Brutally Honest #148 by Matej Lancaric

Hey, FAM! What’s up?

?? Drink talk

I'm on my way to the Maldives for the annual retreat. It can’t be called a vacation when Katarina is running around, but I'm still going to enjoy it.

Hope PGC was cold and dark.. Jokes aside, have fun. See you next year!

??Tip of the week

Expanding your UA efforts across multiple channels is essential for comprehensively understanding your game's KPIs. Especially when you are early in development, while this approach may require a higher budget, it provides valuable data for benchmarking and optimization.

Why Multi-Channel UA Matters?

Running campaigns across various platforms allows for comparative analysis, helping identify which channels yield the best results and where improvements are needed.

Relying on a single channel can be risky due to algorithm changes or policy shifts. A multi-channel strategy mitigates this risk by diversifying your acquisition sources.

Remember to tailor your creatives to each platform's specific audiences and formats, enhancing engagement and effectiveness.

You always want to benchmark a few different UA sources against each other.

Read full story

?? Cornelius: The Suspicious Investi-gator

True detective-like exploration of creative trends and historical influences. Delving deep into the world of creatives to uncover hidden patterns and inspirations:

The stacking mechanic has become a cornerstone in hyper-casual gaming, captivating audiences with its straightforward yet engaging gameplay. This mechanic's evolution and its impact on user acquisition metrics, particularly Cost Per Install (CPI), highlight its significance in the mobile gaming industry.

Evolution of Stacking Mechanics:

• Early Implementations: Stacking mechanics have been present in mobile games for some time, offering players simple yet satisfying gameplay experiences.
• Influence of Fortnite (2017): The building mechanics introduced in Fortnite added a dynamic layer to stacking, inspiring developers to incorporate more interactive and strategic elements into their games.
• Adoption in Hyper-Casual Games:

Impact on User Acquisition Metrics:

The integration of stacking mechanics has been instrumental in reducing CPI for these games:

• Bridge Race: Through iterative development and optimization of creatives, the game's CPI decreased from $0.41 in its initial version to as low as $0.22. This reduction was achieved by identifying effective creatives and refining gameplay elements, leading to a 47% drop in CPI. Source:Mobidictum

Psychological Appeal of Stacking Mechanics:

• Simplicity and Accessibility: Easy-to-understand mechanics attract a broad audience, making games approachable for players of all ages.
• Visual and Physical Satisfaction: The act of stacking provides immediate visual feedback, offering a sense of accomplishment as players see their progress materialize.
• Challenge and Skill Development: Increasing difficulty levels require precise timing and coordination, keeping players engaged and motivated to improve.
• Short, Engaging Sessions: Ideal for mobile gaming, stacking games offer quick gameplay sessions that fit into players' busy schedules.

Broader Adoption Across Genres:

Beyond hyper-casual games, stacking mechanics have been incorporated into various genres to enhance engagement and reduce CPI:

• Idle Games: Titles like Idle Lumber and Gold and Goblins (AppQuantum) utilize stacking to add depth to incremental gameplay.
• Simulation and Strategy Games: Games such as Township, Animals & Coins, and Whiteout Survival incorporate stacking elements to enrich gameplay and attract a wider audience.

The strategic implementation of stacking mechanics has proven effective in enhancing player engagement and reducing acquisition costs. As the mobile gaming market becomes increasingly competitive, developers continue to innovate within this mechanic to attract and retain players, underscoring its enduring appeal and effectiveness.

Yours truly, Cornelius.

?? Dr. Doom is not amused

One of my industry friends amused me with his direct and honest TL;DRs, so we agreed to share it here, too! My friend remains anonymous as Dr.Doom!

"In the latest turn of events, it seems the only outcome of the temporary TikTok ban was the collateral banning of Mobile legends Bang Bang and Marvel Snap. As TikTok is back online we eagerly await until the US president, Elon, ehmm I mean Trump make it his own, ehmm I mean "divests" it from Bytedance, Why are we even pretending anymore as Elon and CCCP are BFFs? ????" Sincerely, Doom (https://mobilegamer.biz/us-tiktok-ban-pulls-marvel-snap-plus-other-nuverse-and-moonton-games-offline/)

??? “Ha-ha” moment

Because life is too short to be serious.

?? two & a half gamers - Block Blast!

What is behind 15 million DAU & 1 million/day revenue? ?????????????????? ?????????? ??????????'?? ??????????????.

Block Blast was downloaded 378 million times! ??????, ??????????????! 30 million in December 2024, basically the worst time of the year for scaling UA. I guess this doesn't apply to everyone. On the other hand, this game is 100% monetized by ads, so now that December scale makes a lot of sense. Right, Felix?

We explore the phenomenon of Block Blast! by Hungry Studio and discuss its massive success in the mobile gaming industry. We discuss the game's impressive download numbers, user engagement strategies, and unique game mechanics that keep players hooked.

Such a simple game, yet a money-printing machine. During our China visit, we heard this small team is running endless A/B tests, which was also confirmed in the last mobilegamer.biz interview.

There were times when I saw Block Blast's ads almost everywhere, I mean I still see them everywhere. DUH! What about their CPI's?

?? Watch on Youtube

?? Listen on Spotify

?? Paid subs only

Sneak peek at what you get for your support:

Stay Ahead in UA for 2025: My Top 41 Tips Revealed

Read full story

How to decrease CPIs by 40% & find 3+ winners in 1h of creative production?

Read full story

How to use AI in advertising

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?? Diary of a Dancing Unicorn

Today was a good day.

Have you seen this?

Oh yeah, I feel like I am reading a digest of my articles but without my name on it.

There should have been a quote that says “dancing unicorn” or at least a brief mention somewhere in that article.

Yeah, but there is none. What can we do?! We are still friends.

haha well, this is always how it starts...

Fun times..

Today was a good day.

?? Quote of the week

"Hah, he really listens. He again shadow-quoted me” - Jakub, 2.5g DM

Block Blast - Game Review!

?? Level up yourself

I launched a YouTube Channel. I'm putting a ton of energy into creating valuable content that I think you'll like. Check out the latest stuff, and give me a like and subscribe.

??? THE AI (R)EVOLUTION

The AI revolution is here, and it’s transforming the way we approach mobile games marketing.

From creating scroll-stopping ad creatives to optimizing user acquisition strategies, AI is the game-changer we can’t ignore.

?? Before you go

Ask Matej AI a question. It’s actually quite good!

We produced one more episode at 2.5gamers. Check it out now:

We are also starting a new segment, give it a go:

?? Fun starts in two & a half gamers Slack! Join now

We are opening up a Slack channel for everybody. It is the most inclusive slack for the gaming industry. Female, male, non-binary, juniors, mid-level, seniors, vendors, developers = EVERYBODY! We are waiting for you ??

Feel free to join here!

?? Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter!

Please do me a favor and share this with someone in your network who you think would benefit from the insights and brutal honesty. It would mean a lot to me!

Take care, everyone! See you next Thursday!

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?? PS: The latest UA & marketing jobs for you prepared by Gamigion :

Senior Performance Product Manager - Monetization Scopely Social Media Manager Scopely Performance Manager Scopely VP, Marketing Scopely Director of Product Marketing- Scopely Performance Marketing Manager II Scopely Regional Marketing, Korea Supercell Product Manager, Monetization Zynga Growth Analyst, Product Zynga User Acquisition Manager - Bingo Blitz Playtika Marketing Analytics Manager Dream Games Senior Marketing Analyst Dream Games Marketing Data Analyst PLAYSTUDIOS ISRAEL User Acquisition manager SciPlay Senior User Acquisition Manager SciPlay Marketing Specialist (New Grad) Peak User Acquisition Manager - Apps Voodoo Lead Marketing Data Analyst Gameloft Product Marketing Manager Gameloft Brisbane Head of User Acquisition TapNation Marketing Director Tangelo Games Corp. Growth Specialist SKIDOS Growth Specialist (Monetization) Fugo Games Marketing Data Analyst Plummy Games User Acquisition Manager Nordcurrent Senior User Acquisition Manager Nordcurrent Sr. Analyst, Growth AppLovin Product Marketing Manager AppsFlyer Solution Marketing Manager AppsFlyer Manager, Digital Lifecycle Marketing Sensor Tower Campaign Analyst Smadex Social Media Manager Almedia Growth Partnership Manager Unity Growth Performance Manager Unity Campaign Manager Ogury Manager, Business Marketing Liftoff Mobile Senior Performance Strategist Liftoff Mobile Monetization Manager Appodeal Marketing Admin, International PubMatic Campaign Manager (AdTech) Adikteev Senior Campaign Manager Adikteev Head of Growth and Digital Marketing Amplitude Field Marketing Manager Amplitude Field Marketing Manager, EMEA Branch Industry Marketing Lead Braze Senior Lifecycle Marketing Manager Braze Product Marketing Manager MoEngage Senior Growth Consultant - Phiture User Acquisition Manager North America Stillfront Senior User Acquisition Manager Stillfront Account Manager (Digital Marketing) Fluent, Inc Senior User Acquisition Manager JustPlay Senior ASO Manager JustPlay Growth Manager Moloco New Business Growth Manager Moloco Senior Data Scientist - Growth Analytics Moloco UA Marketing Producer Playrix Lead User Acquisition Manager Playrix Senior User Acquisition Manager Playrix

Find out more here!