two & a half gamers Granny: The untapped goldmine of horror games on mobile! How Granny Broke YouTube & TikTok?
Today, we break down Granny: the solo-developed mobile horror hit that racked up a billion downloads and $50,000 daily ad revenue with no UA, no team, and nothing but YouTube virality.
You’ll learn:
The secrets behind Granny’s viral growth and billion-plus downloads
Why four simple interstitials are better than banners, IAP, or rewarded video
How meme culture, Let’s Plays, and YouTube Shorts keep the DAU high
How a lack of mediation and adops left $50 million on the table
What makes Granny so replayable—and why nobody’s cloned the formula
The untapped goldmine of horror games on mobile
Key Takeaway:
You do not need a team, UA, or even high production values to win. Build for memes, embrace virality, and never underestimate the power of a good scare on mobile.
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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
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 Granny: The Horror Game
04:26 Game Mechanics and Design Exploration
07:27 Gameplay Experience and Strategies
10:26 Monetization and Revenue Insights
13:26 Multiple Endings and Replayability
16:23 Personal Reflections on Horror Games
19:22 The Evolution of Granny: From One to Two
21:50 Connecting the Dots: Granny and Slendrina Lore
23:57 The Passion Behind Game Development
26:42 Analyzing Download Trends and User Engagement
31:08 Revenue Insights: The Financials of Granny Games
35:17 Optimizing Ad Placements for Better User Experience
36:18 Game Design and Monetization Strategies
37:29 Understanding Ad Mediation and Revenue Loss
39:52 Calculating Potential Revenue Losses
42:00 Leveraging YouTube for Marketing
44:09 The Impact of Horror Games on YouTube
46:05 Challenges in the Horror Game Genre
50:01 Future of Horror Games and Closing Thoughts
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
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Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me