Screw Jam success story: How to reach $250k/day revenue? Innovative & satisfying hybrid casual game

Screw Jam, developed by Quok Games and published by Rollic, is a successful mobile game with daily revenue of 150k+ in InApp Purchases and an additional 80k+ in Ads revenue. Screw Jam combines the mechanics of Tile Match and Zen Match, creating a unique gameplay experience. It features physics-based puzzles and a streak mechanic that adds depth and challenge to the gameplay. This hybrid casual game has a well-designed progression system, including a battle pass and various boosters.
This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session #111. 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 Lancaric⁠
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Agenda
00:00 Epic intro
01:20 Introduction and Background of Qukk Games
03:23 The Success of Screw Jam
11:08 The Streak Mechanic and End Monetization
14:05 Unique Gameplay: Physics-Based Puzzles
16:32 Deterministic Levels and Mastering the Game
18:36 Exploring Gameplay Mechanics and Features
22:12 Analyzing Ad Placements
27:30 The Impact of Rewarded Ads
30:57 Speculating on Success and Scalability
35:30 Rollic Games' Strategy
36:39 Introduction to Mobile Game Advertising
37:08 Playable Ads and Reward Mechanisms
40:06 Exploring Hybrid Casual Games
43:21 The Use of Intellectual Property in Mobile Games
46:25 Leading Publishers in the Hybrid Casual Game Space
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Matej Lancaric
User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant
⁠lancaric.me
Felix Braberg
Ad monetization consultant
⁠www.felixbraberg.com
Jakub Remiar
Game design consultant
⁠ / jakubremiar
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Takeaways
Overall, Screw Jam is praised for its innovative gameplay and satisfying experience. Screw Jam introduces various gameplay mechanics and features, such as ice blocks, shutter open mechanic, bomb mechanic, and chain mechanic.
The game utilizes different ad placements, including banners, interstitials, and rewarded ads.
We speculate on the potential success and scalability of Screw Jam, as well as the overall strategy of Rollic Games.
Rollic Games aims to have multiple successful games in their portfolio, following the hybrid casual genre.
Highlighting the impressive growth and revenue of Screw Jam within a short period of time. Playable ads are a popular trend in mobile game advertising, with many games using them as a format to engage users.
Hybrid casual games, which combine elements of casual and mid-core games, are gaining traction in the industry.
The use of intellectual property in mobile games is becoming more common, with some games incorporating well-known characters or themes.
Engaging with the podcast through likes, shares, and comments can help support its growth and provide valuable feedback.
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[@havencat9337]

Guys...this kind of game was trendy in Chiona half a year ago. I don't remember the exact name but it was a Wechat game, very popular and in our studio we played it a lot for inspiration. I think it would worth keeping an eye on what games make it big in China to get a few ideas of possible future games. some of them are good ideas

[@2.5gamers]

Great to know. How should we track these games? Any recommendations?

[@springrider1]

@@2.5gamers currently there are 3 screw jam like games out of top 10 IAA wechat minigames. combined revenue I think would be 100k USD a day.

[@stephenzealand]

the screw jam gives you bonus tools when you finish building a city, but at mexico city it won't go any further, i completed the city but it won't progress, any ideas?

[@erendemirtas3906]

Hi, did you not explain data such as play time and retention or did I miss it?

[@2.5gamers]

Good point. We didnt talk about it. Let me get that info and share it here

[@umen2424]

You are doing a really great job! Any chance you will be doing a chapter on high-quality mobile games from small indies that succeed, rather than on these crapware games?

[@2.5gamers]

Absolutely. Name 3 mobile games from small indies that succeeded that we should talk about!