Exploring the Agile Mindset and Prototyping in Hyper Casual Game Development

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session #98. 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 Special guest: Alvaro Duarte Youtube: https://youtu.be/pKMOGndZ8Eo Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-29stniv6f-oLJzhx2U_mRB_ppXnJ9hvQ Agenda
00:00 Epic Introduction and Setting of the Tone

01:08 Introducing Alvaro and Voodoo Gaming Portfolio

04:04 Hypercasual Games: Dead or Alive?

05:02 Opportunities for Small Gaming Companies

06:14 The Success of Mob Control and Block Jam 3D

07:06 The Evolution of Mob Control

08:12 The Impact of Gacha Mechanics in Mob Control

09:04 The Vision and Long-Term Strategy of Mob Control

11:32 Teasers for Future Updates in Mob Control

15:04 The Positive Impact of Mob Control on Block Jam 3D

22:00 The Role of Ads and In-App Purchases in Voodoo Games

26:30 The Internalization of Gaming Teams at Voodoo

28:00 The Unique Features and Potential of Blockjam

29:08 Voodoo's Ambitions in the Casual Gaming Market

30:38 The Rise of Small Teams in Voodoo

31:19 The Mandatory Shift to CPI-Focused Strategies

32:14 The Success of Paper.io

33:01 The Metagame Features of Paper.io

34:28 The Evolution of Paper.io's Gameplay

36:16 The Monetization Elements in Paper.io

37:07 The Thinking Behind Repurposing Games

38:11 The Journey of Transforming Games

39:16 The Importance of CPI Proficiency

40:02 The Potential of Replicating Success in Other Games

40:40 The Future of Voodoo's Key Titles

41:54 The Skill Set Needed for IAP-Based Games

43:47 The Importance of Prototyping and Volume of Prototypes

45:31 The Challenges and Misconceptions of Hypercasual Games

47:05 The Transition from Hypercasual to Hybrid Casual

48:05 The Shift in UA Strategies for Hybrid Casual Games

49:53 The Transition to In-App Driven Revenue

54:09 The Impact of IAP on UA Strategies

57:49 The Head Count at Voodoo --------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------- Takeaways The rise of small teams in Voodoo is leading to the creation of numerous prototypes and innovative game concepts.

CPI-focused strategies are becoming mandatory for game developers due to the challenges of breaching the CPI wall.

Core games are being positioned as hypercasuals, with a focus on creative and onboarding elements

The success of Paper.io demonstrates the potential for growth and revenue increase through metagame features and visual progression.

The transition from hypercasual to hybrid casual requires a different skill set and a focus on live ops and player retention. --------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------- If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej Lancaric Hybrid casual playbook - https://open.substack.com/pub/lancaric/p/hybrid-casual-ua-playbook-real-data?r=7qqaf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai