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 tasks, producing over $14 million in whole income with their success because of their give attention to a particular area of interest and viewers.
Whereas creating a brilliant hit is at all times tough (and infrequently based mostly on luck) the studio’s gradual accumulation of experience has confirmed that success could be achieved in almost 100% of instances.
On this article Milana Gelmanova, Producer at Azur Video games takes a take 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 parts 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 numerous content material, however it took a really very long time to launch. We started to purchase site visitors solely after 3-4 years of growth however acquired border metrics that couldn’t be corrected.
In consequence, we switched to easier puzzles. We made two tasks 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 totally different publishers, however discovered a reference to Azur Video games instantly. We had been launched to the producer, Milana, then examined each tasks, signed the deal and began working.”
Sport #1: Faucet Faucet Match, and Sport #2: Match Pairs
Milana Gelmanova: Our first tasks with the writer had been Faucet Faucet Match and Match Pairs.
Each tasks concerned discovering matching pairs, however the implementation of the mechanic differed between the 2. Faucet Faucet Match makes use of a set subject the place the playing cards must be related by a line, whereas Match Pairs options randomly scattered playing cards that must 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 very good 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-about 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 the right way to enhance the product or offset the upper CPI charges.
Ildus Galiulin: Many video games on this style endure from a typical downside and that is that gamers lose curiosity in them over time. Our purpose was to create a recreation that might stay addictive even at stage 500.
Our purpose was to create a recreation that might 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 numerous kinds. To forestall 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 transformation was based mostly on the workforce’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 easy, it’s essential to hit the proper rhythm and supply ranges that progressively improve in problem. In essence, we take a look at the analytics to establish the place gamers are struggling essentially the most, take a look at the win charge, then regulate problem ranges, stage order, timers and distinctive objects accordingly. Though we initially thought simplifying the sport could be one of the best 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) had been truly extra partaking for gamers. When gamers struggled with these ranges, they’d typically watch rewarded adverts for additional time or boosters reminiscent of hints, reshuffles, or pores and skin adjustments.
We added hardcore parts 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 had been well-received by the respective audiences. We tried so as to add boosters to fight the problem of those parts and even take away them altogether, however 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 had been significantly interesting to feminine gamers.
Under is a few Faucet Faucet Match gameplay:
Milana Gelmanova: We carried out 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 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 hanging a very good steadiness in-game. In consequence, our viewers continued enjoying for an prolonged interval – usually, a puzzle recreation participant’s lifetime lasts for greater than a yr, and ranges from one to 3 years for Match-3.
Subsequently, we analyzed the information for these tasks and found that greater than 15% of our income got here from gamers that had been greater than a yr outdated – an exceptional achievement by way of advert monetisation and the precise nature of the puzzle style. Remarkably, we didn’t alter the sport mechanics however as a substitute enriched them with numerous skins, occasions, and every day challenges. Two and a half years for the reason that launch, the metrics of the tasks 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 assist them. As an example, in Faucet Faucet Match, we’re planning to introduce extra options reminiscent of a background changer, which incorporates animated choices, together with extra skins and achievements.
Sport #3: What’s Improper
Our subsequent undertaking was What’s Improper. It departed from the traditional idea of evaluating two photos, and as a substitute targeted on logic greater than attentiveness. Gamers had been introduced with an image and needed to spot what was improper with it, reminiscent of a policeman sporting a saucepan on his head as a substitute of a cap or a woman speaking on a shampoo bottle as a substitute 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 principal focus, as every part 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 convey it down through the use of totally different advert creatives to no avail.
In the end, we found that the gameplay itself wanted to be reworked. Gamers discovered the objects they wanted to identify too sophisticated 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 need to utterly overhaul the idea for it to work. In consequence, we deserted the concept 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 tendencies, whereas the viewers’s gradual shift in direction of three-dimensional puzzles like Faucet Faucet Match and Match Pairs bolstered our resolution. Secondly, we wished to discover one thing extra hybrid than simply trying to find two equivalent objects. 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 sector and accumulate three equivalent cubes on the underside panel. If gamers add a dice, they’ll take away it by amassing two extra of the identical, or through the use of a booster to cancel the transfer.
Our first metrics within the US had 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, because of the reuse of many parts from earlier video games reminiscent of skins, UI parts, pop-ups, and numerous screens. In consequence, we had a totally practical undertaking on the prototype stage. Nevertheless, since our experience in 3D was restricted, not every part turned out completely.
Ildus Galiulin: We spent numerous time on 3D optimisation and steadiness and we struggled to seek out the proper steadiness for some time. We tried a wide range of approaches together with including a tutorial and making it interactive, exhibiting gamers after they had 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. 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: On the whole, there was optimistic development in our metrics, however we had been nonetheless battling the core mechanics problem. We wished to check one other speculation, so we created a separate undertaking 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 undertaking in comparison with our different ones.
Presently, Dice Match 3D is growing slowly since we’ve different, greater precedence tasks. We nonetheless have natural site visitors, good LTV, and concepts on the right way to enhance retention and cut back CPI and we run checks on it each six months to discover totally different hypotheses.
Sport #5: Artwork Grasp
Usually, property and options from earlier tasks are carried over to new ones, however with Artwork Grasp, the method was barely totally different. Artwork Grasp is a colouring puzzle recreation the place the target is for gamers to decide on parts 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, however it was too darkish and too tough, and we wished so as to add colours, use vibrant vector graphics, and simplify the gameplay for our undertaking.
To cut back prices and pace up growth, we reused a few of the artwork and principal modules (reminiscent of settings and advert tabs) from earlier tasks. As an example, we’re presently engaged on achievements that we’re going so as to add concurrently to all present and future tasks.”
Milana Gelmanova: On the identical time, numerous issues needed to be achieved from scratch – in any case, it is 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 the vast majority of our sources.
The outcomes? Gamers favored 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 inside the first three days. Nevertheless, implementing an interactive tutorial helped to handle 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 increase of seven to eight p.c. We plan to incorporate every day ranges in virtually all our tasks and are presently conducting A/B checks in some.
Presently, we’re actively growing Artwork Grasp and creating new content material. The overall 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 yr.
Sport #6: Spot The Hidden Variations
With Spot the Hidden Variations, our new undertaking that featured the traditional “spot the distinction” mechanics, we determined to stay to the type of Artwork Grasp. The graphics overlap so much, and we will add them to each tasks concurrently with minimal sources 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 will shortly scale the pace of recent content material manufacturing for any undertaking.
The primary model of the sport was launched again in 2021, and we progressively collected product and advertising and marketing information whereas iterating. The metrics had 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 grew to become primary by downloads within the ‘spot the distinction’ style. Luck had nothing to do with this. Like different tasks, we created Spot The Hidden Variations based mostly on collected experience, so we knew what it will appear like, how it will differ from different tasks, and the right way to develop it instantly.
As typical, we began with steadiness – we do that for each undertaking, since getting it proper the primary time is nearly not possible. We labored with the problem of the preliminary ranges, in addition to adverts and timers. For instance, our recreation gives 150 seconds to finish a stage, and virtually all rivals within the style have 120 seconds. We tried to cut back this, however it resulted in a big drop in metrics.
Our recreation gives 150 seconds to finish a stage, and virtually all rivals within the style have 120 seconds. We tried to cut back this, however 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 greatest, so we stored it this fashion (we tried including extra, however it didn’t work out in the long run).
We’re progressively scaling Spot The Hidden Variations. There are numerous 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 undertaking is steadily approaching ROI, has a very good spend (greater than $4.5 million to this point), 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 proper colors from the palette. The competitors on this style could be very excessive and the site visitors is dear, so in the event you go there, the probabilities of success are low. You’ll want to search for distinctive options.
This is the reason we mixed two concepts: coloring by numbers and Artwork Grasp half one. The gamers are introduced with a black-and-white picture to paint, however they’ve to make use of puzzle items as a substitute 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 checks, 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’ve a wealth of high-quality artwork property that may be repurposed. It is protected 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 equivalent to the unique. Presently, 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 attention-grabbing factor: we have began incorporating advertising and marketing extra carefully with our merchandise. We’re including advertising and marketing content material and art work based mostly on trending themes like Wednesday or Home of the Dragon to our beginning funnels, and we have seen a optimistic affect on each retention and conversion to installs. This can be a technique we’re implementing throughout all of our tasks.
Making certain success
By concentrating their experience and iterating growth inside a particular style, recreation builders can progressively enhance their outcomes. Whereas it is potential to have a brilliant hit on the primary attempt, luck is the important thing issue on this occurring. Nevertheless, you may virtually definitely accumulate expertise in a single area of interest and create a number of profitable tasks that carry out as a brilliant hit collectively in the event you base your selections on metrics and the suggestions offered by the writer.
Ildus Galiulin: In some unspecified time in the future, we wished to attempt our hand at hypercasual video games. We even made a prototype however realised that we lacked ready-made options for a gorgeous image. This can be a solvable challenge, however we didn’t need to undergo this course of once more and determined to give attention to the puzzle style since we have already got numerous expertise with it, numerous 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 tasks use high-quality art work, considered one of them additionally has every day ranges, and we will’t afford delays in new graphics launch, particularly since a part of the viewers performs every single day all year long.”
Milana Gelmanova: Should you take a look at all our joint tasks with Pingvi Video games from yr to yr, the expansion could be very important. For the time being, six tasks 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 give attention to one thing narrower is in the end extra advantageous and worthwhile than making an attempt to scale one undertaking based mostly on the hype round it.
From this yr transferring ahead, we need to launch two new tasks yearly. This means that we have already got a imaginative and prescient and roadmap for each tasks, in addition to an understanding of the required budgets and sources, together with the share devoted to scaling our present video games.
