🗺️The tie-in between the two gameplays is well done through the game's medieval-themed narrative, inserting the player into a story typical of a royal court series. 👑I enjoyed it! 🤩

Carlos Pereira May 2

Journal

CPI Drop with Strong IP in Mobile Games?

💥 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗣𝗜 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗣 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲? 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝟳𝟬%?👇 We’ve all seen the power of recognizable characters and brands in UA campaigns and games. A good IP can cut through ad fatigue, boost IPMs, and increase brand awareness. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗣𝗜? From what I’ve seen and heard, CPI drops 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝟮𝟬 – 𝟳𝟬%. These are possible with top-tier global IPs (think Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, etc)And of course, lower CPI doesn’t always equal higher LTV, especially if the IP fans churn quickly after install. Also, there is a licensing cost... 👉 I’d love to hear your experience.How much of a CPI drop did you see, and was it worth the licensing cost?

Matej Lancaric May 2

Journal

Get Ready for a Tsunami of Web Shops

Shall We Get Ready for a Tsunami of Web Shops? The recent court ruling in favor of Epic Games, delivered by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, just changed the game — literally.Apple can no longer block external payment options or take a cut from out-of-app transactions.This opens massive opportunities for game developers to finally own their monetization stack.Web shops are no longer optional — they’re strategic.We’re talking about reducing commissions from 30% to 3–5% (just transaction costs).That leaves the rest in your pocket.What an impressive boost to your LiveOps strategies!Now you have two smart paths:👉 Lower the price for the same goods — boost conversion.👉 Keep the price, but add bonus content — boost value.Both work. And both should be:✅ Personalized✅ A/B tested✅ Synced to in-game behaviorLook at Mattel, Inc.’s UNO! as a great example.Their webshop mirrors the in-game store, adapts […]

Michael Khripin May 2

Journal

Top Grossing Hybridcasual Games

If you take the entertainment industry seriously, you get results.These 10 games are a living proof of that. Top 10l titles brought $87M in IAP! If you are still struggling to understandWhat a hybrid casual is and is not,You are not alone.However, you will be left behind If you don't improve your understanding.Your time is valuable, use it wisely.Cheers!PS: Also, on the PC side of things, GTA is delayed. and I TOLD YOU SO! ugh.

Gökhan Üzmez May 2

Journal

GTA Delay…

Ahh Sh*t, here we go again…. Not surprised. But definitely disappointed.Good for other games launching this year, though!

John Wright May 2

Journal

The New Rules of the Soft Launch Game

The New Rules of the Soft Launch Game Remember when you soft-launched a mobile game to test metrics before scaling? That playbook’s evolving—and fast. Everyone knows that most mobile games fail. But there seems to be one way that savvy developers are maximizing their success rate on mobile. They look at successful Steam Games, letting them act as their soft launch. Let me ask you: what do R.E.P.O Mobile, Dreamy Room, and I am Cat have in common? Each started as a Steam or Meta Quest hit, then leaped to mobile. Dreamy Room by ABI Games was launched in February 2025. It has about 1.1 million DAU and earns about $80k/day in IAA and IAPs. Dreamy Room is one of the first titles in ABI’s portfolio, earning significant IAP revenue. A knowledgeable fan, Matheiu Halley, in the 2.5 gamers Slack […]

Felix Braberg May 2

Journal

Top 10 Hybridcasual Games

TOP 10 HYBRID CASUAL# 4 WEEK, APRIL, 2025 This post is special to me. 🥰I've been following the hyper casual market closely for over five years.One of my first editorial lines on LinkedIn was the list of the top 10 hyper casual games by downloads. 🔝🔟However, the industry has changed a lot since then. 🤯Today, we live in the Age of the Hybrid Casual.The ecosystem of big publishers and hundreds of small and medium-sized developers has changed.The new titles have more depth, pursuing IAP revenue. 💰This was unthinkable in the Golden Age of Hyper Casual.For comparison, one of the biggest hyper casual hits, Voodoo's “Helix Jump”, made just $2.8MM in IAP revenue from over 520MM cumulative downloads.That's why I'm returning to my top 10 list, but with hybrid casual titles and organized by revenue.I believe the hybrid casual industry is […]

Carlos Pereira May 2

Analysis

Meta’s Ad ROAS – 101 Guide for UA Managers

Meta’s advertising platform has introduced a new campaign optimization method called Ad ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) that specifically uses in-app ad revenue as the optimization signal. In other words, instead of optimizing for purchases or installs alone, advertisers can now optimize for the ad monetization value that users generate. This is a significant development for app marketers, especially those in the mobile game and app publishing industry, whose revenue comes largely from ads. Meta’s solution allows these advertisers to find and bid for users who will generate the highest ad revenue in their apps, thereby maximizing ROAS. This feature was rolled out in late 2024 for Android app campaigns and represents a major shift in how we approach user acquisition for ad-monetized apps. Why it matters: In the past, if your app monetized via in-app advertisements (IAA) rather than […]

Matej Lancaric May 1

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