Latest insight / UA & Go-To-Market
When Paid UA Stops Working: Mobile Game Growth Alternatives
Paid UA no longer clears the bar for most small studios. Five alternative mobile game growth models, and the test that tells you when to switch.
Game Growth Advisor / Blog
Gaming insights.
Operator notes on product, growth, publishing, partnerships, and the economics behind durable gaming businesses.
UA & Go-To-Market
AEO for Mobile Game Studios: Get Cited by AI Answers in 2026
Answer engine optimization for mobile game studios: what AI engines actually cite for game recommendations, and the AEO playbook that earns those citations.
UA & Go-To-Market
Cross-Game Collaborations as UA: Organic Growth in 2026
How cross-game collaborations drive organic user acquisition in 2026: partner selection, deal structure, integration depth, and how to measure installs.
Partnerships & BD
How to Find a Game Publisher: Indie Studio Guide 2026
How to find a game publisher that fits your indie game: funding tiers, shortlist criteria, what publishers screen for, and the red flags to walk away from.
UA & Go-To-Market
Southeast Asia Gaming Market Entry Guide 2026: Where to Start
How to enter the Southeast Asia gaming market in 2026: verified Niko Partners data, country-by-country priorities for Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Strategy & 4X Mobile Games 2026: The Only Genre Still Growing
Strategy and 4X is the only mobile genre gaining revenue, downloads and time spent. The verified numbers, the unit economics, and the entry decision.
Industry Trends
Mobile Game Industry Trends 2026: The Growth Strategy Reset
Mobile game installs fell 7% in 2025 while short-drama and AI apps surged. The data behind the 2026 strategy reset and what studios should change now.
Partnerships & BD
Game Publisher Recoup Clause: The Math and How to Negotiate It
How a game publisher recoup clause really works: the recoup pool, stepped splits, cross-collateralization, a worked deal example, and the terms to counter.
Partnerships & BD
Sports IP Licensing for Mobile Games: Deal Terms & ROI 2026
How to structure a sports IP licensing deal for a mobile game in 2026: royalty bands, minimum guarantees, approval rights, and the ROI model to run first.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
10 Mobile Game Monetization Mistakes That Kill Revenue (2026)
Mobile game monetization mistakes that kill revenue in 2026: the 10 errors I see most in F2P studios, why each costs money, and the order to fix them.
Partnerships & BD
Roblox vs Fortnite Creative: Should Your Mobile Studio Build?
Roblox vs Fortnite Creative for game studios in 2026: what each platform actually pays, who is reporting the numbers, and when a UGC build beats your own app.
UA & Go-To-Market
UA Agency vs In-House for Mobile Games: The 2026 Spend Thresholds
When a UA agency beats an in-house team for mobile games, and when it stops. The 2026 thresholds in monthly media spend, the fee arithmetic that decides them, and why the crossover is a band rather than a line.
Fractional Leadership
Lean Game Studio Model 2026: Small Team, Billion-Dollar Exit
How the lean game studio model 2026 turns 20-person teams into billion-dollar exits. Team-size strategy, org design, and M&A readiness benchmarks.
Fractional Leadership
Game Consulting Pricing 2026: Real Fees, Stated Days, No Day Rate
What gaming consulting costs in 2026, in euros, with the day count attached to every price. Why published day-rate tables put a senior specialist at four to nine times the French market, and what I quote instead.
Industry Trends
App Store Platform Economics 2026: What Game Studios Must Do
Google Play rate cuts, Apple's DMA changes, and new rating rules reshaped app store economics in 2026. Here's what mobile game studios must do now.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Game Economy Design: Balancing Currencies, Sinks & Progression
A practical guide to game economy design: balance virtual currencies, sources, sinks, and progression pacing to control inflation and protect long-term revenue.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Hyper-Casual to Hybrid Casual: The Studio Migration Playbook (2026)
How a hyper-casual studio migrates to hybrid casual in 2026: product decisions, monetization sequencing, team restructuring, real cost and timeline.
UA & Go-To-Market
The AI Creative Paradox: Why Mobile Game CPIs Are Rising in 2026
Studios ship 2,400+ AI ad variations a quarter, yet CPIs keep climbing. Here is why more AI mobile game ad creative in 2026 costs more, and how to fix it.
Fractional Leadership
Pandemic-Era Studios in 2026: Raise, Sell, Pivot, or Restructure?
A game studio survival strategy for 2026: how founders funded in 2020-2021 decide whether to raise, sell, pivot, or restructure at the proving point.
Fractional Leadership
Mobile Game P&L Structure: Unit Economics Before You Scale
How a mobile game P&L is structured: revenue lines, cost stack, contribution margin by genre, and the LTV:CAC math you need before spending on UA.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Soft Launch Market Selection 2026: Choosing Test Markets
Soft launch market selection 2026: which geographies to pick, CPI and budget per market, and a decision framework that protects your global launch data.
Industry Trends
AI Agents in Gaming 2026: What Studio Leaders Must Decide Now
An operator's decision framework for AI agents gaming strategy in 2026: when adoption becomes unavoidable, what to AI-augment first, and how to manage risk.
Fractional Leadership
How to Choose a Gaming Consultant: 15 Questions to Ask
A senior operator's framework for how to choose a gaming consultant: 15 vetting questions on P&L scale, scope, conflicts, and handover before you sign.
Fractional Leadership
Gaming Consultant ROI: How to Measure Engagement Value
A practical framework to measure gaming consultant ROI: financial KPIs (LTV:CAC, ARPDAU, CPI) plus operational gains. Justify and evaluate consulting spend.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Mobile Game Paywall & IAP Pricing Optimization 2026
A conversion playbook for mobile game paywall optimization and IAP pricing: timing, value triggers, bundles, and locale tests that lift revenue per install.
UA & Go-To-Market
Mobile Game UA Channel Diversification: Beyond Meta and Google
How to build a resilient mobile game UA channel mix in 2026: core platforms for stability plus segmented channels for incremental growth beyond Meta and Google.
Fractional Leadership
How to Brief a Gaming Consultant: Scope, Cost & ROI Guide
How to write a gaming consultant brief that gets ROI: define scope and deliverables, choose retainer vs project, and understand 2026 gaming consulting costs.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Hybrid Monetization for Mobile Games: IAP + Ads Guide 2026
Hybrid monetization for mobile games explained: how to balance IAP and ads, set revenue splits by genre, and build a tri-model system that works in 2026.
UA & Go-To-Market
MENA Gaming Market Entry 2026: UA and Partnerships
How to enter the MENA gaming market in 2026: KSA/UAE/Egypt revenue data, CPI benchmarks, Arabic localization and telco partnership playbook.
UA & Go-To-Market
LATAM Mobile Game Market Entry: CPI & Localization Guide 2026
How to enter the LATAM mobile game market in 2026: CPI benchmarks, monetization, payments (PIX, OXXO), localization, and a country-by-country playbook.
Partnerships & BD
Brand Gaming Consultant: How Brands and IP Owners Enter Games
A brand gaming consultant's guide to entering games the right way: model selection, partner vetting, MVP framing, and deal structures for IP owners.
Fractional Leadership
Consultant jeu vidéo : marques et studios, quand se faire aider
Quand une marque ou un studio doit-il faire appel à un consultant jeu vidéo ? Signaux, périmètre, critères de choix et alternatives — guide de décision.
Fractional Leadership
How to Hire a Gaming Consultant: Cost, Scope and Red Flags
Hire a gaming consultant the right way: scope, day rates, retainer pricing, red flags, and a brief template that gets you to value in 30 days.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Mobile Game Consultant: Reading Your Numbers Before You Scale (2026)
When to bring senior help into a mobile studio: how to locate your soft launch data in the measured market distribution, and which failure point it points at.
Fractional Leadership
Video Game Consulting Services: Strategy, Growth, Publishing
What video game consulting services cover in 2026: strategy, growth, publishing support, partnerships, and how a consultant differs from an agency.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Mobile Game Growth Strategy: The Complete 2026 Playbook
The 2026 mobile game growth playbook: North Star metric, soft launch sizing, UA allocation, sourced retention benchmarks, LiveOps and hybrid monetization.
UA & Go-To-Market
Rewarded User Acquisition for Mobile Games: 2026 Playbook
How rewarded user acquisition actually works for mobile games in 2026: what the platforms publish, what no source publishes, and how to price a rewarded install.
UA & Go-To-Market
Midcore Mobile Games 2026: UA, Monetization, Soft Launch
Strategy was the only genre growing downloads across Asia, North America and Europe in 2025, and added $1.38B of IAP revenue in Asia alone. What midcore UA, monetization and soft launch actually require.
Partnerships & BD
In-Game Advertising & Brand Partnerships: Revenue Guide 2026
How game studios can unlock in-game advertising and brand partnerships in 2026: formats, deal structures, eCPM benchmarks, and a practical playbook.
UA & Go-To-Market
Mobile Game Ad Creative Strategy 2026: Why 5% of Ads Win, 95% Do Not
Only 5% of mobile game ad creatives become winners (Motion, 578K+ creatives analyzed). The volume math: how many you need monthly, what it costs, what wins.
UA & Go-To-Market
TikTok Ads for Mobile Games: A 2026 UA Playbook for Studios
What TikTok ads for mobile games cost in 2026, what budget the optimiser needs before it stabilises, and which widely repeated TikTok UA figures have no source.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Mobile Game Web Shop Strategy 2026: Keep 30% More Revenue (D2C Guide)
App Store takes 30%. Your web shop takes 7%. The D2C mobile game monetization playbook: fee math, regulatory map, conversion benchmarks, and launch sequence.
Industry Trends
Gaming Regulation 2026: COPPA, Loot Boxes & Global Compliance
Brazil banned loot boxes. EU Digital Fairness Act incoming. What mobile studios must do in 2026: COPPA-K compliance, age verification, monetization redesign. Complete compliance checklist.
UA & Go-To-Market
ASO for Mobile Games: The Complete App Store Optimization Guide
Master ASO for mobile games with proven keyword, visual, and conversion strategies. Practical guide from 50+ game launches covering App Store and Google Play.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Mobile Game A/B Testing: Data-Driven Optimization
Master A/B testing for mobile games with proven frameworks for IAP pricing, ad placement, and ARPDAU optimization. Practical playbook from 50+ game launches.
UA & Go-To-Market
Privacy-First UA 2026: SKAN and Privacy Sandbox
SKAN 5.0 killed 65% of iOS signals. Predictive LTV modeling, SKAdNetwork schema design, and how to beat competitors still running legacy UA in 2026.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Hybrid Casual Games 2026: Design and Monetization
Sensor Tower measures hybridcasual at 59% IAP for lifestyle and puzzle and 82% for action and strategy. The design, retention and UA numbers that survive checking in 2026.
Fractional Leadership
Gaming Consultant vs In-House Growth Lead: Which Is Right for Your Studio?
Compare the cost, speed, and strategic impact of hiring a gaming consultant versus building in-house leadership. Decision guide for studio founders.
UA & Go-To-Market
Mobile Game Go-to-Market 2026: UA and Soft Launch
Mobile game GTM strategy from soft launch to global scale: UA channel mix, ad monetization stages, milestone gates, and the $1M→$10M scaling playbook.
Cloud Gaming
Cloud Gaming B2B2C Models: Revenue Strategies That Work
Proven cloud gaming B2B2C business models for telcos and platforms. Revenue strategies, white-label options, and deal structures from 20+ years in gaming.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
F2P Monetization Models 2026: IAP, Ads, Subscription or Hybrid
IAP drives 90% of midcore revenue, 83% of casino; hypercasual runs on $0.03-$0.08 ARPDAU ads-only. F2P monetization data and decision matrix by genre for 2026.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Mobile Game LiveOps 2026: Strategy and Revenue Benchmarks
LiveOps in 2026: 84% of mobile IAP revenue, battle pass design ($5-15, 10-40% of earnings), 3-layer event calendar, segmentation, hybrid monetization. From 50+ F2P titles.
Industry Trends
AI in Mobile Game Development 2026: 36% of Studios Already Use It — Are You?
How AI reshapes mobile game development in 2026: 36% GDC adoption, 20% CPI reduction via AI creatives, 40% faster production. Tools, ROI gaps, and risks.
Cloud Gaming
Cloud Gaming Telco Partnerships: Deal Models & Pitfalls
Cloud gaming x telco partnerships in 2026: 5 deal models (rev-share, bundle, white-label), how to structure terms, the pitfalls that kill 80% of pitches. From SFR + Blacknut.
Fractional Leadership
Fractional CMO for Gaming Studios: When to Hire, What to Pay, How to Choose (2026)
Fractional CMO for gaming: $5K-$15K/month vs $350K+ full-time. Five hiring signals, cost breakdown, and how a gaming-specific fractional differs from generic SaaS hires.
Industry Trends
Mobile Game KPIs 2026: 20 Benchmarks You Can Actually Source
Median D1 is 22%, median D7 is 3.4-3.9%, median D30 below 1%. The 20 mobile game KPIs that decide whether a title scales, each with the population behind it.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Mobile Game Retention 2026: What the Benchmarks Really Say
Most genre retention tables published for 2026 are 2022 data. What current measurement supports, what it does not, and ten fixes that move D1, D7 and D30.
UA & Go-To-Market
Mobile Game CPI Benchmarks 2026: Why Numbers Diverge
Casual Android CPI 2026: $1.50-$3.50 US, $0.60-$1.50 Europe, $0.08-$0.30 India. iOS runs 3-4x Android. Why benchmarks disagree by 14x, and how to find yours.
Mobile Gaming Strategy
Mobile Game Soft Launch 2026: Markets, Budget & Kill Criteria
How to size a soft launch from cohort readability, pick test markets on CPI bands you can source, and set go / extend / kill thresholds before the first dollar of UA.
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