In mid-2020, Pingvi Video games approached Azur Video games for publishing providers with two pre-made puzzle video games. Regardless of their robust growth background, it was their first foray working with a writer.
Throughout a number of years of working collectively, the studio expanded and produced six profitable puzzle initiatives, producing over $14 million in complete income with their success due to their deal with a selected area of interest and viewers.
Whereas creating a brilliant hit is at all times troublesome (and sometimes primarily based on luck) the studio’s gradual accumulation of experience has confirmed that success may be achieved in practically 100% of circumstances.
On this article Milana Gelmanova, Producer at Azur Video games takes a have a look at the street to this success throughout these six titles (and new recreation Artwork Grasp 2), along with insights from Ildus Galiulin, Pingvi Video games’ Proprietor and CEO.
Ildus Galiulin: We began in 2010 with Flash and video games for social networks. We made profitable internet racing video games with on-line PvP components and ported them to Android and iOS and that is how we gained expertise in Unity.
Then we took on a large-scale hidden object recreation with a variety of content material, nevertheless it took a really very long time to launch. We started to purchase visitors solely after 3-4 years of growth however obtained border metrics that couldn’t be corrected.
Because of this, we switched to less complicated puzzles. We made two initiatives and put them within the shops, and whereas natural visitors was coming in, there was no price range for advertising and marketing. That’s once we began searching for a writer. We talked with totally different publishers, however discovered a reference to Azur Video games instantly. We have been launched to the producer, Milana, then examined each initiatives, signed the deal and began working.”
Recreation #1: Faucet Faucet Match, and Recreation #2: Match Pairs
Milana Gelmanova: Our first initiatives with the writer have been Faucet Faucet Match and Match Pairs.
Each initiatives concerned discovering matching pairs, however the implementation of the mechanic differed between the 2. Faucet Faucet Match makes use of a set area the place the playing cards have to be related by a line, whereas Match Pairs options randomly scattered playing cards that have to be dragged on high of one another to make a match.
Each of the video games had well-developed core mechanics, which led to good retention charges proper from the beginning.
US market metrics:
Faucet Faucet Match:
• R1 50%, R7 17.5%, R30 11.7%
• LTV $0.88
Match Pairs:
• R1 41.6%, R7 18.0%, R30 8.7%
• LTV $1.39
In 2020, we managed to attain a great CPI in our area of interest with Faucet Faucet Match at $0.48 and Match Pairs at $0.90. Whereas a CPI of $0.50 to $1 was thought of good again then, the competitors available in the market has grown considerably. A CPI of $1.50 is now the norm. Nevertheless, success on this market requires experience within the style and a strong understanding of how you can enhance the product or offset the upper CPI charges.
Ildus Galiulin: Many video games on this style endure from a standard drawback and that is that gamers lose curiosity in them over time. Our purpose was to create a recreation that will stay addictive even at degree 500.
Our purpose was to create a recreation that will stay addictive even at degree 500
Ildus Galiulin
We knew that visuals in match puzzles might develop into monotonous, so we added numerous skins in numerous types. To stop gamers from getting confused with the photographs in Faucet Faucet Match, we developed a booster that allowed them to alter skins in the course of the recreation. This alteration was primarily based on the workforce’s evaluation of participant behaviour, and it resulted in a major enhance in rewarded advert views.
We performed numerous experiments with recreation complexity and degree design to optimise participant engagement and retention. To make the participant onboarding course of easy, it’s essential to hit the precise rhythm and supply ranges that step by step enhance in issue. In essence, we have a look at the analytics to determine the place gamers are struggling essentially the most, have a look at the win fee, then modify issue ranges, degree order, timers and distinctive gadgets accordingly. Though we initially thought simplifying the sport can be the very best strategy, it resulted in decreased participant curiosity, playtime, and retention.
For instance, we found that later ranges with a decrease win fee (12-14%) and longer completion instances (5-6 minutes) have been really extra partaking for gamers. When gamers struggled with these ranges, they might usually watch rewarded adverts for further time or boosters similar to hints, reshuffles, or pores and skin modifications.
We added hardcore components with bombs in Faucet Faucet Match and fireplace in Match Pairs — playing cards like that have to be eliminated shortly or the participant loses, which have been well-received by the respective audiences. We tried so as to add boosters to fight the problem of those components and even take away them altogether, nevertheless it negatively impacted the sport’s metrics. We additionally added a mechanic the place the playing cards shift after every transfer to some ranges, which improved participant engagement as effectively. Lastly, we discovered that the challenges in our video games have been significantly interesting to feminine gamers.
Under is a few Faucet Faucet Match gameplay:
Milana Gelmanova: We performed a radical evaluation of feminine gamers enjoying Faucet Faucet Match and Match Pairs, which is relatively smaller than that of the hypercasual style. On the outset, our common CPI was larger, however the payoff was that we attracted extra devoted gamers. To take care of their loyalty, we centered on delivering seamless core gameplay, a handy UX, and putting a great steadiness in-game. Because of this, our viewers continued enjoying for an prolonged interval – usually, a puzzle recreation participant’s lifetime lasts for greater than a 12 months, and ranges from one to 3 years for Match-3.
Subsequently, we analyzed the information for these initiatives and found that greater than 15% of our income got here from gamers that have been greater than a 12 months previous – an exceptional achievement when it comes to advert monetisation and the particular nature of the puzzle style. Remarkably, we didn’t alter the sport mechanics however as an alternative enriched them with various skins, occasions, and every day challenges. Two and a half years because the launch, the metrics of the initiatives are as follows.
Faucet Faucet Match:
• CPI $1.11
• R1 24%, R7 8.7%, R30 6.2%
• LTV $1.6
• Playtime: quarter-hour
Match Pairs:
• CPI $1.55
• R1 25%, R7 7.2%, R30 5%
• LTV $1.84
• Playtime: 12 minutes
The profitability of the video games stays regular, as we’ve spent over $4 million on buying visitors and proceed to actively help them. For example, in Faucet Faucet Match, we’re planning to introduce further options similar to a background changer, which incorporates animated choices, together with extra skins and achievements.
Recreation #3: What’s Flawed
Our subsequent undertaking was What’s Flawed. It departed from the basic idea of evaluating two footage, and as an alternative centered on logic greater than attentiveness. Gamers have been offered with an image and needed to spot what was fallacious with it, similar to a policeman sporting a saucepan on his head as an alternative of a cap or a lady speaking on a shampoo bottle as an alternative of a smartphone.
Regardless of having little content material, the prototype had good metrics:
• CPI $0.50
• R1 31.5%, R7 8.7%, R30 1.6%
• LTV $0.51
Creating new ranges was our primary focus, as every little thing was hand-drawn by simply a few artists. We additionally examined the steadiness, the beginning funnel of ranges, timers, and advert cooldown when CPI started to rise. We tried to deliver it down by utilizing totally different advert creatives to no avail.
Finally, we found that the gameplay itself wanted to be reworked. Gamers discovered the objects they wanted to identify too difficult and far-fetched, so we simplified them and made them very apparent, leading to a rise in retention within the first few days. Mainly, we managed to discover a low-cost resolution to make the undertaking extra promising, however we’d should utterly overhaul the idea for it to work. Because of this, we deserted the concept and moved on to a different prototype.
Recreation #4: Dice Match 3D
Our return to match puzzles concerned a unique approach. Firstly, we determined to make it in 3D to maintain up with present tendencies, whereas the viewers’s gradual shift in direction of three-dimensional puzzles like Faucet Faucet Match and Match Pairs strengthened our determination. Secondly, we needed to discover one thing extra hybrid than simply trying to find two similar gadgets. Though the shift to 3D didn’t deliver any important change, we gave the gamers what they needed, and that’s all that issues on this state of affairs.
Dice Match 3D requires gamers to rotate the sphere and accumulate three similar cubes on the underside panel. If gamers add a dice, they will take away it by gathering two extra of the identical, or by utilizing a booster to cancel the transfer.
Our first metrics within the US have been:
• CPI $1.58
• R1 36.2%, R7 12.8%, R30 4.3%
• LTV $2.226
• Playtime: 25 minutes
The undertaking was completed inside 1.5 weeks, due to the reuse of many components from earlier video games similar to skins, UI components, pop-ups, and numerous screens. Because of this, we had a totally purposeful undertaking on the prototype stage. Nevertheless, since our experience in 3D was restricted, not every little thing turned out completely.
Ildus Galiulin: We spent a variety of time on 3D optimisation and steadiness and we struggled to search out the precise steadiness for some time. We tried a wide range of approaches together with including a tutorial and making it interactive, exhibiting gamers once they have been near dropping, adjusting the timers and the variety of cubes, and extra.
One profitable addition was the dice with a query mark, which opens an image solely after it is added to the underside panel. Gamers loved this characteristic, so we stored it. We additionally integrated the shifting cubes characteristic from Faucet Faucet Match.
Nevertheless, we had an unsuccessful experiment with adverts. Sooner or later throughout lengthy ranges, gamers are proven an advert, and we needed to make this course of extra clear by including a progress bar earlier than the video performed, so the gamers can be prepared for it. This characteristic did not work out, and we rolled it again.
Milana Gelmanova: Generally, there was optimistic progress in our metrics, however we have been nonetheless fighting the core mechanics issue. We needed to check one other speculation, so we created a separate undertaking with the identical mechanics, however lowered the variety of cubes to 2. It was a lot simpler for the gamers, and we had first rate R1, however the metrics worsened in the long run. We might have continued to iterate, however we noticed much less potential on this undertaking in comparison with our different ones.
At the moment, Dice Match 3D is growing slowly since we have now different, larger precedence initiatives. We nonetheless have natural visitors, good LTV, and concepts on how you can enhance retention and cut back CPI and we run exams on it each six months to discover totally different hypotheses.
Recreation #5: Artwork Grasp
Sometimes, property and options from earlier initiatives are carried over to new ones, however with Artwork Grasp, the strategy was barely totally different. Artwork Grasp is a colouring puzzle recreation the place the target is for gamers to decide on components from the underside panel and place them within the black and white areas to “full” the image.
Ildus Galiulin: The sport was impressed by some puzzle we noticed within the retailer, nevertheless it was too darkish and too troublesome, and we needed so as to add colours, use vivid vector graphics, and simplify the gameplay for our undertaking.
To cut back prices and velocity up growth, we reused among the artwork and primary modules (similar to settings and advert tabs) from earlier initiatives. For example, we’re at the moment engaged on achievements that we’re going so as to add concurrently to all present and future initiatives.”
Milana Gelmanova: On the identical time, a variety of issues needed to be achieved from scratch – in any case, this can be a utterly totally different mechanic, which meant that the discharge model solely had round 20 ranges. Creating them was our main focus, because it took up nearly all of our assets.
The outcomes? Gamers preferred Artwork Grasp:
• CPI $1.15
• R1 55.8%, R7 16.4%, R30 6.9%
• LTV $1.49
Under is a few Artwork Grasp gameplay:
Initially, the sport had a excessive churn fee with roughly 30% of gamers leaving inside the first three days. Nevertheless, implementing an interactive tutorial helped to deal with the problem. We shortly added new content material and began experimenting with the sport’s steadiness and gameplay by analysing funnels, detecting anomalies, and rectifying them.
We encountered an issue with the interface the place the highlighted areas that wanted to be stuffed in didn’t disappear after inserting the sprite, which confused gamers. Eradicating the highlights resulted in improved metrics.
Artwork Grasp was the primary undertaking the place we launched every day distinctive ranges. This characteristic contributed positively to the sport’s efficiency, with a rise in retention of 0.5% on all days, two minutes added to common playtime, and an LTV enhance of seven to eight p.c. We plan to incorporate every day ranges in virtually all our initiatives and are at the moment conducting A/B exams in some.
Presently, we’re actively growing Artwork Grasp and creating new content material. The entire spend has exceeded $2 million.
Present metrics:
• CPI $1.11
• R1 26%
• LTV $2.35
Playtime is about 20 minutes, individuals play for months, however our purpose is to make them keep for six months to a 12 months.
Recreation #6: Spot The Hidden Variations
With Spot the Hidden Variations, our new undertaking that featured the basic “spot the distinction” mechanics, we determined to stay to the fashion of Artwork Grasp. The graphics overlap rather a lot, and we will add them to each initiatives concurrently with minimal assets wanted.
If there’s a useful resource scarcity, we typically use outsourcing. We now have well-developed tips and virtually full automation of graphics meeting, so we will shortly scale the velocity of latest content material manufacturing for any undertaking.
The primary model of the sport was launched again in 2021, and we step by step collected product and advertising and marketing information whereas iterating. The metrics have been as follows:
• CPI $0.98
• R1 49.7%, R7 18.8%, R30 6.2%
• LTV $1.2
Under is a few Spot The Hidden Variations gameplay:
In December 2022, the sport turned primary by downloads within the ‘spot the distinction’ style. Luck had nothing to do with this. Like different initiatives, we created Spot The Hidden Variations primarily based on amassed experience, so we knew what it could appear to be, how it could differ from different initiatives, and how you can develop it instantly.
As standard, we began with steadiness – we do that for each undertaking, since getting it proper the primary time is nearly inconceivable. We labored with the problem of the preliminary ranges, in addition to adverts and timers. For instance, our recreation affords 150 seconds to finish a degree, and virtually all opponents within the style have 120 seconds. We tried to cut back this, nevertheless it resulted in a major drop in metrics.
Our recreation affords 150 seconds to finish a degree, and virtually all opponents within the style have 120 seconds. We tried to cut back this, nevertheless it resulted in a major drop in metrics
Milana Gelmanova
We additionally experimented with the variety of variations the gamers needed to discover on the extent. We tried 5, seven, ten, and even step by step elevated the quantity as the sport went on. Ten variations labored finest, so we stored it this manner (we tried including extra, nevertheless it didn’t work out in the long run).
We’re step by step scaling Spot The Hidden Variations. There are a variety of concepts and plans, each when it comes to options and content material, and we’ll introduce every day quests quickly.
Present metrics:
• CPI $1.11
• R1 26%, R7 10.1%, R30 3%
• LTV $2.42
• Playtime: 9 minutes
The undertaking is steadily approaching ROI, has a great spend (greater than $4.5 million up to now), and retains rising, which isn’t going to cease any time quickly.
Recreation #7: Artwork Grasp 2
The concept for the Artwork Grasp sequel happened after we analyzed the ‘color by numbers’ area of interest, the place gamers want to color over a black and white image with the precise colors from the palette. The competitors on this style may be very excessive and the visitors is dear, so should you go there, the possibilities of success are low. That you must search for distinctive options.
For this reason we mixed two concepts: coloring by numbers and Artwork Grasp half one. The gamers are offered with a black-and-white picture to paint, however they’ve to make use of puzzle items as an alternative of a palette to do it. We took all of the art work from the primary half and tailored it for the second. It was a mixture of the 2 mechanics and it labored.
After the primary exams, Artwork Grasp 2 exhibited the next metrics:
• CPI $0.58
• R1 51.0%, R7 23.2%. R30 10.7%
• LTV $0.74
Ildus Galiulin: Our strategy is to discover concepts that merge a number of genres, and as well as, we have now a wealth of high-quality artwork property that may be repurposed. It is secure to say that with out this, the creation of Artwork Grasp 2 would have been unlikely.
Milana Gelmanova: The content material was not a problem at this level, and the variety of ranges within the sequel is now virtually similar to the unique. At the moment, we’re increasing and integrating new advert networks, with the whole spend nearing $400,000.
Present metrics:
• CPI $1.11
• R1 27.1%, R7 8.4%, R30 3.2%
• LTV $1.9
• Playtime over 20 minutes
One other fascinating factor: we have began incorporating advertising and marketing extra intently with our merchandise. We’re including advertising and marketing content material and art work primarily based on trending themes like Wednesday or Home of the Dragon to our beginning funnels, and we have seen a optimistic influence on each retention and conversion to installs. It is a technique we’re implementing throughout all of our initiatives.
Guaranteeing success
By concentrating their experience and iterating growth inside a selected style, recreation builders can step by step enhance their outcomes. Whereas it is attainable to have a brilliant hit on the primary strive, luck is the important thing issue on this taking place. Nevertheless, you possibly can virtually definitely accumulate expertise in a single area of interest and create a number of profitable initiatives that carry out as a brilliant hit collectively should you base your choices on metrics and the suggestions offered by the writer.
Ildus Galiulin: Sooner or later, we needed to strive our hand at hypercasual video games. We even made a prototype however realised that we lacked ready-made options for a ravishing image. It is a solvable problem, however we didn’t wish to undergo this course of once more and determined to deal with the puzzle style since we have already got a variety of expertise with it, a variety of concepts within the backlog, and a longtime content material base.
In a few years, a workforce of 5 individuals has grown to twenty, with 11 members being the artists. Most of our initiatives use high-quality art work, one among them additionally has every day ranges, and we will’t afford delays in new graphics launch, particularly since a part of the viewers performs on daily basis all year long.”
Milana Gelmanova: If you happen to have a look at all our joint initiatives with Pingvi Video games from 12 months to 12 months, the expansion may be very important. In the mean time, six initiatives have introduced in additional than $14 million in income over 2.5 years, and the month-to-month spend has grown greater than 10 instances and already reaches $1 million. All of this confirms that the choice to deal with one thing narrower is in the end extra advantageous and worthwhile than attempting to scale one undertaking primarily based on the hype round it.
From this 12 months transferring ahead, we wish to launch two new initiatives yearly. This means that we have already got a imaginative and prescient and roadmap for each initiatives, in addition to an understanding of the required budgets and assets, together with the share devoted to scaling our present video games.
