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In mid-2020, Pingvi Video games approached Azur Video games for publishing providers with two pre-made puzzle video games. Regardless of their robust improvement 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 because of their deal with a selected area of interest and viewers.
Whereas creating a brilliant hit is at all times troublesome (and sometimes based mostly on luck) the studio’s gradual accumulation of experience has confirmed that success will 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 net 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 site visitors solely after 3-4 years of improvement 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 site visitors was coming in, there was no finances for advertising and marketing. That’s once we began searching for a writer. We talked with completely different publishers, however discovered a reference to Azur Video games immediately. We have been launched to the producer, Milana, then examined each initiatives, signed the deal and began working.”
Sport #1: Faucet Faucet Match, and Sport #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 hard and fast subject the place the playing cards have to be linked by a line, whereas Match Pairs options randomly scattered playing cards that have to be dragged on prime 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 realize 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 out there has grown considerably. A CPI of $1.50 is now the norm. Nonetheless, success on this market requires experience within the style and a strong understanding of the way to enhance the product or offset the upper CPI charges.
Ildus Galiulin: Many video games on this style undergo from a standard downside and that is that gamers lose curiosity in them over time. Our aim was to create a recreation that may stay addictive even at stage 500.
Our aim was to create a recreation that may stay addictive even at stage 500
Ildus Galiulin
We knew that visuals in match puzzles might turn out to be monotonous, so we added numerous skins in several kinds. 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 based mostly on the group’s evaluation of participant behaviour, and it resulted in a big improve in rewarded advert views.
We carried out numerous experiments with recreation complexity and stage design to optimise participant engagement and retention. To make the participant onboarding course of clean, it’s vital to hit the fitting rhythm and supply ranges that progressively improve in problem. In essence, we have a look at the analytics to establish the place gamers are struggling essentially the most, have a look at the win charge, then modify problem ranges, stage order, timers and distinctive gadgets accordingly. Though we initially thought simplifying the sport could be the most effective method, it resulted in decreased participant curiosity, playtime, and retention.
For instance, we found that later ranges with a decrease win charge (12-14%) and longer completion instances (5-6 minutes) have been really extra partaking for gamers. When gamers struggled with these ranges, they might typically watch rewarded adverts for further time or boosters equivalent to hints, reshuffles, or pores and skin adjustments.
We added hardcore components with bombs in Faucet Faucet Match and hearth in Match Pairs — playing cards like that have to be eliminated rapidly 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 properly. 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 carried out an intensive evaluation of feminine gamers taking part in Faucet Faucet Match and Match Pairs, which is relatively smaller than that of the hypercasual style. On the outset, our common CPI was greater, however the payoff was that we attracted extra devoted gamers. To keep up their loyalty, we targeted on delivering seamless core gameplay, a handy UX, and putting a great stability in-game. Because of this, our viewers continued taking part in 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 outdated – an exceptional achievement by way of 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 site visitors and proceed to actively help them. As an example, in Faucet Faucet Match, we’re planning to introduce further options equivalent to a background changer, which incorporates animated choices, together with extra skins and achievements.
Sport #3: What’s Fallacious
Our subsequent mission was What’s Fallacious. It departed from the basic idea of evaluating two footage, and as an alternative targeted on logic greater than attentiveness. Gamers have been offered with an image and needed to spot what was flawed with it, equivalent to a policeman carrying 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 most important focus, as all the things was hand-drawn by simply a few artists. We additionally examined the stability, the beginning funnel of ranges, timers, and advert cooldown when CPI started to rise. We tried to convey it down by utilizing completely 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. Principally, we managed to discover a low-cost resolution to make the mission extra promising, however we’d must utterly overhaul the idea for it to work. Because of this, we deserted the thought and moved on to a different prototype.
Sport #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 traits, whereas the viewers’s gradual shift in the direction of three-dimensional puzzles like Faucet Faucet Match and Match Pairs strengthened our determination. Secondly, we wished to discover one thing extra hybrid than simply looking for two an identical gadgets. Though the shift to 3D didn’t convey any important change, we gave the gamers what they wished, and that’s all that issues on this scenario.
Dice Match 3D requires gamers to rotate the sphere and gather three an identical cubes on the underside panel. If gamers add a dice, they will take away it by amassing 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 mission was completed inside 1.5 weeks, because of the reuse of many components from earlier video games equivalent to skins, UI components, pop-ups, and numerous screens. Because of this, we had a totally practical mission on the prototype stage. Nonetheless, since our experience in 3D was restricted, not all the things turned out completely.
Ildus Galiulin: We spent a variety of time on 3D optimisation and stability and we struggled to search out the fitting stability for some time. We tried a wide range of approaches together with including a tutorial and making it interactive, displaying 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 saved it. We additionally integrated the shifting cubes characteristic from Faucet Faucet Match.
Nonetheless, we had an unsuccessful experiment with adverts. In some unspecified time in the future throughout lengthy ranges, gamers are proven an advert, and we wished to make this course of extra clear by including a progress bar earlier than the video performed, so the gamers could 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 battling the core mechanics problem. We wished to check one other speculation, so we created a separate mission with the identical mechanics, however diminished the variety of cubes to 2. It was a lot simpler for the gamers, and we had respectable R1, however the metrics worsened in the long run. We might have continued to iterate, however we noticed much less potential on this mission in comparison with our different ones.
Presently, Dice Match 3D is growing slowly since we have now different, greater precedence initiatives. We nonetheless have natural site visitors, good LTV, and concepts on the way to enhance retention and cut back CPI and we run assessments on it each six months to discover completely different hypotheses.
Sport #5: Artwork Grasp
Sometimes, property and options from earlier initiatives are carried over to new ones, however with Artwork Grasp, the method was barely completely 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 wished so as to add colours, use shiny vector graphics, and simplify the gameplay for our mission.
To cut back prices and pace up improvement, we reused among the artwork and most important modules (equivalent to settings and advert tabs) from earlier initiatives. As an 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 similar time, a variety of issues needed to be finished from scratch – in any case, it is a utterly completely different mechanic, which meant that the discharge model solely had round 20 ranges. Creating them was our major focus, because it took up nearly all of our assets.
The outcomes? Gamers appreciated 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 charge with roughly 30% of gamers leaving throughout the first three days. Nonetheless, implementing an interactive tutorial helped to handle the problem. We rapidly added new content material and began experimenting with the sport’s stability 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 crammed in didn’t disappear after putting the sprite, which confused gamers. Eradicating the highlights resulted in improved metrics.
Artwork Grasp was the primary mission 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 increase of seven to eight %. We plan to incorporate every day ranges in virtually all our initiatives and are at the moment conducting A/B assessments in some.
Presently, we’re actively growing Artwork Grasp and creating new content material. The full 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 aim is to make them keep for six months to a 12 months.
Sport #6: Spot The Hidden Variations
With Spot the Hidden Variations, our new mission 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 are able to add them to each initiatives concurrently with minimal assets wanted.
If there’s a useful resource scarcity, we generally use outsourcing. We have now well-developed tips and virtually full automation of graphics meeting, so we are able to rapidly scale the pace of recent content material manufacturing for any mission.
The primary model of the sport was launched again in 2021, and we progressively collected product and advertising and marketing knowledge 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 based mostly on gathered experience, so we knew what it will seem like, how it will differ from different initiatives, and the way to develop it immediately.
As ordinary, we began with stability – we do that for each mission, since getting it proper the primary time is sort of 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 stage, and virtually all rivals within the style have 120 seconds. We tried to scale back this, nevertheless it resulted in a big drop in metrics.
Our recreation affords 150 seconds to finish a stage, and virtually all rivals within the style have 120 seconds. We tried to scale back this, nevertheless it resulted in a big 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 progressively elevated the quantity as the sport went on. Ten variations labored finest, so we saved it this fashion (we tried including extra, nevertheless it didn’t work out ultimately).
We’re progressively scaling Spot The Hidden Variations. There are a variety of concepts and plans, each by way of 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 mission 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.
Sport #7: Artwork Grasp 2
The thought for the Artwork Grasp sequel took place after we analyzed the ‘color by numbers’ area of interest, the place gamers want to color over a black and white image with the fitting colors from the palette. The competitors on this style could be very excessive and the site visitors is pricey, so should you go there, the possibilities of success are low. It is advisable to search for distinctive options.
Because of this 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 paintings from the primary half and tailored it for the second. It was a mixture of the 2 mechanics and it labored.
After the primary assessments, 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 method 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 an identical to the unique. Presently, we’re increasing and integrating new advert networks, with the full 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 paintings based mostly 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 improvement inside a selected style, recreation builders can progressively enhance their outcomes. Whereas it is doable to have a brilliant hit on the primary strive, luck is the important thing issue on this occurring. Nonetheless, you may 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: In some unspecified time in the future, we wished to strive our hand at hypercasual video games. We even made a prototype however realised that we lacked ready-made options for a fantastic image. It is a solvable concern, 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 group of 5 individuals has grown to twenty, with 11 members being the artists. Most of our initiatives use high-quality paintings, one among them additionally has every day ranges, and we are able to’t afford delays in new graphics launch, particularly since a part of the viewers performs each day all year long.”
Milana Gelmanova: In case you have a look at all our joint initiatives with Pingvi Video games from 12 months to 12 months, the expansion could be very important. In the intervening 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 making an attempt to scale one mission based mostly on the hype round it.
From this 12 months shifting 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.
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