Gabriel Stürmer, CEO of Clap Clap Games, transitioned from e-commerce at Dell to the gaming world after being fired from Cupcake Entertainment. He shares his riveting journey of self-educating game development and launching successful games like 'Submarine Jump' and 'Snow Patrol.' Gabriel discusses the intricacies of game testing and the evolution of hyper-casual games, emphasizing the importance of player retention in a competitive landscape. He also sheds light on the dynamics of running a small team and the challenges of resource limitations in mobile game development.
54:18
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Fired to Founder: Gabriel's Journey
Gabriel Stürmer was fired from his own company Cupcake and then started Clap Clap Games.
Left with no money and no team, he self-taught Unity and created two prototype games accepted by publishers, kickstarting his success.
insights INSIGHT
Evolution to Hybrid Casual Games
Hyper casual games evolved into hybrid casual games with more complex meta to retain players longer.
Mobile games now require longer retention and more monetization, moving beyond day 7 or 30 retention.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Ruthless Early Game Testing
Test games by running $100/day Facebook campaigns for 4-5 days to check acquisition cost and retention.
Use benchmarks like CPI under $2 and day 1 retention around 40% to decide if the game progresses.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Gabriel Stürmer, CEO of Clap Clap Games. Gabriel shares his remarkable journey from working in e-commerce at Dell to venturing into gaming with Cupcake Entertainment and eventually founding his own game studio. Despite facing the setback of being fired from Cupcake, Gabriel taught himself game development through Unity tutorials and successfully published two hit games, 'Submarine Jump' and 'Snow Patrol,' with renowned publishers.
He discusses the intricate process of game testing, the evolution of hyper-casual games, and the challenges of staying ahead in the mobile gaming industry with limited resources. Gabriel also offers insights into building a successful partnership and maintaining efficiency in a small team. Listeners get a glimpse into the dynamic world of mobile game development and the resilience required to succeed.
Hey, Good Game