two & a half gamers 🌾 Little Farm Story: SayGames’ New #1 Title. The Ad Simulator Farming.
Today, we dissect Little Farm Story Idle Tycoon — SayGames’ latest farming-idle hybrid that feels like a mashup of Dreamdale, My Perfect Hotel, and Idle Breaker.
Key insights:
Gameplay Loop:
Clearing grass → unlocking fields → harvesting → selling resources.
Heavy reliance on ads for progression (resources, boosts, even eggs).
“Annoyance monetization”: progress gates force you to watch ads or buy “No Ads” pack.
Monetization:
~$67–70K/day in revenue.
~53% from ads, ~47% from IAP.
Ad breakdown: ~$24K rewarded, ~$10K interstitials, ~$500–700 from banners (“why bother?”).
“Remove Ads” pack is likely the top IAP — players pushed into it by frustration.
Design Choices:
Map expands with resource conversions (tomatoes → ketchup, chickens → eggs, wood → upgrades).
Inventory/capacity upgrades disguised as RPG-like gear, but tied to ad rewards.
Cosmetic shop + IAP items scattered on map.
UA & Creatives:
Ads mirror Township / Playrix resource ads and Century Games’ UA tricks (suction devices, backpacks).
Low-poly art style keeps CPIs down, but LTVs capped.
Playables + AI-generated UGC, but “Township-from-Wish” vibe.
Heavy interstitial cross-promo inside SayGames portfolio (even multiple in a row).
Market & Scaling:
Currently SayGames’ #1 title by IAP revenue.
~$2M monthly run rate, growing but not viral like Dreamdale or My Perfect Hotel.
Audience skew: ~63% US revenue, Tier 1 heavy.
Takeaway: Little Farm Story is a polished ad-driven idle hybrid, but its top IAP being “Remove Ads” caps its growth potential.
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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 and Game Overview
03:48 Gameplay Mechanics and Features
07:25 Monetization Strategies and Ads
12:42 In-App Purchases and User Experience
17:17 Revenue Insights and Conclusion
18:15 The Decline of Traditional Ads
19:23 User Acquisition Strategies in Gaming
21:17 Ad Monetization Archetypes
23:46 Comparative Analysis of Game Creatives
25:57 Performance Metrics and Revenue Insights
28:30 The Future of Game Scaling and IAPs
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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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