This is the ultimate AI creative breakdown: 112 creatives in 36 minutes.
Jakub, Matej, and Felix review the best (and worst) AI-generated ads across rise of castles clones, tasty travels madness, fluffy animals, Pixar-style mutations, fake physics, and high-production AI cinematics that now rival outsourcing studios.
AI is no longer “experimental.”
It is the creative pipeline.
What you’ll learn
• How to spot AI in 2025 (lighting errors, physics breaks, muscle glitches)
• The new top AI hooks (animals, food, POV inward movement, waifus, chaos)
• The rise of “high-production AI” replacing studio cinematics
• Why Rise of Castles, Golden Goblins, Tasty Travels, and Whiteout Survival dominate AI usage
• How top teams use loras, inpainting, upscaling & 20-step workflows
• The new East–West gap in creative production
• Why by end of 2026, 50% of ads will be AI-driven
• And the moment Candy Crush uses AI bear attacks 😅
Key takeaway
AI creatives are no longer a gimmick. They’re a production system, and the studios that master workflows will own the CPI curve.
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
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
Podcast:
Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg
00:00 — AI jokes
02:30 — Spotting AI: Botox faces, broken physics, weird lighting
04:00 — Tasty Travels deep dive: AI characters, mutation loops, animal overload
07:40 — AI pets, fluffy rabbits, “cuteness overload” & why animals = low CPI
09:20 — AI POV trends: camera moving towards the object, not the player
11:00 — Rise of Castles AI: medieval films, flying swords, fake Warcraft scenes
14:40 — Engine-quality AI creatives (text errors, menu artifacts, but insane quality)
16:00 — How top teams build AI workflows (loras, upscaling, inpainting, layering)
18:50 — God-hand AI creatives, bear rescues, cinematic transitions
25:00 — Whiteout Survival hooks: 2D, 3D, transitions, smooth animations
27:20 — Idle Lumber & Golden Goblins: the kings of AI hooks
29:00 — Horror hooks, brain-rot, Tom the Train nightmares
30:20 — Full-length AI creatives: stitched shots, Olympics watermarks (!?)
34:00 — Why Western studios are late & who dominates the meta
35:40 — Final insights: AI catching up to real cinematics
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
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
In this week’s News Navigator, Jakub breaks down the biggest global gaming stories from November 17th. Apple tries its own WeChat-style mini-app ecosystem. Unity and Epic shock the industry with a collaboration nobody saw coming. Roblox revamps age restrictions. Google Play crowns Pokémon TCG Pocket as Game of the Year after $1B+ in revenue. And Ubisoft’s trading halt hints at a looming plot twist.
What you’ll learn
• How Apple’s 15% MiniApps program works
• Why Unity & Epic are suddenly “friends”
• The new rules for US third-party payments
• Roblox’s age-based chat brackets and moderation strategy
• The insane scale of Pokémon TCG Pocket
• Why Ubisoft halted trading and delayed earnings
• Why the AI bubble isn’t slowing down (NVIDIA’s numbers)
Key takeaway
The industry is shifting toward open ecosystems, cross-engine collaboration, and safer platforms—while the biggest revenue wins still come from IP heavyweights and AI-driven infrastructure.
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
---------------------------------------
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
Podcast:
Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg
Chapters
00:00 — Cold open: Welcome to News Navigator
00:15 — Apple MiniApps Program explained
02:00 — Why MiniApps work in China (but may struggle in the West)
03:10 — Unity & Epic partnership: what it really means
05:00 — D2C & payments: Stash x Galleon, Google ruling
06:10 — Roblox age-based chat brackets
07:00 — Google Play Awards: Pokémon TCG Pocket hits $1B+
08:00 — Vampire Survivors deckbuilder spin-off
08:40 — NVIDIA’s monstrous $57B AI quarter
09:10 — Dark Horse: Ubisoft trading halt mystery
10:00 — Wrap-up: Stay two and a half steps ahead
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
Level Devil (solo dev) proves that level design is a UA channel. The game’s “troll but fair” traps create clips that people have to share, fueling TikTok/YouTube reach with essentially zero paid spend.
Monetization is light: interstitials triggered by deaths on a cooldown, occasional rewarded skip, one ad network (Unity), no mediation.
We est.: $5–7K/day; with mediation + a couple of safe placements, $11–14K/day looks realistic.
What we cover
• How the level-design craft creates infinite hooks (rage → laughs → shares)
• The actual ad logic (death-based interstitials; rewarded skip after streak)
• Why copycats fail (it’s the hours-per-trap polish, not the theme)
• Monetization gaps (no mediation; limited placements) and easy wins
• Viral geos & creator angles (Brazil/ES longform shout-casts = IPM rocket fuel)
When the product manufactures shareable moments, you don’t need paid UA to grow - just enough monetization hygiene (mediation + safe placements) to convert all that free attention.
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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
Podcast:
Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg
00:00 — Cold open: product-led growth in a troll platformer
01:20 — The solo-dev story and why it resonates
03:10 — Virality loop: die → laugh → share → install
06:15 — Core monetization today: death-based interstitials + rewarded skip
09:40 — What’s missing: no mediation, limited placements
12:05 — Safe add-ons: menu banner, app-open, regional “remove banners” IAP
15:10 — Creator/geography angles (why BR/ES clips pop)
18:30 — Retention pattern and how level craft sustains it
22:10 — Why copycats fail: the craft, not the theme
34:00 — Wrap-up: ops to turn virality into $$$
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
In this solo episode, Matej walks through the exact step-by-step method he uses to launch successful Meta (Facebook) UA campaigns in 2025. From SDK setup to event engineering, targeting, budgets, creative strategy, and daily management - this is the “MVP strategy” every UA manager needs.
Direct links to step-by-step guides:
https://lancaric.substack.com/p/mvp-ua-template-i-want-to-launch
https://lancaric.substack.com/p/mvp-ua-iaa-template-i-want-to-launch?triedRedirect=true
https://lancaric.substack.com/p/creative-brief-template-7-creative
Softlaunch E-BOOK: https://payhip.com/b/fJi9E
What you’ll learn
• Minimum viable tracking setup (Facebook SDK, Firebase, MMPs)
• How to build meaningful event combinations (WY S WYG)
• Purchase-optimized vs. app-event optimized campaigns
• How to structure T1, T2, and ROW for better learning
• Targeting that still works in 2025 (broad, genre interest, lookalikes)
• Budget pacing rules and when to scale
• 3 starting concepts → 9 ad variations
• Using AI hooks, memes, UGC & dev-cam videos
• Daily operations: When you should do nothing
• Moving from AEO to value optimization
• Live example: Creating a full Meta campaign
Actionable checklist
Integrate Facebook SDK + Firebase + MMP.
Build 5–10 event combinations (engagement + monetization).
Start with 3 concepts → 9 variations.
Use T1 (US/UK/DE/CA/AU/NZ/KR/JP) + ROW.
Don’t scale before day 3–5 stability.
Check KPIs 2–3× per day, not hourly.
Switch to value optimization once you have depth of payers.
Key takeaway
Your UA performance is defined by the events you send, the creatives you test early, and how fast you can validate your first 3 concepts.
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
---------------------------------------
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
Podcast:
Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg
Chapters
00:00 — Cold open & why this solo episode matters
00:40 — The original problem: “Where do I start with Meta UA?”
01:20 — Tracking essentials (SDKs, MMP, events you MUST send)
03:00 — WYSIWYG: “What You Send Is What You Get” explained
04:20 — Event combinations that actually help Facebook find payers
05:40 — Purchase vs. App Event optimization: when to use each
07:00 — Geo setup: US, Tier 1, ROW, and why you always need all three
08:10 — Targeting in 2025: broad, interests, lookalikes (what still works)
09:30 — Budgets: first 7-day rules & how not to break learning
11:00 — Creative framework: 3 concepts → 9 ad variations
12:30 — What concepts to start with (gameplay+finger, AI hooks, UGC/dev-cam)
14:00 — Creative iterations: hooks, pacing, soundtrack, memes
15:10 — Daily UA workflow: why “doing nothing” is sometimes the best move
16:40 — When to switch to value optimization (signals + payer depth)
18:00 — Live walkthrough: building a Meta campaign step-by-step
19:20 — Final advice
---------------------------------------
Matej Lancaric
User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant
https://lancaric.me
---------------------------------------
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
This month’s creative trends episode exposes the real state of mobile UA:
We’ve officially entered the Era of Creative Theft 2.0 - not “heavily inspired,” but direct 1:1 stolen ads, chopped end cards, mirrored clips, watermarks still visible… and nobody cares because they convert 4-5× better.
Three mega-trends emerge:
1) The “Stolen but Performing” Era
• Social casino, idle, 4X… everyone is lifting creatives from other genres.
• Teams aren’t even recreating the concept - they’re copying the whole video, trimming it, mirroring it, or leaving the watermark.
• Networks don’t police it, platforms don’t care, and small studios can’t compete with the CPI gap.
2) The Golden Age of ASMR / Wood / Cleaning Satisfiers
• The “Idle Lumber” effect: anything with chopping, slicing, scrubbing, wood, logs, dust → crushing low CPI.
3) The King Shot → Royal Kingdom → Everyone Else Pipeline
• King Shot’s onboarding + mass battle + RTS-style transitions have reshaped the entire industry’s ads.
• Royal Kingdom straight-up used the formula for a match-3 playable.
• 4X games (Last War, Last Z, Total Battle) are adopting the mass-battle → puzzle fusion.
Key takeaway
The best-performing creatives aren’t the most original - they’re the most optimized. The industry now rewards speed, iteration, theft-based inspiration, and cross-genre pattern-breaking above everything else.
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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 — Hook: The “Creative Theft Era” has arrived
01:30 — Missing a month & why trends feel different now
03:10 — ASMR cleaning & wood: why the motif is everywhere
05:20 — Exposed: 1:1 stolen creatives (no end cards, mirrored, trimmed)
08:40 — Why theft works: CPI vs LTV beats morals
11:50 — The ecosystem problem: no creative police, no consequences
14:30 — New industry rule: cross-genre stealing = normal
17:40 — King Shot → Royal Kingdom → Everyone copy
30:10 — The future: watermark creatives, mirror hacks, and AI hooks
43:00 — Wrap-up: where the creative meta goes next
---------------------------------------
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
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
We break down Supercell’s new twin-stick “boat game” (second alpha): a PvE → PvPvE loop where we farm island quests, haul up to three chests on a fast boat, and can flip a “go bad” switch to steal other players’ chests - triggering bounties and protections for non-PK players (revenge respawns).
What works
Fast, readable boating and clear risk/reward moments when we carry 2–3 chests.
A theft moment (“go bad”) that can create highlight-reel clips for UA if tuned right.
What doesn’t (yet)
Flat progression (gear score + light passives/chips) limits long-term goals.
Ultra-light economy and shaky matchmaking make the loop feel aimless/punishing.
Audience fit feels unclear (Gen-Z, Fortnite-lite vibe vs. strategy/4X loyalists).
Market lens
Supercell’s portfolio still leans on legacy hits; competitors with genre focus + aggressive UA (e.g., strategy/4X) scale more reliably.
Without deeper economies, UA-product co-design, and a clearer genre thesis, this boat may never scale past alpha.
Key takeaway
Depth beats novelty. We need deeper economy + UA-ready moments or this won’t sail beyond alpha.
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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 Why this alpha matters
01:10 Core loop—quests → 3 chests → extract
05:00 Twin-stick feel & aiming on mobile
07:40 Progression—gear score, passives, chips
10:50 “Go bad” theft, bounties, anti-grief
15:30 Matchmaking & PvE→PvPvE tension
19:10 Economy depth vs. moment-to-moment fun
24:20 Portfolio & market reality checks
30:30 UA-product integration: what creatives need
36:30 What would actually ship (templates & seasons)
43:00 Verdict & 2025 predictions
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Today, Jakub Remiar breaks down the Scopely-style “sticker album” collectible mechanic—popularized at scale by Monopoly Go (global April 2023)—and why it’s sweeping casual and now encroaching on mid-core. Hallmarks: time-limited albums, gacha booster packs, duplicate sinks → premium packs, and peer trading that drives massive social engagement (e.g., official trading groups). It adds perceived depth to shallow economies (soft currency + energy) without adding gameplay complexity, resets cleanly by season, and monetizes whales via “double bottom” albums (a second, higher-reward album with ~50% more rewards and exclusive cosmetics). Implementations span Royal Match (135 cards/≈60 days), Travel Town (162), Monopoly Go (~200), and mid-core experiments like Whiteout Survival and Acecraft (smaller sets, licensed collabs).
The open questions: optimal card counts, season length, and how mid-core will standardize the pattern.
What you’ll learn
How the Scopely/Monopoly Go sticker album works: time-limited albums, gacha packs, duplicate exchanges, trading, seasonal resets, and whale “double albums.”
Why this mechanic adds depth to shallow economies and boosts engagement, retention, and monetization—with examples from Royal Match, Travel Town, Monopoly Go and mid-core tests (Whiteout Survival, Acecraft).
Practical knobs: card counts (≈135–200), season length (30–60 days), guaranteed-missing pack, and social/trading ops.
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg
Chapters
00:00 — Cold open & why albums exploded
01:20 — The template: pages, rarities, grand prize, timebox
03:45 — Rewards & pressure: limited window, page bonuses, grand prize
06:10 — Gacha everywhere: pack sources & duplicate sink design
08:30 — Social engine: trading loops (in-clan & community)
10:20 — Seasonal resets & cosmetics: depth without UX bloat
12:10 — “Double/Grand Album” for whales (~50% more rewards)
14:00 — Case studies: Monopoly GO, Royal Match, Travel Town
17:00 — Mid-core spillover: Whiteout Survival, Acecraft experiments
19:00 — Tuning knobs: card counts (≈135–200), 30–60 day seasons, guarantees
20:30 — Actionable checklist & pitfalls
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
Legend of Elements is a 3D idle RPG from the LoM lineage. Core fantasy is “numbers go up,” delivered via auto-progress + layered upgrades, then monetized through stacked gachas and step offers.
Ads exist but are effectively a decoy; there isn’t even a “remove ads” pack.
UA is ~98% Google (YouTube + AdWords) with AI/UGC and “fake gameplay” motifs.
Systems & sinks (what actually drives playtime/spend)
• Two gachas: character (spirits) and skill, with very low SSR rates; also ad-summon entries (“2 free summons for an ad”).
• “Online chest”: ~5x/day random gacha ticks, granted every ~5 minutes online.
• 3–4 battle passes active during launch window; heavy event stack and daily quests.
• Notification-baiting tactic: tiny “free” rewards (e.g., 5 soft-currency) inside every shop/offer to create badge-clearing behavior and force shop opens.
Monetization architecture (how money happens)
• Ads are a decoy to lift IAP; no VIP/no-ads pack to sell the removal.
• Primary pay drivers: gachas + step offers (offer ladders surfaced early/often).
• Panel consensus: at ~$100K/day IAP scale, there’s little incentive to optimize ads.
UA mix & creatives (why it scales on Google)
• ~98% of impressions from YouTube + AdWords; almost nothing elsewhere.
• Creative pillars: AI faces/VO, UGC narratives, meme remakes, Genshin/Diablo-style “fake gameplay.”
• Uses creator placements (e.g., known Supercell YouTubers featured as ad talent).
Servers & competitive pressure (why shard)
• Thousands of small shards opened continuously; servers “die,” then merge, resetting the race.
• Keep leaderboards small so winning feels plausible; too many whales per shard depresses motivation.
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
With Playablemaker, you can finally create playable and interactive ads
NO-CODE + ON-BUDGET + LIGHTNING FAST
https://playablemaker.com/25gamers
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
00:00 intro
00:48 Positioning & lineage
04:40 Core loop & systems
10:10 Monetization architecture
14:40 Live-ops cadence
18:00 UA strategy (98% Google)
33:30 Creatives that convert
41:20 Verdict & KPI checklist
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
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
Chaos Zero Nightmare is the spiciest deck-builder gacha of 2025! Lovecraft vibes, anime polish, Slay-the-Spire runs, Honkai-style meta, and launch numbers that slap: ~$500K/day, peak ~$800K/day, ~$8M in 2 weeks.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Core loop: deck thinning, evolving cards, run sequencing
Meta design: pity/duplicates, banner cadence, progression layers
Why community is more than broad UA (Discord ≈50k, Reddit ≈120k)
Creative strategy for high-LTV audiences (what to show, what to skip)
Monetization & live-ops beats that actually move revenue
KEY TAKEAWAY
For hardcore, high-LTV audiences, authentic, system-forward storytelling + community momentum beats shortcut UA tactics. Frame content around runs, banners, and boss mastery moments; use paid to amplify the community, not replace it.
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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
Podcast:
Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg
CHAPTERS
00:00 — Cold open: “How much money?”
03:31 — What is CZN? Tone, horror-anime polish
03:43 — Design DNA: Slay the Spire / Darkest Dungeon / Honkai / “save data”
09:36 — Core loop & tactics: combos, turn order, auto-off for bosses
20:23 — Company context & positioning
22:20 — Revenue reality: ~$500K/day → ~$800K/day; ~$8M in two weeks
26:08 — UA vs Community: closed betas, brand-safe creatives, Discord/Reddit
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
In this Two & a Half Gamers special, Felix Braberg breaks down how to maximize ad monetization during Black Friday weekend - the new “Q5” for mobile games.
🔥 What you’ll learn:
Why Q5 is gone (and how Black Friday replaced it)
How to tweak cooldowns, refresh rates, and ad logic
The perfect bid floor strategy for banners, interstitials, and rewarded ads
Why CMP setup and app-ads.txt files matter more than ever
The secret timing for refreshing network placements
💬 Quote:
“You don’t pray for CPMs, you prepare for them.”
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
Monopoly Bingo: How Hasbro turned nostalgia Into Revenue
Today, we dig into Monopoly Bingo - the latest Hasbro IP game climbing the charts.
🔥 We cover:
How Tripledot scaled Bingo to $70K/day
Why 60% of revenue comes from U.S. players
Facebook UA strategies for older demos
Collectible album systems and retention loops
Why Bingo still drives $400M/year globally
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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
00:00 – Intro
02:45 – What is Monopoly Bingo?
05:20 – Hasbro x Tripledot Ecosystem
08:15 – Bingo as a $400M Category
11:40 – Core Gameplay Breakdown
15:10 – LiveOps & Event Design
18:50 – Monetization Deep Dive
23:05 – UA Strategy: Facebook Is Still King
26:40 – Creative Strategy Breakdown
31:00 – IP Constraints & Limitations
34:30 – Performance Data Recap
37:50 – Hasbro’s Strategy Beyond Monopoly
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
In this episode, we play Sudoku Master - the latest “numbers” hit from the makers of Block Blast.
They uncover how Hungry Studio uses 6,000 creatives, constant A/B testing, and ruthless ad optimization to dominate one of the oldest mobile genres.
🔥 What you’ll learn:
How Sudoku Master scales with 600K DAU & 50K/day ad revenue
The hidden “Sudoku War” between Miniclip and Hungry Studio
How A/B testing + creative velocity win evergreen genres
Why Hungry runs 10× more creatives than Miniclip
💬 Quote:
“Imagine testing 6,000 variations of boredom and winning.”
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
In this solo episode, Matej Lančarič dives into the new era of creative optimization — where AI tagging, unified dashboards, and ROAS-based insights replace manual testing and spreadsheet chaos.Everyone can create ads with AI, but the REAL BOTTLENECK is knowing which ones actually work. AppsFlyer’s Creative Optimization tool analyzes millions of real-world insights to reveal what drives performance - so you can scale winners, cut wasted spend, and make smarter creative decisions.Check it out: https://www.appsflyer.com/products/creative-optimization/?utm_source=influencer&afc_source=influencer&utm_medium=referral&afc_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Marvelsnap_creative&afc_campaign=Marvelsnap_creative&utm_content=matej&afc_content=matej&utm_term=YouTube&afc_term=YouTube🔥 Topics Covered:How to unify creatives from Meta, TikTok, Google & AppLovinDetecting ad fatigue before performance tanksUnderstanding creative DNA with AI taggingROAS-based creative decisions (quality over quantity)Streamlining collaboration between UA & creative teams💬 Quote:“In UA, data is your superpower and this dashboard is your ultimate power-up.”Everyone can create ads with AI, but the REAL BOTTLENECK is knowing which ones actually work. AppsFlyer’s Creative Optimization tool analyzes millions of real-world insights to reveal what drives performance - so you can scale winners, cut wasted spend, and make smarter creative decisions.Check it out: https://www.appsflyer.com/products/creative-optimization/?utm_source=influencer&afc_source=influencer&utm_medium=referral&afc_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Marvelsnap_creative&afc_campaign=Marvelsnap_creative&utm_content=matej&afc_content=matej&utm_term=YouTube&afc_term=YouTubeGet our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------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: Matej LancaricJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultanthttps://lancaric.me---------------------------------------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
What happens when a Chinese studio perfects fake funnels? You get X-Clash - a 4X strategy game disguised as 5 different mini games.
🎯 We break down:
How Save the Dog became a billion-dollar hook
The evolution from X Hero → Hero Clash → X-Clash
Why 9,000 fake creatives outperform any real gameplay ad
How 4X onboarding became an interactive meme
Why the U.S. audience still buys into fake ads
💬 Quote:
“They took every fake trend from the past three years and glued it into one working monster.”
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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
Podcast:
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 Context of Gaming Trends
02:52 The Rise of Hero Clash and Fake Ads
05:41 Analyzing Revenue Trends and Game Strategies
08:48 The Launch of X-Clash and Its Potential
11:47 Gameplay Mechanics and User Engagement
14:45 The Role of Mini-Games in Player Retention
20:44 Final Thoughts on Game Development Trends
25:08 Exploring the Latest 4X Game Mechanics
29:47 Player Dynamics and New Server Strategies
32:16 Creative Marketing Strategies in Mobile Gaming
34:43 Revenue Trends and User Acquisition in Gaming
39:38 The Evolution of Game Creatives and User Engagement
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
Today, we dissect Huntopia, a bizarrely successful idle RPG that’s part World of Warcraft, part casino. Meh, just WoW from Wish.
🔥 We cover:
Why it makes $100K/day despite its chaotic UI
How upsells trigger during every interaction
The “Collectible Album” midcore crossover
Day-to-day growth tracker for player engagement
Why it’s a masterclass in monetization design
💬 Quote of the episode:
“This game has every feature ever invented — and three menus for each.”
Keywords: Huntopia game review, idle RPG monetization, Chinese mobile games 2025, upsell strategy, pet gacha, idle design, Two and a Half Gamers, monetization features, midcore hybrid casual
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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
Podcast:
Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg
Chapters
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
In this Two & a Half Gamers solo episode, Jakub Remiar breaks down how UA product funnels and templatization dominate every major studio playbook - from River Game’s $7M/day 4X empire to Habby’s action roguelite evolution.
🔥 What you’ll learn:
The fake ad → fake game → real game funnel explained
Why River Game & Century Games are unstoppable
How Habby and Microfun perfected “Template 2.5”
Why Lilith & FunPlus are playing catch-up
How the same system fuels 4X, puzzle, and social casino genres
💬 Quote:
“Fake is the new onboarding.”
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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
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 Product Trends
00:25 Understanding the UA Product Funnel
02:46 The Evolution of Fake Ads and Games
06:37 Market Dynamics: River Games vs. Century Games
10:46 Challenges in the Forex Segment
12:41 Proliferation of Trends Across Genres
16:00 Templatization in Game Development
23:59 Conclusion and Future Predictions
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
We break down The Tower - an idle-defense hybrid that turned a solo dev into a millionaire.
We spoke directly with Anthony (Tech Tree Games) about design, monetization, and UA strategy.
🔥 Topics covered:
4-person team, 25 contractors
$80K/day revenue, 10% ads, FastSpring web store
Best-performing creative = the dev himself
How “The Perfect Tower” inspired this hit
💬 Quote:
“The Tower proves you don’t need art to make art.” - Matej Lančarič
“The Tower” by Tech Tree Games is the ultimate underdog success story:
a solo dev project turned $50M+ global hit built by four full-time employees and 25 contractors.
The game proves that mechanical depth, community obsession, and smart UA execution can outperform big studios — even with zero art and an Excel-like UI.
Three years after launch, The Tower still breaks records, generating up to $80K/day, driven by organic community power and a dedicated creator-led UA ecosystem.
“This is the Stardew Valley of mobile free-to-play.” - Jakub Remiar
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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 the Podcast and Game Overview
02:14 Game Design Insights and Unique Features
06:22 Gameplay Mechanics and Strategies
14:31 In-Depth Game Analysis and Features
18:01 Game Mechanics and Optimization Strategies
22:50 Ad Revenue and Monetization Strategies
27:59 Game Design Inspirations and Core Mechanics
34:05 Community Engagement and Game Evolution
39:07 Game Design Excellence and Community Engagement
42:18 Creative Strategies in Game Marketing
45:42 The Cinderella Story of Game Development
49:33 Building a Strong Community and User Acquisition
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
We talk to David Pan, Director of Business Development at Habby, for the first-ever Western podcast appearance from the famously low-profile publisher behind Archero, Survivor.io, Capybara Go, and Whittle Defender.
This isn’t a press interview - it’s a brutally honest deep dive into Habby’s evolution, UA philosophy, shift from hybrid-casual to IAP-focused midcore, and its global ambitions beyond Asia.
🔥 Topics Covered:
From “hybrid casual” to “midcore with IAP focus”
Why ads kill retention
How UA costs shape game design
Creative gaps between East and West
Habby’s data-driven soft launch process
The next-gen “Habby Template 2.5”
Why Survivor.io still defines the global UA playbook
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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
Special guest: David Pan
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-pan-%F0%9F%94%9C-gamescom-thailand-4b885566/
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 Habby and Its Journey
03:27 David Pan's Role and Responsibilities
06:13 Understanding Habby's Business Model and Game Portfolio
09:00 Recent Investments and Expansion Strategies
11:48 Transitioning from Hybrid Casual to Mid-Core Games
20:37 The Shift Towards In-App Purchases
21:28 Innovative Game Development Strategies
24:10 Navigating the WeChat Mini-Games Market
33:17 Monetization Strategies in Western Markets
42:16 The Moral Dilemma in Game Monetization
44:39 Understanding Monetization as Game Design
48:08 The Importance of Event Mapping in Game Development
50:14 Future Directions for Habby
53:54 Anticipating Big News and Industry Trends
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
We sit down with Chen Yang (Iwae) from Cocos again to unpack how AI is transforming the Chinese mini-game ecosystem across development, UA, and operations.
The conversation reveals how AI-generated 3D, playable automation, LoRA fine-tuning, and instant meme cloning are redefining speed, scale, and creativity in the world’s most dynamic mobile market.
💡 Key Takeaways
1. 80 % of Chinese mini-game developers already use AI.
AI is embedded across art, code, operations, and UA pipelines.
The most common use cases are:
2. AI improves development speed by up to 80 %.
A single small team (1 artist + 1 programmer + 3 AI agents) can now build an MVP in 2 weeks.
Before 2023, the same project required 5–6 people and 1–2 months.
3. Custom LoRA models are the new secret weapon.
4. AI video ads and playable creation are exploding.
Average cost per playable: $1000–$2000.
you can also get playables with playablemaker.com
25–30 % of UA revenue in September 2025 came from AI-generated playables.
5. AI video workflow = human + AI hybrid.
Studios shoot a few clips with real actors ($500/day), then auto-generate hundreds of new scenes using Runway, VEO3, or Kling 2.5.
The average cost is less than $40 000 per game.
6. “Chinese Speed” defined.
A meme seen on Douyin today becomes a mini-game level the next day.
7. AI agents now analyze markets.
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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
Special guest: Chenyang Sun
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenyangsun/
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 Mini Games in China
03:08 Cocos and the Mini Game Market
04:09 Future of Mini Games and AI Integration
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai
Today, we talk with Colm Hayden, Head of Growth at Triumph - the app redefining real money gaming for a new generation of players.
🔥 Topics covered:
How Triumph scaled to $100M+ payouts with 13 mini-games
Why their audience is 21–35, not 60+
How they build 10 new creatives a day
Why their ads with Soulja Boy crushed every benchmark
Why “trust-based UA” matters more than CPI
How they cracked TikTok before Meta
📊 Core metrics:
Avg payout: $3 per game
$100M+ total prizes
5-min average time to deposit
Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop
--------------------------------------
PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.
Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/
They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.
- Scale fast
- Keep your shares
- Drawdown only as needed
- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you
+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors
---------------------------------------
For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.
Our sponsor FastSpring:
Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years
They power top mobile publishers around the world
Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.
---------------------------------------
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
Special Guest: Colm Hayden
https://www.linkedin.com/in/colmdotcom/
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 Triumph and Hosts
01:45 Understanding Skill-Based Gaming
03:23 Triumph's Unique Approach and User Demographics
06:41 Game Selection and Gameplay Mechanics
09:25 Revenue Model and Player Payouts
12:41 Legal Landscape and Market Expansion
15:29 User Acquisition Strategies and Metrics
18:04 Advertising Challenges and Compliance
20:41 Competitors and Market Positioning
23:26 Ad Monetization and Future Plans
28:03 Creative Marketing Strategies in Gaming
29:18 The Importance of Authenticity in Ads
31:19 Elements of Effective Advertising
32:07 Leveraging Celebrity Endorsements
34:12 Innovative Streaming and Content Creation
34:37 User Acquisition and Retargeting Strategies
35:35 The Role of Playable Ads
36:45 Future Expansion Plans for Triumph
38:54 Understanding the Skill-Based Gaming Market
41:24 Learning from Industry Leaders
---------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------
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
Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask Matej AI - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai