Ball X-Pit Review: The Most Innovative Game of 2025?

Roguelites have dominated mobile and Steam for three years — Survivor IO, Vampire Survivors, Habi’s new games, and a wave of Steam hits. But the genre is hitting a wall: every run resets too much, and long-term progression is stuck in 2018.In this solo episode, Jakub breaks down the next evolution of the roguelite genre: the imprint system — a mechanic where each run becomes a permanent resource.What you’ll learn• Why traditional roguelites suffer from harsh resets• How Uma Musume solved the progression problem with “run → character” imprints• How Chaos Zero Nightmare created a more accessible imprint system• Why deckbuilders (Slay the Spire-style) handle imprints perfectly• Why MegaBong, Bonk roguelites, and Ball X-Pit are missing the key feature• How imprint systems increase retention, investment, and buildcraft• Why the next Western roguelite hit will use this mechanic• Why Habi, Supercell, and 4X devs will adopt it in 2026Key takeawayThe future of roguelites is simple: your best run should never die — it should become your next strongest asset.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Podcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 — The core problem with roguelites (resets ruin progression)03:10 — Uma Musume: the first full-feature imprint system08:20 — Chaos Zero Nightmare: the streamlined imprint evolution13:10 — Steam roguelites (MegaBong, Ball X-Pit): deep innovation but missing imprint save18:00 — The future: imprint systems will redefine mobile roguelites---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - [email protected] you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

Ball X-Pit is one of the most creative roguelite hits on Steam - a blend of Arkanoid, Vampire Survivors, and base-building meta that delivers insane depth. In this episode, we dive into the full gameplay loop, the fission/fusion/evolution system, the “two games in one” base mechanic, and why this could be a massive mobile hit if executed properly.What you’ll learn• How Ball X-Pit sold 367k units & $4.4M in under a week• Why its roguelite mechanics go deeper than Balatro/MegaBong• How fission → evolution → fusion creates multi-layer combos• The innovative base-building/harvesting system• Why it’s trending on Steam, TikTok, Reddit, and Twitch• Why this will definitely come to mobile• Why Devolver publishing matters for reach & discoveryKey takeawayBall X-Pit proves that roguelites can still innovate - especially when they merge physics, skill, and deep buildcraft with a completely new meta layer.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Podcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 — What is Ball X-Pit & why it’s trending04:20 — Roguelite design: fission, fusion, evolution mechanics10:56 — Combat depth: balls, builds, synergies, boss fights17:56 — The base-building metagame (the real innovation)26:50 — Why this could work on mobile + final thoughts---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - [email protected] you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

This week’s Breaking News covers the wildest stories from mobile gaming, ad tech, privacy, and monetization. From brand-new global launches (Bleach, Resident Evil, Villains Robot) to Unity’s new ad-tech push, to JamCity’s $1.4M CCPA fine — Matej breaks it down with zero fluff.What you’ll learn• Bleach: Soul Resonance launches with millions of preregs• Resident Evil Survival Unit hits 1M downloads in 48 hours + $150K/day• Real Farm Craft expansion (but almost no revenue)• Villains Robot BR + blockchain weirdness• Molang: Match & Munch launches (and makes $100/day)• Unity’s “Vector” returns again + new ad ecosystem tools• Playable ads → the next $124B brand frontier• JamCity fined $1.4M for CCPA violations• Why e-commerce brands are now using playablesGet our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Podcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 — Intro00:18 — Bleach: Soul Resonance launch01:00 — Real Farm Craft expansion01:38 — Villains Robot Battle Royale02:20 — Resident Evil Survival Unit hits 1M downloads03:10 — Molang Match & Munch release03:45 — Seven Deadly Sins Grand Cross update04:20 — Zombies, Run rights reacquired04:55 — Paysafe adds Brazil payments05:25 — DC Dark Legion Thanksgiving event05:55 — Solo Leveling Winter update06:30 — Unity ad-tech announcements07:35 — JamCity fined $1.4M08:55 — Playable ads become brand frontier09:40 — Apple pushes playables into e-commerce10:20 — Wrap-up---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - [email protected] you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

West Game 2 is the first real King Shot clone built by a Chinese 4X team acquired by Tripledot, layered on top of Frozen City / Whiteout Survival onboarding, and wrapped in Western cowboy aesthetics.In this breakdown, we dive into:• Full onboarding → Lucky Luke opener → King Shot 1:1 copy• Frozen City mechanics, chapter quests, invasion timers• Why 4X innovation happens only in onboarding, not the core• Webshops & D2C: now up to 50% of revenue for some studios• The creative madness: Red Dead cinematics, Idle Lumber, Goblins, Save the Dog, Lens of Jail, ASMR mining, drama Playrix, Sims life-sims, TikTok memes• Why running 1000 creatives in 30 days is “normal” now• And how they cloned King Shot’s onboarding in under 7 monthsKey takeawayWest Game 2 is proof: onboarding = everything. Whoever controls the first 10 minutes controls CPI… and 4X revenue.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 — Why West Game 2 Matters: The First Real King Shot Clone04:20 — Onboarding Breakdown: Lucky Luke → King Shot → Frozen City Mix10:45 — The Chinese Production Engine: 1000 Creatives in 30 Days18:00 — Creative Chaos: Red Dead Cinematics, Goblins, Idle ASMR & More23:30 — The New 4X Meta: Onboarding beats Gameplay + Webshops Rising---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - [email protected] you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

Felix delivers a 30-minute solo masterclass on how the top-grossing mobile games use ads, revealing the real truth:Only 14 of the Top 100 IAP games use in-game ads.This is shocking considering the category earned $2.6B in the last 30 days — likely over $3.6B when counting D2C webstores. Yet only 55M of the 660M DAU are exposed to ads.The episode breaks down each of those 14 games, but uncovers three major meta-shifts.This episode reveals how Candy Crush, Coin Master, Gossip Harbor, Merge Mansion, Homa, June’s Journey, and more use segmentation, boosters, energy, timers, SkipIt tickets, Remove Ads bundles, and hybrid strategies to unlock millions in incremental ad revenue.This is the most practical breakdown of how ads work at the highest tier of mobile gaming.What you’ll learn• How Candy Crush earns $200M+ yearly from ads• Why only 14 of the top 100 IAP games use ads (and why that’s changing)• The difference between Western “premium illusion” mindset vs Chinese “data-first” mindset• SkipIt tickets → now invading midcore and puzzle (June’s Journey)• Remove Ads Bundles (iKIM, Capybara Go, Merge Prison)• Why merge, match, and puzzle rely on energy boosters & timers• How to segment ads by GEO, payer probability & time since last IAP• The next wave of hybrid monetizationThe future isn’t “ads OR IAP.”The winning studios are mastering ads + IAP, using segmentation, bundles, SkipIts, and hybrid models to grow revenue without hurting payers.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 — intro02:00 — Candy Crush & Coin Master: The Segmentation Masters05:20 — Merge & Match: Energy, Boosters, and Rewarded Moves10:00 — SkipIt Tickets & Remove Ads Bundles Take Over14:30 — Chinese Studios vs Western Studios: Mindset Split19:10 — Subscriptions, Ad-Free Bundles & Perk Stacking23:30 — The New Hybrid Meta: Ads + IAP → The Future---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - [email protected] you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

This is the ultimate AI creative breakdown: 112 creatives in 36 minutes.Jakub, Matej, and Felix review the best (and worst) AI-generated ads across rise of castles clones, tasty travels madness, fluffy animals, Pixar-style mutations, fake physics, and high-production AI cinematics that now rival outsourcing studios.AI is no longer “experimental.”It is the creative pipeline.What you’ll learn• How to spot AI in 2025 (lighting errors, physics breaks, muscle glitches)• The new top AI hooks (animals, food, POV inward movement, waifus, chaos)• The rise of “high-production AI” replacing studio cinematics• Why Rise of Castles, Golden Goblins, Tasty Travels, and Whiteout Survival dominate AI usage• How top teams use loras, inpainting, upscaling & 20-step workflows• The new East–West gap in creative production• Why by end of 2026, 50% of ads will be AI-driven• And the moment Candy Crush uses AI bear attacks 😅Key takeawayAI creatives are no longer a gimmick. They’re a production system, and the studios that master workflows will own the CPI curve.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Podcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg00:00 — AI jokes02:30 — Spotting AI: Botox faces, broken physics, weird lighting04:00 — Tasty Travels deep dive: AI characters, mutation loops, animal overload07:40 — AI pets, fluffy rabbits, “cuteness overload” & why animals = low CPI09:20 — AI POV trends: camera moving towards the object, not the player11:00 — Rise of Castles AI: medieval films, flying swords, fake Warcraft scenes14:40 — Engine-quality AI creatives (text errors, menu artifacts, but insane quality)16:00 — How top teams build AI workflows (loras, upscaling, inpainting, layering)18:50 — God-hand AI creatives, bear rescues, cinematic transitions25:00 — Whiteout Survival hooks: 2D, 3D, transitions, smooth animations27:20 — Idle Lumber & Golden Goblins: the kings of AI hooks29:00 — Horror hooks, brain-rot, Tom the Train nightmares30:20 — Full-length AI creatives: stitched shots, Olympics watermarks (!?)34:00 — Why Western studios are late & who dominates the meta35:40 — Final insights: AI catching up to real cinematicsMatej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiarPlease share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - [email protected]

In this week’s News Navigator, Jakub breaks down the biggest global gaming stories from November 17th. Apple tries its own WeChat-style mini-app ecosystem. Unity and Epic shock the industry with a collaboration nobody saw coming. Roblox revamps age restrictions. Google Play crowns Pokémon TCG Pocket as Game of the Year after $1B+ in revenue. And Ubisoft’s trading halt hints at a looming plot twist.What you’ll learn• How Apple’s 15% MiniApps program works• Why Unity & Epic are suddenly “friends”• The new rules for US third-party payments• Roblox’s age-based chat brackets and moderation strategy• The insane scale of Pokémon TCG Pocket• Why Ubisoft halted trading and delayed earnings• Why the AI bubble isn’t slowing down (NVIDIA’s numbers)Key takeawayThe industry is shifting toward open ecosystems, cross-engine collaboration, and safer platforms—while the biggest revenue wins still come from IP heavyweights and AI-driven infrastructure.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Podcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 — Cold open: Welcome to News Navigator00:15 — Apple MiniApps Program explained02:00 — Why MiniApps work in China (but may struggle in the West)03:10 — Unity & Epic partnership: what it really means05:00 — D2C & payments: Stash x Galleon, Google ruling06:10 — Roblox age-based chat brackets07:00 — Google Play Awards: Pokémon TCG Pocket hits $1B+08:00 — Vampire Survivors deckbuilder spin-off08:40 — NVIDIA’s monstrous $57B AI quarter09:10 — Dark Horse: Ubisoft trading halt mystery10:00 — Wrap-up: Stay two and a half steps ahead---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - [email protected] you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

Level Devil (solo dev) proves that level design is a UA channel. The game’s “troll but fair” traps create clips that people have to share, fueling TikTok/YouTube reach with essentially zero paid spend. Monetization is light: interstitials triggered by deaths on a cooldown, occasional rewarded skip, one ad network (Unity), no mediation. We est.: $5–7K/day; with mediation + a couple of safe placements, $11–14K/day looks realistic.What we cover• How the level-design craft creates infinite hooks (rage → laughs → shares)• The actual ad logic (death-based interstitials; rewarded skip after streak)• Why copycats fail (it’s the hours-per-trap polish, not the theme)• Monetization gaps (no mediation; limited placements) and easy wins• Viral geos & creator angles (Brazil/ES longform shout-casts = IPM rocket fuel)When the product manufactures shareable moments, you don’t need paid UA to grow - just enough monetization hygiene (mediation + safe placements) to convert all that free attention.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Podcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg00:00 — Cold open: product-led growth in a troll platformer01:20 — The solo-dev story and why it resonates03:10 — Virality loop: die → laugh → share → install06:15 — Core monetization today: death-based interstitials + rewarded skip09:40 — What’s missing: no mediation, limited placements12:05 — Safe add-ons: menu banner, app-open, regional “remove banners” IAP15:10 — Creator/geography angles (why BR/ES clips pop)18:30 — Retention pattern and how level craft sustains it22:10 — Why copycats fail: the craft, not the theme34:00 — Wrap-up: ops to turn virality into $$$---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - [email protected] you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej Lancaric

In this solo episode, Matej walks through the exact step-by-step method he uses to launch successful Meta (Facebook) UA campaigns in 2025. From SDK setup to event engineering, targeting, budgets, creative strategy, and daily management - this is the “MVP strategy” every UA manager needs.Direct links to step-by-step guides:https://lancaric.substack.com/p/mvp-ua-template-i-want-to-launchhttps://lancaric.substack.com/p/mvp-ua-iaa-template-i-want-to-launch?triedRedirect=truehttps://lancaric.substack.com/p/creative-brief-template-7-creativeSoftlaunch E-BOOK: https://payhip.com/b/fJi9EWhat you’ll learn• Minimum viable tracking setup (Facebook SDK, Firebase, MMPs)• How to build meaningful event combinations (WY S WYG)• Purchase-optimized vs. app-event optimized campaigns• How to structure T1, T2, and ROW for better learning• Targeting that still works in 2025 (broad, genre interest, lookalikes)• Budget pacing rules and when to scale• 3 starting concepts → 9 ad variations• Using AI hooks, memes, UGC & dev-cam videos• Daily operations: When you should do nothing• Moving from AEO to value optimization• Live example: Creating a full Meta campaignActionable checklistIntegrate Facebook SDK + Firebase + MMP.Build 5–10 event combinations (engagement + monetization).Start with 3 concepts → 9 variations.Use T1 (US/UK/DE/CA/AU/NZ/KR/JP) + ROW.Don’t scale before day 3–5 stability.Check KPIs 2–3× per day, not hourly.Switch to value optimization once you have depth of payers.Key takeawayYour UA performance is defined by the events you send, the creatives you test early, and how fast you can validate your first 3 concepts.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Podcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 — Cold open & why this solo episode matters00:40 — The original problem: “Where do I start with Meta UA?”01:20 — Tracking essentials (SDKs, MMP, events you MUST send)03:00 — WYSIWYG: “What You Send Is What You Get” explained04:20 — Event combinations that actually help Facebook find payers05:40 — Purchase vs. App Event optimization: when to use each07:00 — Geo setup: US, Tier 1, ROW, and why you always need all three08:10 — Targeting in 2025: broad, interests, lookalikes (what still works)09:30 — Budgets: first 7-day rules & how not to break learning11:00 — Creative framework: 3 concepts → 9 ad variations12:30 — What concepts to start with (gameplay+finger, AI hooks, UGC/dev-cam)14:00 — Creative iterations: hooks, pacing, soundtrack, memes15:10 — Daily UA workflow: why “doing nothing” is sometimes the best move16:40 — When to switch to value optimization (signals + payer depth)18:00 — Live walkthrough: building a Meta campaign step-by-step19:20 — Final advice ---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.me---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - [email protected] you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej Lancaric

This month’s creative trends episode exposes the real state of mobile UA:We’ve officially entered the Era of Creative Theft 2.0 - not “heavily inspired,” but direct 1:1 stolen ads, chopped end cards, mirrored clips, watermarks still visible… and nobody cares because they convert 4-5× better.Three mega-trends emerge:1) The “Stolen but Performing” Era• Social casino, idle, 4X… everyone is lifting creatives from other genres.• Teams aren’t even recreating the concept - they’re copying the whole video, trimming it, mirroring it, or leaving the watermark.• Networks don’t police it, platforms don’t care, and small studios can’t compete with the CPI gap.2) The Golden Age of ASMR / Wood / Cleaning Satisfiers• The “Idle Lumber” effect: anything with chopping, slicing, scrubbing, wood, logs, dust → crushing low CPI.3) The King Shot → Royal Kingdom → Everyone Else Pipeline• King Shot’s onboarding + mass battle + RTS-style transitions have reshaped the entire industry’s ads.• Royal Kingdom straight-up used the formula for a match-3 playable.• 4X games (Last War, Last Z, Total Battle) are adopting the mass-battle → puzzle fusion.Key takeawayThe best-performing creatives aren’t the most original - they’re the most optimized. The industry now rewards speed, iteration, theft-based inspiration, and cross-genre pattern-breaking above everything else.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 — Hook: The “Creative Theft Era” has arrived01:30 — Missing a month & why trends feel different now03:10 — ASMR cleaning & wood: why the motif is everywhere05:20 — Exposed: 1:1 stolen creatives (no end cards, mirrored, trimmed)08:40 — Why theft works: CPI vs LTV beats morals11:50 — The ecosystem problem: no creative police, no consequences14:30 — New industry rule: cross-genre stealing = normal17:40 — King Shot → Royal Kingdom → Everyone copy30:10 — The future: watermark creatives, mirror hacks, and AI hooks43:00 — Wrap-up: where the creative meta goes next---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiarPlease share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - [email protected]