Game Refinery

NOVEMBER 23, 2022

If you’re looking for ways to improve player retention for your mobile game, hosting a collaboration event with a well-known franchise as part of your LiveOps might be the answer you’re looking for. As an example, collaboration events are used by more than 70% of the top 10% of highest-grossing games in the China iOS market.

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Mobile Gaming Mobile Mobile Game Developer 247

Logic Simplified

JULY 31, 2023

There is one area every game designer must focus on to ensure that their games are captivating enough to entertain and provide an impactful experience to the user: game mechanics. When creating a new game, video game mechanics are often considered the most important factor. What are game mechanics?

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Mechanics Puzzle Games Balance 94

Radiator Blog

APRIL 11, 2024

Botany Manor is a 3 hour first person puzzle game about growing plants while exploring a big beautiful fancy house that smells like British Bake-Off. Gone Home anchors its story focus with voice acting, narration, simpler puzzles, and wry realism. There are 9 puzzles. Which means this isn't just a puzzle game.

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Puzzle Games Mechanics Baking 173

Game Refinery

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Following the high-level trend of hybridization across mobile , more and more casual games have started introducing competitive elements into their live event strategies. This has become especially prevalent in the puzzle subgenre, with around 75% of casual puzzle games in the US top-grossing 200 implementing these features.

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Game Refinery

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Narrative design has always been an important part of video game development, but its significance in modern-day games continues to grow as narrative elements play an important role in player engagement and retention. Several exploration games also incorporate similar story designs.

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Mobile Gaming Mobile Mobile Games 262

PreMortem.Games

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

First-time Swedish developer Far Out Games has meticulously crafted a neon-drenched Americana, complete with pink motels, sun-soaked suburbs and classic diners, all ready to be obliterated by you and your unstoppable delivery truck. We think it brings a certain atmosphere to the game that ties everything together in a nice way.”

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Open World Games Studios Development 104

Deconstructor of Fun

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Written by Ahmetcan Demirel , the maestro of product management and a podcast host ( Game Dev Diary ) from Germany! With a knack for puzzles, arcades, and simulation games. In the ever-evolving landscape of the gaming industry, it's no secret that games often draw inspiration from one another.

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Feature Art Mechanics Balance 98

PreMortem.Games

NOVEMBER 29, 2023

Disclosure: This article has been written as a part of a paid cooperation with Xsolla Game demos are as important to a successful game marketing strategy as trailers and advertising. A game demo is more than a condensed snapshot of your game. What kind of demo do you need? The most commonly used form is a prologue.

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Game Refinery

JUNE 15, 2023

The rise of hybridization in mobile games has resulted in game developers experimenting with new gameplay mechanics and features from other genres to drive engagement, something that’s often done via limited-time events.

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Racing Mobile Gaming Mobile Mobile 225

Deconstructor of Fun

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

Written by Ahmetcan Demirel , the maestro of product management and a podcast host ( Game Dev Diary ) from Germany! With a knack for puzzles, arcades, and simulation games. The world of mobile gaming has grown incredibly diverse, with subgenres branching out and becoming increasingly specialized.

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Puzzle Mechanics Feature Mobile 98

Game Refinery

APRIL 6, 2023

With increased competition from IDFA regulation changes and new games consistently entering the market, two of the biggest challenges facing publishers and mobile game studios are acquiring new players (UA) and keeping those players in your game (player retention).

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Mechanics Mobile Mobile Puzzle 239

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Set in a beautiful, Slavic-inspired world, Selfloss by Kazakhstan-based indie studio Goodwin Games is an adventure that explores themes of grief, healing, and resilience. Reflecting on the game’s core concept, Khoroshavin shares, “The very first idea was that I want to make a game about an old protagonist that can traverse via boat.

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Prototyping Indy Games Concepts 104

Game Refinery

MARCH 20, 2025

Weve previously explored how collaborating with fan-favorite IPs as part of a LiveOps strategy can have a drastic impact on in-game performance, and that logic very much applies to anime crossovers. Interestingly, it also launched alongside a new permanent in-game feature: special abilities.

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Animation Animation Mobile Gaming Mobile 130

Game Refinery

JUNE 21, 2023

Below, we’ll go through four basic strategies for targeted IAP offers that do just that, with specific trigger timings and unique appeal, while looking at how these have been implemented in some of the top games on the market. Users who clear one of these challenging levels receive a ‘missing toy’ for an in-game toy box.

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Mobile Gaming Mobile Mobile Games 48

Game Refinery

OCTOBER 26, 2023

The ever-changing nature of the mobile market means that new monetization mechanics are constantly emerging and evolving. One of the most popular monetization mechanics is the subscription-based battle pass , which was introduced via Valve’s DOTA 2 in 2013 but popularized by the worldwide phenomenon, Fortnite.

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Mobile Gaming Mobile Mobile Co-op 241

GamesIndustry.biz

APRIL 8, 2024

This April marks the tenth anniversary of Ustwo Games' breakout hit, Monument Valley. The qualities that make Monument Valley a great game are multifaceted, every aspect of it potentially worth dissecting, from its art direction to its narrative design to its minimalism. Read more

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Mechanics Puzzle Art Games 144

PreMortem.Games

MARCH 24, 2025

For Barcelona-based Gatera Studio , their debut title ANTRO is more than just a game, its a statement. platforming, parkour mechanics and puzzle-solving, all tightly synchronized to a pulsating urban soundtrack. Gatera Studios origins are as grassroots as the themes of their game. The result? Keep it simple, stupid!

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Prototyping Studios Electronics PC 104

Deconstructor of Fun

AUGUST 15, 2023

This article discusses and compares male and female stereotypes in gaming for the purpose of analyzing common societal perceptions. This is a much-dreaded question game developers ask themselves at every stage of game development. This is a much-dreaded question game developers ask themselves at every stage of game development.

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Puzzle Games Animation Animation 98

Logic Simplified

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

Endless runner games are like those friends that are always available to go out; hassle free, always attention grasping and require little to no planning. Hailing from the casual gaming brigade, these games have become synonymous with the mobile gaming experience, delivering entertainment at your fingertips with just a few taps.

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Games Mobile Mobile Mobile Gaming 83

Brand Game Development

NOVEMBER 25, 2019

Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Escape Rooms will make you a better board game designer. With this in mind, here are six reasons I believe that Escape Rooms will make you a better board game designer. Escape Rooms are master classes in theme.

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Game Design Game Designer Puzzle Prop 130

PreMortem.Games

JULY 12, 2024

The AppMagic Hypercasual games recap for the second quarter of 2024 unveils some interesting information about this specific part of the mobile games market. The hypercasual games market has been on a downwards trajectory for a couple of years now, but there is still potential for success. daily downloads.

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Puzzle Racing Games Mechanics 104

Game Refinery

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Competition is fierce in the mobile game market, but even more so for developers of casual and hyper-casual games. So, what can mobile game developers do to increase the chances of their games performing well? So, what can mobile game developers do to increase the chances of their games performing well?

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Build Mechanics Mobile Gaming Puzzle 130

Game Refinery

SEPTEMBER 28, 2022

Mobile game developers are constantly looking for new ways to bring in new players and keep existing players engaged with their games. One of the most successful ways of doing this is by introducing meta elements – gameplay elements and mechanics from other game genres – into your game.

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Brand Game Development

JUNE 25, 2019

Pattern building board games are really popular among the hobby board gaming crowd. Board Game Geek cites Azul , Sagrada , A Feast for Odin , and Quadropolis as pattern building board games. These titles earned – and keep – respect in the hobby gaming community. Need help on your board game?

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Tile Build Puzzle Fantasy 130

Indie DB

NOVEMBER 9, 2024

In this game, You can experience treasure hunting, puzzle solving and actions. Player need to collect various tools to break Barriers, manipulate mechanics to get to hard-to-reach places, or find path in complex scenes. Miner Open Chests is newly released.

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Puzzle Mechanics Games 105

Indie DB

APRIL 2, 2025

This is a free puzzle game focused on gravity like mechanics (bombs, bouncy blocks, portals) that features 150 levels, online levels and a level editor that is now released.

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Editing Puzzle Mechanics Feature 102

Big Games

MARCH 27, 2025

The mobile gaming industry has exploded recently. Developers are constantly seeking the best tools to create engaging, high-performance games that can run smoothly on a wide range of Android devices. Two of the most popular game enginesUnity and Unreal are the top choices for Android game development.

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Engine Engineering Game Developer Game Development 52

PreMortem.Games

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

Cocoon, the intricate puzzle adventure by Jeppe Carlsen , known as the lead gameplay designer of Limbo and Inside, launched to raving reviews after 6.5 The game immerses players in a captivating odyssey across worlds within worlds, beckoning them to master the art of world-leaping mechanics to uncover a cosmic mystery.

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Puzzle Prototyping Art Communications 104

Sirlin

FEBRUARY 2, 2022

Puzzle Strike 2’s expansion, called Bold Adventures, has four new community bank decks as well as 10 more characters. The fourth of these bank decks is Puzzle Pets. The creatures are the star of the show in Puzzle Pets. Most decks have a few creatures, but Puzzle Pets puts the emphasis on creatures.

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Puzzle Mechanics Games 52

PreMortem.Games

JULY 1, 2024

Their first game, Genesis Noir, was already a moving work of art. The sheer confidence of steering clear of the beaten track and creating something truly original, comes from experience gained outside the world of video game development. This gave the studio a bit of an outsider perspective.

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Art Graphics Games Puzzle 138

Brand Game Development

DECEMBER 18, 2017

Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the seventh of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators.

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Mechanics Art Games Puzzle 130

Deconstructor of Fun

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

Dylan Tredrea is a product & publishing consultant with over 12 years of experience in mobile free to play games at studios such as Disney, Rovio, Zeptolab, & CrazyLabs. After release I was responsible for analyzing churn and sharing the results with the team: the cutscenes were driving users out of the game.

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Cutscenes AI Content Mechanics 90

PreMortem.Games

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

The game is the debut of Swiss indie game studio Naraven Games. Co founder and writer Julia Jean found inspiration for the game in her fascination for the ordinary. “I Compelling puzzles And so the team built the game around the story. Absolutely! Even a bit too much, maybe”, says Jean. A rubber duck!’.

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Puzzle Games Technology Code 104

PreMortem.Games

JUNE 28, 2024

Games for Change , in partnership with HP and Google Play, announced the winners of the second annual Diverse Voices, New Stories Challenge at the 2024 Games for Change Festival. The challenge is an initiative to improve representation and increase visibility for underrepresented game developers in the mobile gaming industry.

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Puzzle Art Mobile Gaming Games 104

Brand Game Development

OCTOBER 26, 2020

A few years ago I picked up some copies of Exit: The Game at the store because I absolutely love Exit Rooms. When I saw that there was a board game version, I promptly grabbed a few for us to try out. Seriously though, we have bought so many more of the games and they have been an absolute God-Send during the pandemic.

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Games Art Mechanics Puzzle 130

PreMortem.Games

JUNE 17, 2024

Japanese indie game developer Yamada has used ChatGPT as a key design element for his latest project, Doki Doki AI Interrogation. “Many game developers at that time were trying to replicate experiences like TRPGs, Werewolf, or lateral thinking puzzles with ChatGPT,” he explains.

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AI Development Games Indy 118

PreMortem.Games

JANUARY 24, 2024

Physics-based 2D platformer Bionic Bay is a collaboration between the Finnish one-man-studio Mureena and Taiwanese indie game company Psychoflow Studio. The game started as a demo shown on Reddit, but picked up momentum when Badland art director Juhana Myllys offered to mix and match his distinct artwork with the gameplay.

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