two & a half gamers

We just dropped our latest episode, and it is a must-watch for anyone building or buying mobile game ads. We break down the biggest trends ripping through the creative market: AI hooks and seamless transitions: five art styles in five minutes, and the line between real and fake is now a blur. Celebrities everywhere: Monica, Phoebe, LeBron, Christina Aguilera, even C-tier cameos nobody asked for Satisfying gold bars, drowning waifus, and cruelty hooks: Virality still rules the creative graveyard. Copy-paste chaos: King Shot mechanics, snakes, resource overload, and every trend recycled at warp speed IP infringement? Nobody cares. Elsa and Moana show up in more ads than their own movies. Here is the brutal truth: The mobile creative game is faster, weirder, and less original than ever. AI is now your intern, celebrity ads are squeezing out innovation, and anyone who is not remixing, testing, and scaling daily is already behind. Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop -------------------------------------- PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers. Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/ They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it. - Scale fast - Keep your shares - Drawdown only as needed - Have PvX take downside risk alongside you + Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors --------------------------------------- Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance. https://www.vibe.co/ --------------------------------------- For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale. Our sponsor FastSpring: Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years They power top mobile publishers around the world Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg. --------------------------------------- This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously. Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠ Youtube: https://youtu.be/xbOwszmQ6tg [https://youtu.be/xbOwszmQ6tg] Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Event Highlights 02:58 Creative Trends Overview 05:50 Golden Goblin Creatives 08:42 Celebrity Influences in Gaming Ads 11:44 Contractual Dynamics in Celebrity Endorsements 14:42 Trends in Game Creatives 17:37 AI and Animation in Game Marketing 20:04 Exploring Game Mechanics and Design Flaws 22:42 The Evolution of Game Concepts and AI Integration 25:41 Analyzing Coin Master’s Consistent Revenue Stream 28:43 The Impact of AI on Game Development 31:43 Trends in Mobile Gaming Revenue and Performance 37:10 Introduction to SuperScent and Game Comparisons 37:47 Exploring Game Mechanics and Creative Concepts 39:27 Discussion on Whiteout Survival and Game Trends 40:29 Advertising Strategies for CTV Campaigns 41:36 Analyzing Pokemon Go's New Developments 44:18 AI in Game Creatives and Advertising 48:42 Trends in AI-Generated Content and IP Infringement --------------------------------------- Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it! Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple! Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Legend alert. In this episode, we sit down with Jane Whittaker, a developer, executive, and innovator whose career spans from coding 8-bit chart toppers and Atari’s biggest hits to shaping the DNA of open-world, survival, and RPGs. Jane shares candid stories from the 1980s video game crash, building Alien vs. Predator with just two programmers, working with Sid Meier and Mike Singleton, and steering giants like EA and MGM. What’s inside: Real Video Game History Indie Roots and All-In Dev: From writing sound drivers without knowing music to doing design, code, and art in a single project, Jane did it all before “indie” was a thing. Survival Games Before They Were Cool Open World Royalty: From Mike Singleton’s Midwinter to World of Warcraft landscape architecture and Microsoft Flight Simulator expansions, Jane’s fingerprints are all over gaming’s biggest virtual worlds. Modding and Crafting Philosophy No AI Shortcuts, Pure Craft Why Fun Beats Tech Key Takeaway: Game design that stands the test of time is about creative risk, pure craft, and relentless focus on fun, not just graphics or tech. Jane’s story is a masterclass for anyone building or dreaming of building games. Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop -------------------------------------- PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers. Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/ They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it. - Scale fast - Keep your shares - Drawdown only as needed - Have PvX take downside risk alongside you + Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors --------------------------------------- Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance. https://www.vibe.co/ --------------------------------------- For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale. Our sponsor FastSpring: Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years They power top mobile publishers around the world Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg. --------------------------------------- This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously. Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Matej Lancaric⁠ Youtube: https://youtu.be/RyDJ88zRVwo Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg Chapters 00:00 Introduction to a Gaming Legend 02:42 The Evolution of Gaming: A Personal Journey 05:45 The Impact of the 1983 Video Game Crash 08:32 The Making of Alien vs. Predator 11:12 Transitioning to MGM and GoldenEye 14:22 The Legacy of Survival Games 17:24 Behind the Scenes of Dungeon Keeper and Marvel Games 20:00 Contributions to World of Warcraft 22:10 Crafting Immersive Game Worlds 25:50 Innovations in Game Mechanics 29:10 Creating Tension and Fear in Gameplay 32:55 The Role of AI in Game Development 38:12 Crafting Immersive Game Worlds 41:13 The Importance of Effort in Game Development 43:53 Balancing Budget and Creativity 46:02 The Role of Modding in Gaming 50:13 Lessons from Past Projects 54:35 Building a Passionate Gaming Community --------------------------------------- Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it! Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple! Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Today, we sit down with Supersonic’s Samantha Benjamin and Guy Agiv to discuss the hit game Screw Master 3D. From adapting trends out of China to hybrid monetization tricks and creative secrets, this episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone in mobile gaming. What you’ll learn: How Screwmaster 3D’s physics-puzzle and meta layers drive insane engagement The models and tactics behind maximizing eCPMs and LTV in ad-heavy games The secret to rapid adaptation, culturalization, and scaling trends globally A-B testing, skip-its, and boosters—hybrid casual best practices for monetization without killing UX Creative production at Supersonic: data-driven, AI-boosted, always iterating The new era of hybrid casual is ruthless: if you want to compete, you need to move fast, master ad monetization, and out-iterate everyone on creative and product. Screwmaster 3D is proof that the real money is in the details. Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop -------------------------------------- PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers. Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/ They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it. - Scale fast - Keep your shares - Drawdown only as needed - Have PvX take downside risk alongside you + Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors --------------------------------------- For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale. Our sponsor FastSpring: Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years They power top mobile publishers around the world Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg. --------------------------------------- This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously. Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠ Youtube: https://youtu.be/OmGzUDUiPsQ [https://youtu.be/OmGzUDUiPsQ] Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Screw Master 3D 02:37 Game Mechanics and Design Insights 05:39 Adapting for Global Markets 08:38 User Engagement and Retention Strategies 11:50 Monetization Strategies and Challenges 14:33 Future Developments and Game Evolution 26:56 Balancing Game Difficulty and User Engagement 27:50 Analyzing User Metrics and Revenue Streams 29:09 Retention Rates and User Engagement Strategies 31:09 Ad Monetization Strategies and User Experience 35:34 Optimizing Ad Experience and User Segmentation 40:14 ECPM Management and Ad Impression Strategies 45:26 Implementing Skip It Feature in Game Design 49:19 User Acquisition Strategies and Channel Mix 52:44 Channel Mix and Budget Allocation 55:43 The Power of Playable Ads 01:00:21 Creative Testing and Iteration Strategies 01:01:53 Balancing Playable Lengths for User Engagement 01:05:00 Testing New Channels and Creative Strategies 01:12:19 Exploring New Channels for Growth --------------------------------------- Matej Lancaric User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant ⁠https://lancaric.me Felix Braberg Ad monetization consultant ⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com Jakub Remiar Game design consultant ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar --------------------------------------- Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it! Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple! Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

We just dropped a new Review Radar episode in which we examined every major mobile game from the last three months. Some are breaking the ‘podcast curse’ and scaling up, others are stuck in stable dinosaur mode, and a few are just… lost. Highlights: Triple Match City and Color Block Jam are stacking revenue with surprising ARPU and ad mixes Royal Kingdom and Pokémon Sleep show that audience and IP still trump any new feature Cloning is the new normal, but most ‘copy-paste’ games never hit the KPIs of their genre leaders Monetization is where dreams die, great engines, weak revenue UA and creative discipline are still the biggest differentiators Our verdict? Build fast, adapt faster, and don’t be afraid to kill what isn’t scaling. In mobile gaming, the only thing worse than a failed experiment is a boring one. Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop -------------------------------------- PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers. Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/ They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it. - Scale fast - Keep your shares - Drawdown only as needed - Have PvX take downside risk alongside you + Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors --------------------------------------- Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance. https://www.vibe.co/ --------------------------------------- For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale. Our sponsor FastSpring: Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years They power top mobile publishers around the world Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg. --------------------------------------- This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously. Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠ Youtube: https://youtu.be/vaa1d1Evif0 [https://youtu.be/vaa1d1Evif0] Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Review Radar 04:39 Game Performance Insights: Triple Match City 07:16 Core Survival and Its Revenue Growth 10:32 Acero 2: Launch and Revenue Analysis 13:37 Top Girl: User Engagement and Revenue Trends 16:37 Royal Kingdom: Celebrity Campaign Impact 19:36 Path of Exile 2: Community Reactions and Revenue 22:40 Dark and Darker: Soft Launch Insights 25:34 Magic Sword: Future Potential and Market Position 27:06 Revenue Insights: Comparing Game Performance 28:48 Block Blast: The Unexpected Contender 29:42 Project Rise: Anticipation and Delays 33:27 ColorBlockJam: A Rising Star in Mobile Gaming 36:35 Hi-Sees Hero: Challenges in Game Development 39:48 Candy Crush Solitaire: Stagnation in a Competitive Market 41:50 Goods Puzzle: A New Player in the Market --------------------------------------- Matej Lancaric User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant ⁠https://lancaric.me Felix Braberg Ad monetization consultant ⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com Jakub Remiar Game design consultant ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar --------------------------------------- Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it! Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple! Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

In this special episode recorded LIVE at MAU, Matej Lančarič sits down with Noa Gutterman (VP UA, Misplay) and Brett (Senior Manager, UA, Misplay) for a no-BS deep dive into the business and creative secrets powering Misplay’s explosive growth, and their high-stakes launch on iOS. Brutally honest breakdown: How Misplay overcame App Store hurdles to launch on iOS Incrementality testing, the “always-on” strategy that’s blowing up the myth of last-touch attribution Building a predictive PLTV signal stack for maximum partner value Why culturalization, not just localization, is driving insane ROI in APAC markets Creative strategies that actually convert: negative hooks, modular iteration, and next-gen UGC Real talk on AI in UA, where it works, where it fails, and what’s next Misplay’s playbook is a wake-up call for UA and product teams: “Question every channel. Obsess over incrementality. Creative is king, but speed and structure are the emperor. And don’t just localize, culturalize, or leave millions on the table. Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop -------------------------------------- PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers. Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/ They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it. - Scale fast - Keep your shares - Drawdown only as needed - Have PvX take downside risk alongside you + Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors --------------------------------------- Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance. https://www.vibe.co/ --------------------------------------- For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale. Our sponsor FastSpring: Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years They power top mobile publishers around the world Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg. --------------------------------------- This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously. Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠ Youtube: https://youtu.be/xUCAnvTHcYQ [https://youtu.be/xUCAnvTHcYQ] Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Misplay and the Team 03:24 Challenges and Opportunities in iOS Gaming 06:51 User Acquisition Strategies for iOS 09:31 Incrementality Testing in User Acquisition 12:38 Measurement and Data Strategies 15:40 Signals and Optimization in Campaigns 18:48 User Segmentation and Geo Strategies 23:31 Culturalized Marketing Strategies in Korea 25:43 Creative Strategies and User-Generated Content 29:47 Innovative Brainstorming and Team Collaboration 32:43 Creative Testing and Iteration 36:38 The Role of AI in Creative Development 42:19 Future Directions for Misplay --------------------------------------- Matej Lancaric User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant ⁠https://lancaric.me Felix Braberg Ad monetization consultant ⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com Jakub Remiar Game design consultant ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar --------------------------------------- Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it! Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple! Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me