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