How to Grow Your Mobile Game Without Ads

Daily Creatives Insight is here! After a short break, I’m back with some interesting games and even more interesting creatives! This time, let’s take a look at something less known – something that brings a bit of freshness compared to what we usually see from the big players on the market. My good friend Rafał Owczarski recently sent me a game called Pickaxe King Island. As a huge fan of cozy games – which unfortunately aren’t the most popular genre on mobile – I jumped right in. And it was absolutely worth it! A fresh approach, a charming art style, and most importantly - really engaging gameplay. Who doesn’t love taking care of their chickens and cows :D My natural curiosity made me check what kind of ads Rogue Union Games is currently running - and I have to say… great job! What makes this ad work so well in my opinion? - simple, clean editing that fits perfectly with the gameplay - clear presentation of the core mechanics - a music track that matches the game’s pace beautifully All of this means that, as a player, I instantly know what I’m getting. I’m getting the exact feeling I experienced while watching the ad. The only thing I might nitpick is the final shot. I’m not entirely sure if it fits the overall pace - it feels a bit too dynamic compared to the earlier scenes. Maybe if it didn’t include the use of dynamite (which adds a lot of action), the tone would stay more cohesive? What about you? Do you have your favorite cozy mobile titles that deserve a bit more attention? Android https://lnkd.in/gkPVdUM8 iOS https://lnkd.in/gtRtJsnE #casual #gaming #mobilegames #gamedev #creatives #marketing #useracquisition

Deconstructing Indie Success: Idle & Roguelike Games through a Growth PM’s Lens Idle and Roguelike games seem simple — yet they’re masters at retention, progression pacing, and monetization loops. In my latest breakdown, I explore: Why these genres sustain long-term player engagement The balance between reward cycles and effort Lessons PMs and designers can apply to any live game Read the full breakdown here 👇 https://lnkd.in/dJ9eh2cM Would love to hear how you design or measure retention loops in your titles. #GameDesign #ProductManagement #IndieGames #IdleGames #RetentionDesign #Monetization

How Deliventura Supports Indie Game Developers (and Why It Actually Matters) You ever scroll past a game on Steam and think, “How have I never heard of this before?” Then you find out it was made by a two-person team in their garage, funded by a tiny Kickstarter campaign, and suddenly you’re emotionally invested. I’ve been there—probably more times than I should admit—and honestly, that’s where Deliventura really earns my respect. They don’t just list indie titles as filler between the AAA stuff. They actively support indie developers, especially smaller U.S.-based studios trying to get their first break in a sea of noise. Here’s what I’ve seen them doing that actually moves the needle: Dev Partnerships with U.S. Indie Studios Deliventura’s not just reselling keys—they’re partnering with creators. Think of it as a spotlight, not a shelf space. I’ve seen games go live on their platform before they hit Steam Early Access or itch.io. That’s rare. And it tells me they’re building real relationships behind the scenes. Exclusive Launch Codes & Early Access Drops I snagged an early access code for a rogue-like from a tiny Oregon dev team this past spring. Never saw it anywhere else. These indie exclusives are part of what makes browsing Deliventura feel like digging through a record store—you stumble on stuff before it’s cool. That’s a vibe I honestly miss from modern digital stores. Revenue-Sharing That Doesn't Crush the Creators Look, I’m no accountant, but I’ve spoken with a few devs who’ve sold through Deliventura, and what I’ve heard is encouraging: the rev split is fair, and the promo slots don’t cost them an arm and a leg. That matters, especially for creators coming from Kickstarter or solo dev teams with limited budgets. And if you're wondering why this should matter to you, the gamer? Well, if you've ever complained that modern games feel “samey” or like they're all made by committee—this is your fix. Supporting platforms like Deliventura means you’re helping the next Hades or Stardew Valley get off the ground. My takeaway? If you’re into discovering weird, creative, not-yet-mainstream gems—and you actually want your money to mean something—Deliventura’s one of the few places where you can do both. You’re not just buying a game. You’re giving a dev a chance.

How One Developer Built a Record-Breaking Rogue-like Phenomenon The indie gaming scene is witnessing an unprecedented breakout. MegaBonk - developed entirely by a single developer - is redefining what's possible for solo game development while challenging established studio models with its perfect blend of rogue-like depth and accessible gameplay. - Development Team: 1 person - Peak Concurrent Players: 45,000+ - Steam Rating: 95% positive from 18,000+ reviews - Development Timeline: 2 years from concept to launch The game's success stems from a brilliantly executed formula that merges hardcore rogue-like elements with immediate accessibility. Players understand the core mechanics within their first 30 seconds, yet discover endless depth through permanent progression systems and satisfying core loops. MegaBonk perfects the balance between instant gratification and long-term engagement. The signature "bonk" mechanic delivers immediate visceral feedback that keeps players coming back, while carefully tuned progression systems ensure every run feels meaningful. This combination creates perfect session flexibility - equally satisfying for 5-minute breaks or 5-hour binge sessions. Without bureaucratic hurdles, the developer could implement player feedback within hours rather than months. This rapid iteration cycle built incredible community loyalty and allowed for perfect tuning of game mechanics. The minimal overhead also enabled an aggressive pricing strategy that removed barriers to entry while maintaining healthy margins. MegaBonk demonstrates that player satisfaction in 2025 doesn't require complex graphics or massive budgets. The game succeeds by perfecting three core elements: - Immediate mechanical satisfaction - Meaningful progression systems - Perfect session length balance The emerging pattern for successful indie breakouts is becoming clear: hyper-focus on 2-3 core mechanics executed flawlessly, design for both short sessions and long-term engagement, price accessibly while delivering exceptional value, and maintain direct communication with the player community. - Are large development teams becoming a liability for certain game genres? - How can established studios replicate the rapid iteration capabilities of solo developers? - What does MegaBonk's success reveal about modern player preferences for fun over complexity? This success signals a pivotal shift for studios of all sizes. Rather than competing through budget or team size, the template for break-out hits now centers on polished pillars over piled-on features. What other game genres could benefit from this focused, solo-developer approach? #GameDevelopment #GameDesign #GamingIndustry

Supercent has announced the launch of RE:BOUND 2025, a new initiative designed to give live mobile games a second chance in the global market. The program will run from October 1 to October 31, 2025, and is open to developers of any live game regardless of genre, platform, or year of release.  With this initiative, Supercent is extending its expertise in user acquisition, performance marketing, and creative production to help games scale. Selected titles will also receive guidance on monetization, gameplay loops, live operations, and long term scalability. “A great game is not always enough. Sometimes the market fails good products. RE:BOUND 2025 is our answer to that,” said Jun-sik Gong, CEO of Supercent. “We want to give developers the opportunity to republish their games with strong support behind them.”  Supercent has also allocated a $10 million MG pool to support selected partners and make the re-launch process more impactful.    The publisher has already built a strong reputation as a Top 5 hypercasual publisher and a Top 8 global mobile game publisher, with successes like Pizza Ready crossing 300 million downloads in 2025.  Applications for RE:BOUND 2025 are open from October 1 to October 31 through the official website, offering developers a chance to gain full publishing support and access to Supercent’s global partner network. Read the full story in comments below 👇

Games like Megabonk, Clair Obscur, and Silksong are making it very easy for the players who still buy games to decide what few purchases they’ll make that year. Players are becoming more and more value proposition sensitive, thinking less in terms of “must-play releases” and more in terms of dollars per minute of enjoyment. Take Megabonk. Built by a solo developer it sold millions of copies at ~$10. There was no flashy campaign, no marketing blitz, no influencer push. The game simply spread through word of mouth because it was fun, and ran on literal potato specs. It delivered immediate gratification at a fraction of the cost of most AAA titles. Players didn’t need to justify a $70 purchase. Meanwhile, the data confirms what this cultural shift looks like in numbers. According to Circana’s 2025 Future of Games report, only 63% of U.S. players buy two or fewer games a year. A full third buy less than one game per year, and only 4% buy a game more than once a month. The remaining 36% make up the core group still purchasing four or more games annually, the so-called “hyper-enthusiast” segment that drives most paid sales. As Circana points out, rising prices increasingly depend on those price-insensitive players who can afford to spend, while everyone else migrates toward free-to-play titles or smaller, high-value indie experiences. That makes Megabonk’s success even more significant. It’s not just another viral indie hit, it represents a recalibration of player expectations. People now know they can get hundreds of hours of fun from something that costs less than lunch. Clair Obscur operates in a similar lane, offering rich artistry and depth at a fraction of AAA prices. These games make the “value per minute” equation obvious, and once players internalize that, it’s hard to go back. So when players looks at a $70 blockbuster, they wonder if" - Is it worth it? - Will it run? - Why risk being burned if I can get 10x the enjoyment for the 10th of the cost? The result is an industry quietly splitting in two: 1. On one side, massive studios betting big on cinematic scale and established IP. 2. On the other, small teams and solo creators turning minimal budgets into maximum fun. At this point, the math speaks as loud as marketing.

The #1 mistake mobile game developers make? Delaying monetization. ❌ Many studios — big and small — leave serious revenue on the table by making common (and costly) strategic missteps. Are you one of them? We break down the biggest monetization myths and reveal smarter ways to grow revenue without hurting user experience. Swipe through to learn about it👇 #MobileAppMonetization #GameGrowth #AppGrowth

Over 5,000 games released on Steam this year didn't make enough money to recover the $100 fee to put a game on Valve's store. It’s true that Steam’s openness has transformed game development. Anyone can now publish a game with a $100 fee. That accessibility has fueled creativity and diversity, but it’s also created a sea of obscurity. The new reality is that most games don’t just fail to break out they fail to even break even. ● As of October 2025, nearly 12,700 games have launched on Steam this year ● Around 8,300 of them earned less than $1,000 in revenue ● More than 5,000 didn’t even recover the $100 listing fee ● Roughly 47% sold under 100 copies ● Only 8% managed to gross over $100,000 ● The bottom 30% averaged just $37 in revenue These aren’t abstract numbers. They reflect the reality that even the smallest success is rare. For many developers, breaking even on the submission fee would be considered an achievement. For others, simply releasing a finished game on Steam is the goal itself, a mark of completion or a portfolio piece to show potential employers. Steam’s open-door policy used to mean opportunity. In its early years, getting a game published there was almost a guarantee of visibility. But after Greenlight ended and self-publishing became the norm, the platform turned into an ever-growing flood of games such as asset flips, experimental projects, AI-assisted experiments, student builds, and the occasional masterpiece. Even if we assume margin-of-error in Gamalytic’s data, the pattern holds. The vast majority of games fail to find an audience. A few creators strike gold through a viral TikTok or a lucky streamer mention, but for every runaway hit, thousands of equally ambitious efforts disappear without a trace. This doesn’t mean quality no longer matters. It means quality is no longer enough. Games now compete not only with each other but with an endless backlog of live service titles, subscription libraries, and social media distractions. The most limited resource in gaming today isn’t money or talent. It’s attention. The paradox is that the same accessibility that allows anyone to create also ensures most will go unseen. Some call it a failure of curation. Others call it freedom. Both are true. Steam’s flood of low-selling games isn’t a glitch in the system, it is the system. The creative barrier has fallen. The discoverability barrier has replaced it.

Most products shouldn't get made... ...because they don't have a strong enough USP to drive meaningful CPI advantage vs. alternative/legacy products. (CPI = discovery) On mobile, marketable USP is the weakest leg of the stool for most products, and kills more of them than retention or monetization. But then, even if you run 100 game ideas through a sieve and find one that is marketable, you may not have defensibility... On Steam at least, I'd imagine that fast-follow / copycat products are less of an existential concern than on mobile. Is this true?

How Much Do Mobile Games Earn from Ads? For developers and gamers alike, 2025 is shaping up to be a game-changer in ad revenue. From rewarded videos to interstitials and banner ads, the numbers are growing—and the strategies are evolving. At Appscre8ve, we’ve broken down the latest trends, key metrics, and insights that show how mobile games are monetizing smarter than ever. Want to see what’s driving ad earnings to new heights? 👉 Read the full analysis: https://lnkd.in/dE8UBKkz #MobileGames #AdRevenue #GameMonetization #Appscre8ve #GamingIndustry #DigitalTrends2025 #GameDev #TechInsights #EarnWithAds #BuildSmarterDesignBetter