two & a half gamers

In this solo episode, Matej breaks down his MVP Google Ads UA setup for mobile games and apps in 2026. From Firebase tracking and conversion windows to campaign structure, audience signals, creatives, and optimization cadence - this is a practical, field-tested Google Ads playbook. More info here: https://lancaric.substack.com/p/mvp-ua-template-i-want-to-launch-f9e What you’ll learn • Why Firebase...

This is one of the most operationally revealing episodes we’ve recorded. This episode is not about short drama. Holywater isn’t competing with games or streaming platforms. They’re absorbing both. What happens when games, short drama, AI, ads, and IP collide? In this episode, we sit down with Bigdan Nesvit from Holywater to unpack how the next generation of mobile entertainment is being built. Top...

Love & Deep Space celebrates its 2nd anniversary with a massive royal-themed update, CD Projekt sells GOG back to its co-founder, Meta acquires AI startup Manus, Com2uS urges studios to take bigger creative risks, and Gamebyte raises $1M for AI game creation tools. This week connects live-ops spectacle, founder-led platform resets, and Big Tech’s AI consolidation into one clear story about whe...

In this Game Radar episode, we revisit dozens of games reviewed in 2025 and check what actually happened to them. Most didn’t fail; they decayed. A few refused to die. And one game completely broke the curve. This is a brutal, data-backed look at what survives in mobile gaming. What you’ll learn • Why most games decay instead of dying • The difference between zombies and cockroaches • Why ad-only...

This episode covers one of the least sexy but most dangerous blind spots in mobile ad monetization: If you don’t actively control what ads appear in your game, your retention is being taxed without you noticing. Felix breaks down how creative & category blocking really works across networks and why most publishers misunderstand it. Key truths from the episode: Blocking is mostly reactive, not...

We lay out our 2026 predictions for mobile gaming - from ad monetization ceilings and creative stealing to web-to-app onboarding, roguelite growth, and AI’s real impact on UA. No hype. Just incentives. What we cover • $3M/day ad-monetized games • Why creative stealing will go mainstream • Which genres are about to be hijacked • Block Blast vs Free Fire DAU fight • Web → App onboarding for games •...

OpenAI launches an app store inside ChatGPT, AI demand explodes RAM prices by 200%, Valve kills the cheapest Steam Deck, and Netflix keeps pushing deeper into gaming. This week’s news shows how AI is now directly reshaping gaming platforms, hardware economics, and distribution. What we cover: • OpenAI’s new GPT App Directory • Monetization and games inside ChatGPT • Why AI demand broke the RAM mar...

In this Christmas Special episode, we review 136 AI-generated mobile game creatives and break down the real state of AI in UA. Fake people are now nearly indistinguishable from real UGC, art styles can be swapped instantly, and “good enough” quality is all that matters. This is not future talk — this is what’s scaling right now. What you’ll learn • Why fake UGC finally crossed the uncanny line • H...

In this Steam Scanner episode, Jakub breaks down the most wishlisted games on Steam right now and explains why wishlist data is one of the strongest early indicators of future hits. From co-op horror and cozy games to chore sims and Survivor-style IP plays, this episode is about spotting demand before charts do. What you’ll learn • Why Steam wishlists predict success • How Donut County inspired Ho...

In this episode, we break down why modern mobile UA is no longer won by great ideas, but by systems that can ship hundreds or thousands of creatives every month. With real data, real examples, and hard truths, this is a deep dive into the creative arms race dominating mobile games. What you’ll learn • Why creative velocity beats creative talent • Why “new creatives in last 30 days” predicts scale...

This week in mobile gaming and entertainment: Unity risks another developer revolt with a new Enterprise fee, Warner Bros rejects a $108B Paramount bid in favor of Netflix, and Sensor Tower data shows casino, 4X and Solitaire hybrids dominating both revenue and downloads. What we cover: • Unity’s new Enterprise Minimum Commitment Program • Why developers are calling it “blackmail” • How much Unity...

This episode is a pure creative trend reality check for November 2025. The big truth that runs through the entire discussion: Players don’t care. Platforms don’t care. Only performance matters. Across dozens of examples, the episode shows how AI, trend theft, playable abuse, fake ads, and extreme creative volume have become the default winning strategy. Key themes: King Shot is no longer a game -...

In this episode of Two & a Half Gamers, Felix, Jakub, Jim Payne and Dan Sack go deep on the future of mobile ad monetization. From MoPub to MAX to CloudX, this conversation explains why mediation is outdated, why publishers are trapped in black boxes, and how AI-driven supply-side tools can finally put control back in publishers’ hands. What you’ll learn • Why classic mobile mediation is a leg...

JigSolitaire might be the most deceptive (and brilliant) ad-monetized puzzle game of 2025. Zero solitaire. Full jigsaw. 11M downloads. 2.3M DAU. $0 IAP. $130k–$150k/day in ads. We break down how Gaming Cat pulled it off. What you’ll learn • Why this “Solitaire” game contains no solitaire • How the jigsaw core is polished enough to scale • Why auto-fuse, auto-switch & level pacing matter • How...

This week’s episode breaks down the biggest global entertainment + gaming business stories: Netflix vs Paramount fighting over Warner Bros, Disney investing $1B into OpenAI, Duolingo partnering with Genshin, Pokémon TCG’s $1B year, Activision slowing CoD, Merge Mayor’s real AI use cases, Rockstar layoffs, Meta abandoning the Metaverse, and Google bringing Gemini to ads. What you’ll learn • Why War...

Sunday City looks like GTA… but it’s actually one of the most brilliant social casino reveals of 2025. In this episode, we break down how Kefir built a perfect illusion onboarding, why the casino core is so polished, why the LiveOps/meta is shockingly advanced, and what the studio must fix (creatives!) to scale into the next Top Tycoon-level monster. What you’ll learn • Why the GTA illusion onboar...

Marketability tests don’t work the way most studios think. CTR ≠ CPI. Clickers ≠ players. In this episode, Matej tears down the biggest misconceptions about testing ideas, shows why personas don’t matter in 2025, and walks step-by-step through the exact CPI test setup he uses for real market validation. What you’ll learn • Why CTR tests are misleading and often pointless • How CPI tests simulate t...

In this ultra-special episode, Chip Thurston (FastSpring) returns to break down the current reality of D2C - what’s allowed today, what’s changing, and why publishers need to act immediately. We unpack the Epic–Google settlement, the new fee structure, what’s enforceable (and what probably isn’t), and why Japan's new regulation on December 18 will reshape global payments. What you’ll learn • W...

Felix covers this week’s biggest gaming business headlines: Saudi Arabia’s PIF slowing investments, King Shot surpassing $542M in revenue, AppLovin gaining ground on iOS, remarketing spikes, and Sensor Tower’s November revenue & DAU charts. What you’ll learn • Why PIF’s cash slowdown could freeze gaming M&A • King Shot hits $542M in 9 months + $4.1M best day • Apple Ads losing share to App...

In this special episode, we sit down with Supersonic to break down Unravel Master - the puzzle/hybrid hit using streak mechanics, x-ray boosts, early difficulty personalization, and an innovative hybrid casual game. We cover design, monetization, UA, creatives, AI usage, and how Supersonic built a category-leading title with 1000+ creatives. What you’ll learn • How the X-ray streak mechanic works...

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....

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...

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 downloa...

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...

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...