two & a half gamers

• 🏰👠 The Tower GD Masterclass Review: The ultimate Cinderella story

  We break down The Tower - an idle-defense hybrid that turned a solo dev into a millionaire.We spoke directly with Anthony (Tech Tree Games) about design, monetization, and UA strategy.🔥 Topics covered:4-person team, 25 contractors$80K/day revenue, 10% ads, FastSpring web storeBest-performing creative = the dev himselfHow “The Perfect Tower” inspired this hit💬 Quote:“The Tower proves you don’t need art to make art.” - Matej Lančarič“The Tower” by Tech Tree Games is the ultimate underdog success story:a solo dev project turned $50M+ global hit built by four full-time employees and 25 contractors.The game proves that mechanical depth, community obsession, and smart UA execution can outperform big studios — even with zero art and an Excel-like UI.Three years after launch, The Tower still breaks records, generating up to $80K/day, driven by organic community power and a dedicated creator-led UA ecosystem.“This is the Stardew Valley of mobile free-to-play.” - Jakub RemiarGet 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 Introduction to the Podcast and Game Overview02:14 Game Design Insights and Unique Features06:22 Gameplay Mechanics and Strategies14:31 In-Depth Game Analysis and Features18:01 Game Mechanics and Optimization Strategies22:50 Ad Revenue and Monetization Strategies27:59 Game Design Inspirations and Core Mechanics34:05 Community Engagement and Game Evolution39:07 Game Design Excellence and Community Engagement42:18 Creative Strategies in Game Marketing45:42 The Cinderella Story of Game Development49:33 Building a Strong Community and User Acquisition---------------------------------------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

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• 🎮 Habby finally SPEAKS: The template evolves! First-ever Habby Western interview

  We talk to David Pan, Director of Business Development at Habby, for the first-ever Western podcast appearance from the famously low-profile publisher behind Archero, Survivor.io, Capybara Go, and Whittle Defender.This isn’t a press interview - it’s a brutally honest deep dive into Habby’s evolution, UA philosophy, shift from hybrid-casual to IAP-focused midcore, and its global ambitions beyond Asia.🔥 Topics Covered:From “hybrid casual” to “midcore with IAP focus”Why ads kill retentionHow UA costs shape game designCreative gaps between East and WestHabby’s data-driven soft launch processThe next-gen “Habby Template 2.5”Why Survivor.io still defines the global UA playbookGet 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 Lancaric⁠Special guest: David Panhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/david-pan-%F0%9F%94%9C-gamescom-thailand-4b885566/Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Habby and Its Journey03:27 David Pan's Role and Responsibilities 06:13 Understanding Habby's Business Model and Game Portfolio09:00 Recent Investments and Expansion Strategies11:48 Transitioning from Hybrid Casual to Mid-Core Games20:37 The Shift Towards In-App Purchases21:28 Innovative Game Development Strategies24:10 Navigating the WeChat Mini-Games Market33:17 Monetization Strategies in Western Markets42:16 The Moral Dilemma in Game Monetization44:39 Understanding Monetization as Game Design48:08 The Importance of Event Mapping in Game Development50:14 Future Directions for Habby53:54 Anticipating Big News and Industry Trends---------------------------------------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

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• 🇨🇳 AI trends n Mini-Games: MVP in 2 weeks. 80% of Chinese mini-game developers already use AI

  We sit down with Chen Yang (Iwae) from Cocos again to unpack how AI is transforming the Chinese mini-game ecosystem across development, UA, and operations.The conversation reveals how AI-generated 3D, playable automation, LoRA fine-tuning, and instant meme cloning are redefining speed, scale, and creativity in the world’s most dynamic mobile market.💡 Key Takeaways1. 80 % of Chinese mini-game developers already use AI.AI is embedded across art, code, operations, and UA pipelines.The most common use cases are:2. AI improves development speed by up to 80 %.A single small team (1 artist + 1 programmer + 3 AI agents) can now build an MVP in 2 weeks.Before 2023, the same project required 5–6 people and 1–2 months.3. Custom LoRA models are the new secret weapon.4. AI video ads and playable creation are exploding.Average cost per playable: $1000–$2000.you can also get playables with playablemaker.com25–30 % of UA revenue in September 2025 came from AI-generated playables.5. AI video workflow = human + AI hybrid.Studios shoot a few clips with real actors ($500/day), then auto-generate hundreds of new scenes using Runway, VEO3, or Kling 2.5.The average cost is less than $40 000 per game.6. “Chinese Speed” defined.A meme seen on Douyin today becomes a mini-game level the next day.7. AI agents now analyze markets.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 Lancaric⁠Special guest: Chenyang Sun https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenyangsun/Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Mini Games in China03:08 Cocos and the Mini Game Market04:09 Future of Mini Games and AI Integration---------------------------------------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

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• 🎮💰 Triumph’s Story: From Brick Breaker to the $100Mil

  Today, we talk with Colm Hayden, Head of Growth at Triumph - the app redefining real money gaming for a new generation of players.🔥 Topics covered:How Triumph scaled to $100M+ payouts with 13 mini-gamesWhy their audience is 21–35, not 60+How they build 10 new creatives a dayWhy their ads with Soulja Boy crushed every benchmarkWhy “trust-based UA” matters more than CPIHow they cracked TikTok before Meta📊 Core metrics:Avg payout: $3 per game$100M+ total prizes5-min average time to depositGet 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 Lancaric⁠Special Guest: Colm Haydenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/colmdotcom/Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Triumph and Hosts01:45 Understanding Skill-Based Gaming03:23 Triumph's Unique Approach and User Demographics06:41 Game Selection and Gameplay Mechanics09:25 Revenue Model and Player Payouts12:41 Legal Landscape and Market Expansion15:29 User Acquisition Strategies and Metrics18:04 Advertising Challenges and Compliance20:41 Competitors and Market Positioning23:26 Ad Monetization and Future Plans28:03 Creative Marketing Strategies in Gaming29:18 The Importance of Authenticity in Ads31:19 Elements of Effective Advertising32:07 Leveraging Celebrity Endorsements34:12 Innovative Streaming and Content Creation34:37 User Acquisition and Retargeting Strategies35:35 The Role of Playable Ads36:45 Future Expansion Plans for Triumph38:54 Understanding the Skill-Based Gaming Market41:24 Learning from Industry Leaders---------------------------------------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

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• 🚨 EMERGENCY EPISODE 🚨 Is EU’s Digital Fairness Act REALLY killing Free-to-Play games?

  Today, we, and special guest John Wright, unpack the chaos surrounding the EU’s proposed Digital Fairness Act (DFA) - a legislation that could redefine how free-to-play games operate in Europe.Key insights:Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_831?utm_source=chatgpt.com The DFA was proposed by the EU Consumer Protection Cooperation Network in March 2025.It’s still not law currently in consultation stage, potential enforcement by 2030.If approved, it would enforce seven major principles for all EU-targeted games.Transparent PricingAll in-game currencies (gems, coins) must display real-world value.Example: “500 Gems (€4.99 equivalent).”No Mixed CurrenciesGames may be limited to one in-game currency.Multi-currency RPGs or Forex-style economies could be flagged as “misleading.”No Bundling or Welcome PacksForced to sell items separately (no more “Best Value” or “Starter Offers”).Removes behavioral pricing psychology that drives F2P monetization.Pre-Purchase Warning ScreensMandatory “scare screens” before each IAP — adding purchase friction.14-Day Refund RightPlayers could refund any IAP (including gacha rolls or consumables) within 14 days.No Economy Changes Post-LaunchDevelopers couldn’t rebalance in-game currency values after release.Effectively bans live balancing - a core of F2P design.High-spending users could be classified as “vulnerable” or “addicted.”Developers could face scrutiny for “exploiting impulse spending.”Industry ImpactJakub: “Free-to-play economies just don’t work with one currency. This breaks every RPG and forex hybrid in existence.”John: “This kills the incentive to operate in the EU - studios will shift budgets to the US and Asia.”Felix: “The EU will lose jobs and game availability will shrink.”Matej: “It’s not law yet. Everyone’s panicking, but this might turn into another IDFA - big noise, small impact.”Main TakeawayThe DFA is well-intentioned but deeply flawed. It confuses gambling regulation with free-to-play design, overreaches into live-ops flexibility, and could reduce the number of games released in the EU.Lobbying and advocacy will shape its future, not outrage posts.---------------------------------------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 Lancaric⁠Special guest: John WrightJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to the Digital Fairness Act02:53 Overview of the Proposed Legislation07:05 Principles of the Digital Fairness Act10:37 Lobbying and Legislative Process12:14 Implications for the Gaming Industry20:01 Future of Gaming in the EU21:33 Industry Reactions to Regulatory Changes22:50 The Impact of Gacha Mechanics24:55 Consumer Rights and Game Economics27:33 The Debate on In-App Purchases and Gambling30:37 Parental Responsibility in Gaming34:09 Legislative Impacts on the Gaming Industry37:59 The Future of Gaming Business Models---------------------------------------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]

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