two & a half gamers

𝐏𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐂𝐆 𝐏𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 $𝟓.𝟑𝐌𝐢𝐥/𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐀𝐏 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠! This game is going to hit $1 Billion in revenue in less than 9 months Don't you think? Well, in this special nostalgia episode with John we explore the gameplay mechanics, the nostalgia factor of the game, and the importance of booster packs and collection systems. Jakub discussed the innovative Wonder Pick mechanic that drives player interaction and excitement. There is a content pipeline for next quarter with trading and events coming. Uff! What a pipeline. Also, check the easter egg at the very end of the show. I assume this game spends around 5-10% of its daily revenue, which is $500k/day. This is a lot as a standalone number, but this is almost nothing regarding the overall daily revenue. The UA foundation is there, but they could expand the operations on multiple levels - channels & creatives. Why not using Pokemon theme song? Why not use narrative/story-driven creatives for each Pokemon? The Pokémon Company International, what do you think? Creatives are wrapped around pack openings. Which the game is all about. The collection of Pokemon. Gotta catch 'em all, right? Some people missed the important point. Pack openings are incredibly appealing on YouTube for several psychological and entertainment-driven reasons. Here’s why millions of people are hooked: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Pack openings play on humans' love for surprises and the dopamine rush of what could be inside. It’s like scratching a lottery ticket—people are drawn to the suspense of seeing whether the pack contains something rare, valuable, or exciting. 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 The chance to see rare or limited-edition items being revealed adds an extra layer of excitement. These special pack videos on YouTube often contain items or cards that are hard to come by, making the discovery feel unique and significant. 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 Pack openings are full of highs and lows—will they get Mewtwo EX Jakub Remiar, or will it be a Magikarp Felix? This emotional tension creates a narrative that’s compelling to watch, almost like a mini-drama. Ultimately, pack openings combine elements of surprise, satisfaction, and shared excitement, making them a perfect recipe for addictive content. It’s not just about the packs—it’s about the experience! Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eG_ZCG3g Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e6NHK_pQ Subscribe to the Brutally Honest newsletter: lancaric.substack.com Join the discussion in our Slack channel: https://lnkd.in/dbrDdGiJ Thanks a lot, Sensor Tower, for all the data!

Creative Trends in Mobile Games for October 2024! Voodoo started doing amazing stuff for Mob Control & Block Jam 3D. Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dE2Q26JM Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dQt4sarw Subscribe to the Brutally Honest newsletter: lancaric.substack.com Join the discussion in our Slack channel: https://lnkd.in/d8hfcDY4 Thanks a lot, Sensor Tower, for all the data for creatives!

Supercell ran the 2nd Beta test for Project R.I.S.E. during last weekend and there were some major changes done to the core of the game from the 1st test, that we saw during July this year. Get the latest run down here The biggest change is the perk selection as it is going be asynchronous, meaning you don't need to wait ⏳ for other players to choose and the game won't stop during this time as in previous version. Each player now has their own pool to chose from, which is affected by their overall progression. Perks now cost elixir giving it a strategic choice, with the possibility to save it between floors. This is a great change as it removed a lot of friction and unlocked more metagame options to affect the perk pools. Heroes got a new 6 tier progression with 18 levels that require Gold and Hero Badges. Leveling up your hero unlocks new Upgrade, Trait or Ultimate slots. There is a backpack now for consumables, with 2 Phoenix Feathers (revives) being added onto each floor for whoever finds them. Also Floor Skips were added to again remove friction when restarting the floor progression. The stronger your hero is the more "higher checkpoints" you get. Finally a team up feature was added, so no more relying on random matchmaking only. One other great quality of life change that was added is the new end of the floor setup. No need to wait for all of the players to get into the end area, as just one player will start the end timer. It seems the team is removing a lot of friction and adding a lot of quality of life changes, definitely great direction currently. We will be watching 👀 closely what will happen next as we think there will be a 3rd beta test somewhere in February next year. Join us as we talk about all of this with Matej. No ads, no Felix for this time. Data based on Sensor Tower Thanks for the support Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gdKyVF3Z Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gpmkv8G2 Join the discussion on our slack channel: https://lnkd.in/eZXJ2Une

Age of Empires Mobile is earning $500k/day right after the global launch. Nostalgia doesn’t mean $100 million/month. But in this case, “only” $11mil/month. 👇 Well, no hypercasual gates mechanics, no fun... Ehm, I mean, no revenue! Ehm, I mean no scale. Well, what the fuck do I even mean, then? Well, that is what I wrote in the very beginning. Nostalgia is not enough! In this episode, we delve into the nostalgic world of the Age of Empires, discussing its recent mobile adaptation and the implications of Tencent's involvement. We explore the gameplay mechanics, including various mini-games and the integration of elements from Vampire Survivors, while also reflecting on the challenges of maintaining the essence of a classic strategy game in a modern mobile format. The conversation highlights the balance between nostalgia and innovation in game design. Wake up, Microsoft! The real deal starts now. When the nostalgia fades off, the game is on! Age of Empires has the tools for scaling UA. 4 different minigames have been implemented and incorporated into the core of the game. No ducktaping. IMHO, even though survivor gameplay is a popular trend in creatives, I think it’s weak for this type of game. Why do you think companies like Rivergame or Scorewarrior focus on gates mechanic? Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dVzm3YG8 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dPQPtHbZ Subscribe to the Brutally Honest newsletter: lancaric.substack.com Join the discussion on our Slack channel: https://lnkd.in/eZXJ2Une

Capybara GO - the new sensation by Habby making $800k/day in revenue still without the US! This is going to be bigger than Survivor.io Habby did it again! Changing the whole mobile gaming landscape with the recent launch of Capybara GO! The game features a unique blend of gameplay mechanics that encourage passive play. The future of mobile gaming is here. Passive play, you heard it first on two & a half gamers. Most importantly, Capybara GO draws inspiration from various successful titles in the mobile gaming industry and putting them together piece by piece into perfect compatibility. A Very important insight: this game is basically a slot machine dressed up as an RPG. Is positioned as a social casino RPG, blending elements of both genres. Addictive and sticky gameplay? Hmm, where did we see that? Capybara GO creatives are the blend of every trend out there that works for mid-core. Mass battles, survivor.io gameplay, (UGC) hooks, AI voiceovers, backpack heroes combined with sword survivor.io. Just a big WOW! This is gonna be HUGE! Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dPNeWVRu Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dSqHzvjH Subscribe to the Brutally Honest newsletter: lancaric.substack.com Join the discussion in our Slack channel: https://lnkd.in/dbrDdGiJ Thanks a lot, Sensor Tower, for all the data!

All in Hole by Homa is hitting $70K a day in daily revenue with only 20% of Ads, even though it is still technically in the soft-launch stage. Not bad, right? This is not our typical hybrid casual game with 50% ads vs 50% IAP revenue. All in Hole borrows the hypercasual "hole" mechanic that was already used in the Attack Hole (wink wink, Voodoo) to double down on the marketability but shows strong IAP revenue instead of the even split. I still don't really understand multiple things on the UA side. UA channel mix and creative depth are big mysteries here. Using creatives from the old build is fine, but do not add anything new when you run the campaigns in your core markets. What's happening? Why do we only see 3-4 creatives here? What am I missing? Does poor UA destroy the huge product potential? Jakub x Felix x two & a half gamers 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/e5hDFagF 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eWDRkSxf 🗣 Join the discussion on our Slack channel: https://lnkd.in/eZXJ2Une Data based on Sensor Tower. Thanks for the continuous support!

Hexasort making $500k/day in revenue and has set a new standard for hybrid-casual games on multiple levels. Hexasort by Lion Studios (a.k.a AppLovin) has become a significant player in mobile gaming and has grown steadily since its global launch. There are multiple layers of a masterpiece. Great innovation on the ad placements. Felix already awarded the whole team a Nobel prize in recognition of their genius. With Jakub defending the game designers behind the highly addictive game. Gameplay mechanics are designed for long sessions and strategic thinking. Surprisingly, their main UA channel is Applovin. Hah, that is no surprise. Sorry. The whole creative approach is from a perfect UA playbook where you scale on Ad networks with a shit ton of playables. Yes, 70-80% of creatives are playables! Kudos to the team. 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dGFRxVzH 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRNd4tJE 🦄 Subscribe to the Brutally Honest newsletter: lancaric.substack.com 🗣 Join the discussion in our Slack channel: https://lnkd.in/dbrDdGiJ Thanks a lot, Sensor Tower, for all the data!

Cup Heroes: Voodoo's new hybrid casual hit, making $160k/day! Steady growth with ad placement excellence. What about their UA? uff! Cup Heroes makes around 50% of its revenue from ads, making it a true hybrid casual game. There are 29 ad placements in 1 run = 15 waves that the player encounters. With 45-50 minutes played daily, averaging five sessions per day and around 7.5min per session, that’s almost ad juggernaut. (wink wink, Felix!) This is a detailed review of Cup Heroes by Voodoo, discussing its hybrid casual gameplay, performance metrics, monetization strategies, and user experience. We explore the game's growth trajectory, retention rates, and how it compares to Mob Control other titles in the market. Discussing the effectiveness of decoys and rewards in gameplay, the impact of skill randomizers on player experience, and the creative approaches used in-game advertising. But that is only half of the CPI vs. LTV equation. What about the UA resp. CPI side? Honestly, I am very disappointed. UA diversification is on point, I have to give them that. The creative part is very worrying. Scaling a game requires many different creative concepts. Cup Heroes only have 2-3 playable ads and perhaps 4-5 different video concepts. These numbers should be per week! NET new concepts. Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dUmJTia3 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dceD_SxQ Subscribe to the Brutally Honest newsletter: lancaric.substack.com Join the discussion in our Slack channel: https://lnkd.in/dbrDdGiJ Thanks a lot, Sensor Tower, for all the data!

Offline Games - No Wifi Games: the most profitable game in the world, making $550K/day in ads, no UA! The game really delivers on its promises. You can play all of the games offline. It has already crossed 100 Million downloads with no UA! We couldn't even find any creatives or UA channels. This is a brilliant masterpiece of ASO and SEO strategy with proper link building that connects the Jindoblu website and the YouTube channel—well, actually two YouTube channels with millions of views. The game also cross-promotes the other similar portfolio games—two-player games and Antistress. Let's not forget ASO here since this game is ranking in the No.1 position for many "offline games" related keywords in the US and other countries. It is truly a great case study of one person, Moreno from Italy! Hats off! Tune in for the whole review. The numbers will blow you away! Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dG5fhHnA Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ev4te4vK Subscribe to the Brutally Honest newsletter: lancaric.substack.com Join the discussion in our Slack channel: https://lnkd.in/dbrDdGiJ Thanks a lot, Sensor Tower, for all the data!

WeChat minigames are killing it in China. 60-80% D1 retention rate for a Payer! Average payback period 3-5 months... The expected MAU of the minigame market will exceed 500 Million users in China this year, with an average daily play session of 60 minutes per day per user. These minigames are produced very fast (2-3 months) by small teams of 5-30 people, with a development cost of around $140K per 1 minigame. Minigame, in this case, means accessibility by one tap. WeChat minigames are fully-fledged games like Whiteout Survival by Century Games. Btw Whiteout Survival is sitting on the top of the Revenue rankings for a long time with expected payback of 8-10 months. Well tune in for more data with Lemon Choi! Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/d5Nj_gUU Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dz4UM8SW Subscribe to the Brutally Honest newsletter: lancaric.substack.com Join the discussion in our Slack channel: https://lnkd.in/dbrDdGiJ Thanks a lot, Sensor Tower, for all the data!