Hivemind World Show

How do you find winning mobile game ads?The Hivemind Show is a new panel series hosted by Zhanna Tushkina, Growth Consultant at Hivemind, bringing together experts from across the games industry to share what's working, what's not, and what they're learning along the way.In this first episode, we bring together four mobile game marketing experts from Playducky, ZiMAD, SocialPeta, and Admiral Media to discuss what actually works in user acquisition, AI-generated creatives, and scaling mobile games.The panel explores what makes ads perform, why the first three seconds matter, playable ads, fake gameplay ads versus player retention, and how long to test a creative before deciding whether it's a winner.Connect with the guests:Alena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alena-filimonova-barmatova-2793559b/Egor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ep-al/Summer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/summer-liuxiangjun-socialpeta/Margarita: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarita-%F0%9F%94%9C-business-of-apps-dagaeva-22189814b/Connect with Zhanna:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhannatushkina/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HivemindWorldInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zhannatushkina/Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights: → Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.comChapters:0:00 Intro7:23 What Makes a Winning Mobile Game Ad in 2026?12:24 The AI-Generated Ad That Became a #1 Scaling Creative15:04 Why There's No Universal Winning Ad Formula18:25 Creative Trends: AI, Hooks & Faster Iterations22:16 Fake Gameplay Ads vs Player Retention27:34 What's Working: Gameplay Videos & Playable Ads31:08 How Changing the First 3 Seconds Saved a Failing Ad32:34 Creative Testing: Finding & Scaling Winners35:48 How Long Should You Test an Ad?36:36 Segmentation & Personalization in Mobile Gaming43:12 Using AI & Competitor Data to Improve Creatives46:23 Targeting Players Through Different Motivations48:38 Personalizing the Experience After Installation53:42 Custom Product Pages & Smarter UA Targeting55:47 Habits That Help Game Marketers Succeed58:20 Learning From Mistakes & Improving Marketing Results1:03:12 Building a Weekly Routine for Better Decisions1:06:09 Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways

How can you tell whether players want your game before spending years building it?Today, I'm joined by Kirill Oreshkin, Co-founder and CEO of Polden Publishing, who explains how his team tests indie game ideas through two-week influencer campaigns and Steam wishlists before deciding which games to sign.We also discuss how to validate game ideas with trailers, market games on Steam using TikTok and YouTube Shorts, and decide between self-publishing and working with a publisher.If you're an indie game developer or studio founder looking to validate your next game, attract more players, or improve your chances of getting signed by a publisher, this episode is for you!Connect with Kirill:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiroreshkin/Website: polden.ggConnect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtZBNcgtKJR2NtGct3-cFWgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com0:00 Intro4:10 How Polden tests game ideas in just 2 weeks7:11 Why other publishers don't run marketing tests11:14 How game publishing deals work13:44 Self-publishing vs working with a publisher16:49 What actually works for marketing games on Steam20:11 TikTok, YouTube influencers and Steam demos22:16 How to price indie games on Steam24:20 What makes a friendslop game?25:37 Paid influencers vs organic content28:10 Why Steam wishlists aren't enough30:55 How Polden runs playtests and collects feedback34:04 Can you test a game idea with just a trailer?36:34 The limits of validating game ideas early40:30 Polden's future and AI in game development45:01 Funding games and managing investor risk47:15 Emerging Steam trends: Simulators and incremental games52:37 What does it take to start a game publisher?55:06 The 3 things Polden looks for in a game1:00:45 Steam wishlist-to-sales benchmarks1:02:46 DLC vs free updates for indie games1:03:38 Final advice for game developers

Today I’m joined by Jakob Berglund, founder of Atlas One, who spent over 11 years at King and later worked on MONOPOLY GO! at Scopely.We talk about turning game analytics into better decisions, identifying what actually drives player retention and revenue, and comparing the value of new features against technical debt. We also explore why more data and AI-generated insights don't necessarily lead to better decisions.If you’re a game developer, producer, analyst, or studio leader trying to figure out what deserves your attention, this episode is for you.Connect with Jakob:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hi-jakob-berglund/Website: http://www.atlas1.oneEmail: [email protected] with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtZBNcgtKJR2NtGct3-cFWgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.comChapters:0:00 Intro2:52 Problem-solving and Jakob's early work at King5:45 Why more data doesn't mean better decisions9:14 Finding the real drivers behind game metrics11:12 How King uncovered a hidden cause of player churn14:00 Business context, correlation, and causation18:43 How to measure and compare business value22:00 Using constraints to decide what to prioritize25:15 Comparing the value of different opportunities30:35 Why companies need to validate their estimates33:34 Turning data into actionable decisions37:54 Why rough estimates beat false precision41:56 How every role contributes to business value47:07 Comparing recurring costs with new game features50:15 Using retrospectives to identify recurring problems55:03 Assigning value to the causes of problems58:33 Atlas One: Building a better decision engine1:02:49 Why AI needs business context

Today I'm joined by Guy Costantini, Co-founder and CEO of Chaos Manufacturing, who's spent over 15 years in game publishing, marketing and studio leadership, including roles at Riot Games, CD Projekt Red and Skydance.We talked about how the games industry has become a buyer's market, why publishers and investors increasingly want to see playable games and proven traction before committing funding, and what that means for developers trying to get their games made. Guy also shares how he's building SOL Shogunate while keeping costs under control, why getting the scope of your game right matters, and how to balance making something you believe in with making something people will actually buy.If you're a game developer, studio founder or publisher navigating game funding and publishing, this episode offers a practical look at what it takes to get a game made and bring it to market.Connect with Guy:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gcostantini/Check out these games:SOL Shogunate: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3219360/SOL_Shogunate/Game of Thrones: War for Westeros: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2838950/_/Mouse P.I. for Hire: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2416450/_/Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtZBNcgtKJR2NtGct3-cFWgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.comChapters:0:00 Intro3:46 Building a Game Studio on a Lean Budget6:29 Why Understanding Your Market Matters10:12 The Risks of Game Funding and Overspending14:30 Why Game Funding Has Become a Buyer's Market17:03 Do Indie Developers Still Need Publishers?23:41 What Publishers Look for Before Investing26:27 Job Security and Leadership in the Games Industry30:30 Why Publishers Cancel Games32:39 How Game Publishing Deals and Milestones Work38:14 Managing Risk in Game Development41:30 Finding Alternative Sources of Game Funding44:40 Equity Financing vs. Project Financing46:23 What It Takes to Get a Game Funded Today49:36 Why Investors Prefer Lower-Risk Games51:14 Balancing Creative Vision With Commercial Success53:36 Why Guy Had to Rethink His Game's Scope55:07 Why Constraints Can Lead to Better Games58:11 What Does It Take to Start a Game Publisher?1:01:22 Why Game Marketing and Audience Building Matter1:05:49 Alternative Game Publishing Models1:08:07 The Future of the Games Industry1:11:22 Finding Your Advantage in the Games Industry1:13:16 SOL Shogunate and Closing Thoughts

Today I’m joined by Teemu Haila, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Metaplay. Teemu has spent more than 20 years in game development, co-founded PlayRiven before its acquisition by Rovio, and now works at the intersection of AI and live service game development.We talk about how AI agents are already changing the way games are built and run, including a real example where work that previously took two engineering teams two months was completed by one developer using AI in two weeks. We also cover AI-powered game testing, faster iteration, how much smaller game teams could become, and why LiveOps needs to be designed into a game from the very beginning.If you’re a game developer, studio founder or publisher trying to understand how AI will change the way games are built, tested and operated, then this episode is for you!Connect with Teemu:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teemuhaila/Website: https://www.metaplay.io/lp/multiplayer-live-service-gameConnect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtZBNcgtKJR2NtGct3-cFWgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.comChapters:0:00 Intro1:52 Teemu Haila joins the podcast3:41 Why AI gives generalists an advantage5:53 How AI is changing LiveOps11:09 The 30x AI game development example15:31 How AI could transform game testing21:50 How much smaller can game teams become?26:17 Why discovery becomes the bottleneck29:55 How game developers can avoid being left behind34:14 The best way to learn AI is to start building40:33 Why marketers can now build games43:48 Validating game ideas before building them46:47 Why LiveOps must be designed from day one52:33 What Metaplay actually does56:05 Web games, playable demos and new ways to test ideas1:00:59 Should Harry start a game publisher?1:03:10 Finding profitable game niches big studios ignore1:05:56 Harry's venture studio plan1:10:51 How to connect with Teemu

Today, I’m joined by Magnus Lysell, co-founder of Light Up Games and a former product manager at Paradox Interactive, where he worked on games including Cities: Skylines and Surviving Mars. He now helps developers and publishers launch games globally, with a particular focus on China.We talked about why game developers often think about China too late, how publishing and marketing games there actually works, and what developers need to know about localization, Steam, Bilibili, Heybox, pricing and local partners.If you’re a game developer, studio founder or publisher looking to reach more players, understand the Chinese games market or build a smarter global publishing strategy, then this episode is for you!Connect with Magnus:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magnuslysell/Website: https://lightup.games/enConnect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HivemindWorldInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.comChapters:00:00 Intro00:45 Magnus Lysell and Light Up Games03:10 What game developers get wrong about publishing03:56 Why studios treat China as an afterthought05:49 Why a launch trailer isn’t enough in China06:40 How early should you prepare for China?08:02 Do you need an ISBN to publish in China?09:20 Can you sell PC games through Steam in China?10:11 Which games perform well in China?11:24 A 3-step strategy for entering the Chinese market12:08 How important can China be for game revenue?13:19 How poor localization can hurt your game14:17 From Paradox to game publishing15:44 How to price games for the Chinese market17:18 Magnus’s advice for game developers18:15 Why game developers should know about Heybox

Today, I’m joined by Mikkel Weider, the new CEO of Everplay Group, home to Team17, astragon Entertainment and StoryToys, with hundreds of games across its portfolio.We talked about what publishers look for in games, how developers can stand out in an increasingly crowded market, and why understanding your audience and market matters just as much as making a great game.If you’re a game developer, running an indie studio, or trying to understand how publishers think about games, then this episode is for you!Connect with Mikkel:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikkelweider/Pitch your game:Simulator games: https://www.astragon.com/Indie, party & selected shooter games: https://www.team17.com/Kids games: https://storytoys.com/Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HivemindWorldInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.comChapters:00:00 Intro00:49 Inside Everplay, Team17, astragon & StoryToys03:22 Mikkel’s first months as Everplay CEO05:20 The growing game discovery problem07:04 Building direct relationships with players08:26 Should studios stick to the genres they know?10:42 What publishers look for in new games12:57 How much innovation does a game need?14:51 Leading and operating a games group17:46 Delegation, trust & accountability21:13 Firefighting vs pursuing opportunities22:21 Technology, AI & the future of games26:13 Building a culture of ownership28:59 Publishing vs game development30:02 Should games launch on every platform?31:48 How to pitch your game to Everplay

How do game studios actually get funded, and when should you choose VC, a publisher, project financing, or another route?Today I’m joined by Ali Farha, Investment Associate at Behold Ventures, to break down how game funding actually works from the investor side, and what developers need to understand before raising money.We talked about the difference between VC, publishers and project financing, when each funding route makes sense, what games VCs actually look for in a studio, how the investment process works, and why your pitch should change depending on who you’re raising from.If you’re an indie developer, studio founder, or game developer trying to fund your next game, understand your financing options, or make your studio more investable, then this episode is for you.Connect with Ali:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alifarha/⁠Website: ⁠https://behold.vc/⁠Listen to Ali’s previous episode: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/0OEtoYIT1n1m1bjiBu5dDD?si=814233edcdf145f2Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/⁠YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@HivemindWorld⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/⁠Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.comChapters:00:00 Intro02:34 How games VC works05:35 Bootstrapping, friends & family, angels and VC07:11 VC vs project financing08:24 Why founders should look for “smart money”10:16 The value of a VC network11:48 How should an indie studio fund its game?13:01 How the VC investment process actually works16:28 Do VCs take control of game studios?18:43 Questions founders should ask investors19:23 What makes a game studio investable?20:09 How to pitch a VC vs a publisher21:32 Combining VC, publishers and other funding22:47 Mobile games and UA financing24:06 Could UA financing come to PC and console?27:35 The future of AAA, AA and indie games30:30 Final fundraising advice for game developers

Today I’m joined by Adam Jaffe, a mobile gaming marketer with nearly two decades in the industry. He was Playtika’s 10th employee and Head of User Acquisition, and later served as VP of Marketing at Social Point.We talked about why organic growth in mobile gaming has become so much harder, where studios should be looking for new users now, and why pouring more money into marketing won’t save a product that isn’t ready to scale.If you’re building, marketing or running a mobile game business and want a clearer picture of where the market is heading, this episode is for you.Connect with Adam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adjaffe/Website: www.trofeo.ioLive Trofeo demo: play.trofeo.io/playConnect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HivemindWorldInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.comChapters:00:00 Intro04:14 How mobile gaming changed from the early days08:14 How ATT and IDFA changed mobile user acquisition13:32 Why organic growth and virality disappeared19:30 Why media platforms now hold the power23:25 Why mobile game studios have less room to fail29:19 Risk aversion, layoffs and the cost of playing safe32:25 Where mobile games get users in 202635:33 How rewarded traffic actually works41:26 How to make rewarded user acquisition work44:54 CTV as the next mobile marketing frontier46:37 Mobile game monetization beyond traditional ads56:53 Premium vs free-to-play mobile games59:43 Why marketers need to understand the game itself01:01:29 Aligning product and marketing around ROAS01:05:16 Don’t let marketing get ahead of your product

Today, I'm joined by Doug Pennant, a Senior Producer at Infinity Ward, drawing on 16 years across Alien: Isolation, Total War, and Call of Duty, who explains how game developers can build resilient, long-term careers in an industry shaped by layoffs, changing technology, and increasingly project-based employment.We talked about transferable skills, difficult managers, networking before you need a job, adapting your CV to the market, and why MobyGames could become an important hiring tool for game developers.If you're a game developer, producer, or an industry professional who wants to build a career that lasts, this episode is for you.Connect with Doug:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-pennant/Substack: https://dougpennant.substack.com/His book: https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Mentor-Production-Mentors-Careers/dp/1032785608Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hivemindworldInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.comChapters:00:00 Intro01:46 Why personal resilience matters in the game industry04:02 Why growing game studios struggle with management11:56 What new developers should know about difficult bosses20:31 What career resilience actually means23:05 The producer interview test for adaptability25:42 Why investing in skills creates career security29:45 Why game industry jobs for life are disappearing31:55 What caused the game industry layoffs40:17 Smaller studios and the future of game development43:43 Why networking matters before you need a job45:26 Job hunting and the hidden game industry job market51:01 When your skills no longer match the market55:06 Codev and outsourcing as more durable career paths56:09 Using MobyGames to get discovered by recruiters1:02:24 What a producer does 90 days before launch1:04:26 Why game teams must stop adding features1:08:30 Why every visionary needs strong brakes1:10:53 Self-care and staying optimistic about games1:12:20 How cultural grants can fund video games1:13:20 Doug’s book, Substack, and where to follow him