x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

two & a half gamers

This is a no BS gaming podcast. We share insights, knowledge and fun gossip relating to the topics of User Acquisition, Game Design and Ad monetisation. You will find here actionable insights in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. A safe space where we mimic the honesty of a 4am conference discussion. Enjoy & let us know your feedback!

leisure video games

All Episodes

00:34:22

Dragon traveler Review: The Waifu IDLE RPG doing...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/02/12

Dragon Traveler is not subtle. It’s a waifu-driven idle RPG, built for scale, speed, and monetization efficiency, and it’s working. Especially in the US. Despite being a fresh launch (mid-January), the game is already doing $300k–500k per day, with a heavy US + Asian revenue split, thousands of creatives in rotation, and extremely aggressive UA. This isn’t a passion project. It’s a manufactured hit designed to win distribution, not awards.Get our MERCH NOW:

en

00:22:31

🎮 ARKNIGHTS: ENDFIELD - Gacha meets factory automation

two & a half gamers ·

2026/02/11

Arknights: Endfield is not a normal anime gacha.Yes, it looks like Genshin.Yes, it uses Honkai-style progression and banners.But the real core is something much riskier: factory automation inspired by Factorio and Satisfactory, deeply embedded into progression, crafting, power, and economy.This is a high-budget, niche bet. And it’s already showing both explosive upside and structural risk.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive

en

00:34:40

How Finch turned self-care into a $100M+ game

two & a half gamers ·

2026/02/09

This is not a meditation app. This is one of the smartest subscription businesses on mobile.In this episode, we break down Finch, a self-care app with ~10M DAU, extreme retention, and a web-first monetization system that turns subscriptions into a social, altruistic act.We cover product design, streak mechanics, collectibles, subscription psychology, web revenue via Stripe, community monetization, and why Finch doesn’t even need ads to print money.What we cover• Gamified self-care loops•

en

00:06:14

🚨📢BREAKING NEWS: Gaming Stocks Crash, AI Panic...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/02/06

The sell-off was triggered by fear, not facts. Google’s Project Genie demo sparked a narrative that “AI games are here,” even though the tech currently produces short, silent video scenes with no logic, no scoring, no input handling, and no gameplay systems. Investors reacted as if game development had been solved overnight. The result was a disproportionate crash: Unity down nearly 40%, AppLovin down ~33%, Roblox down ~19%, and Take-Two also hit hard, while the NASDAQ itself fell only ~4.5%. That

en

00:36:30

Softlaunch Sonar: Why everyone is cloning Pixel Flow!...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/02/05

This Softlaunch Sonar episode is a reality check.Studios are shipping faster than ever, cloning proven mechanics within weeks, and still failing to create real differentiation. PixelFlow, Arrow Flow, Sand Loop and their endless variations show how quickly the market reacts, and how rarely it innovates.The discussion cuts through cozy games, monster IP arms races, match-3 fatigue, and why “being early” now matters more than production quality. Softlaunch isn’t about polish anymore. It’s about speed,

en

00:17:56

The soft launch checklist everybody needs to follow...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/02/04

Before you soft launch, check this. Or your data will lie. In this episode, Matej walks through a complete soft launch checklist covering tracking, attribution, monetization hygiene, pricing, live ops readiness, UA setup, and creatives.This is not a full guide. The full guide is here: https://payhip.com/b/fJi9EIt’s everything that must work before you judge CPI, retention, or ROAS.What Matej covers• MMP & Firebase setup• iOS ATT and conversion schemas• Crash & ANR thresholds• Revenue

en

00:30:12

🤬 Meta is NOT back on iOS. We have been FOOLED!

two & a half gamers ·

2026/02/02

Meta is not back on iOS. We just got fooled. In this emergency episode, we break down what actually happened during the two-day Meta revenue spike that made everyone think Facebook had solved iOS tracking.Spoiler: they didn’t.We explain ATT, IDFA, why Meta collapsed in 2021, how AppLovin took over iOS, and how aggressive end cards temporarily boosted Meta revenue before retention crashed and performance returned to baseline.What we cover• ATT and Meta’s iOS collapse• Why Meta revenue spiked for 48

en

00:09:36

🚨📢 BREAKING NEWS: Mobile stagnates, Monopoly GO Hits...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/30

Mobile gaming revenue stagnates on paper, Monopoly GO becomes the fastest game ever to hit $6B, and Liftoff officially files for a US IPO.This episode breaks down what the data says, what it misses, and why web stores, hybrid casual, and AdTech exits define the next phase of mobile gaming.What we cover• Mobile revenue vs reality• Hybrid casual growth• Monopoly GO’s $6B milestone• Web stores and platform leakage• Liftoff IPO & AdTech exitsGet our MERCH NOW:

en

00:25:55

🎯 Hunting Sniper Review: Old game, new UA = SERIOUS...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/29

Hunting Sniper should not be winning. But it is. The game looks like it was built in 2016–2018, runs a Golf Clash–style betting economy, and has almost zero innovation in core mechanics. And yet, it’s doing ~$200k per day, outperforming genre veterans like Hunting Clash by nearly 10×.This episode matters because it exposes an uncomfortable truth:You don’t need a great game. You need relentless UA, extreme creative volume, and zero shame about fake gameplay.Get our MERCH NOW:

en

00:19:26

🎯 Mobile Ad Monetization Checklist: From Soft Launch...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/28

This episode is a crash course in launching ads the right way.Not theory. Not “best practices”. But what actually matters when you go from zero ads to meaningful ad LTV.Felix walks through:How to think about ads during soft launchWhich metrics actually matter earlyWhen Unity-only is good enough (and when it’s not)How to choose mediation without overthinking itWhich ad networks are worth integrating firstWhy AdApp-ads.txt is non-optionalAnd the most ignored problem in monetization: aggressive end

en

00:40:56

☠️ The end of original creatives: Creative Trends...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/26

Creative trends are getting darker, faster, and more automated.In this Creative Trends episode, we break down how AI creatives now dominate volume, why Golden Goblins mechanics are everywhere, how celebrities are quietly replacing UGC, and why IP infringement is no longer being enforced.We analyze Dark War’s AI-first strategy, Supercent’s creative flood, merge drama escalation, and the uncomfortable reality of what actually scales in 2026.What we cover• AI-generated creatives at scale• Golden

en

00:09:42

🚨📢 BREAKING NEWS: Ubisoft Restructures, IAP Hits...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/25

This week confirms a shift that’s been building quietly:Volume is down. Monetization is up. And everyone is restructuring around reality.Across the news:Big publishers are cutting, consolidating, and centralizing powerIAP revenue keeps growing even as downloads slowTurkey remains a capital magnet for mobileLegacy IPs prove longevity beats noveltyAI rules are being normalized, not hypedThis is a monetization-first era, and the industry is finally acting like

en

00:34:03

Sandloop review: It looks simple. That’s the point.

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/22

In this episode, we break down Sandloop by Voodoo and explain how a lightweight, physics-driven sorting game can already generate ~$100k+ per day with a heavily ad-driven model.We cover gameplay design, monetization, difficulty tuning, creative strategy, and where Sandloop realistically sits compared to Pixel Flow and other sorting hits.What we cover• Sandloop core mechanics• Physics-based puzzle design• Ad-first monetization strategy• Early revenue and spend estimates• Sorting category trends•

en

00:21:57

New genre leader in cozy games by Jakub Remiar

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/21

In this solo episode, Jakub breaks down how Heartopia scaled to hundreds of thousands of daily downloads and over $200k per day using slow-life gameplay, cosmetic-only gacha, and zero fake ads.We look at the cozy / avatar-life genre, monetization mechanics, gacha cycles, UA creatives, and why this game works despite having almost no traditional gameplay pressure.What we cover• Heartopia launch performance• Cozy and avatar-life genre explained• Cosmetic-only gacha monetization• Why collections work

en

00:40:19

🤯 AI ads evolved from fake gameplay into full world...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/19

In this episode, we break down how AI ads evolved from fake gameplay into full world simulations. Dark War and Top Heroes are now running up to 90% AI-driven creatives, generating environments, hooks, and pseudo-games that look better than many shipped titles.We cover sand loops, world models, long-form creatives, IP gray zones, and why teams that fully commit to AI are pulling away fast.What we cover• AI world simulation creatives• Sand loops and seamless rooms• Dark War & Top Heroes

en

00:09:48

🚨📢 BREAKING NEWS: 2026 State of Gaming Marketing,...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/16

Creative output hits record highs, Turkey and India attract massive funding, Meta shuts down VR studios, Rockstar launches a paid mod marketplace, and Arc Raiders sells 12M copies in just 2.5 months.The State of Gaming Marketing 2026 Report:https://www.appsflyer.com/resources/reports/gaming-app-marketing/?utm_source=influencer&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=CO%3A+State+of+Gaming+01-2026&utm_term=matej&utm_content=NewsletterThis week shows how fast the industry is consolidating

en

00:43:57

🚀 Pixel Flow! Review: from 0 to $1MIL+/day in 90 days

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/15

Pixel Flow! works because it combines familiarity with novelty. The core loop feels intuitive if you’ve played sorting or bench-based puzzle games, but the slinging and conveyor mechanics add speed, mastery, and tension. Difficulty is created through execution pressure, not confusion. Players feel smart when they win and responsible when they lose, which massively boosts engagement.Monetization is deceptively simple and very effective. Interstitials trigger on failed and completed levels, rewarded

en

00:43:21

🤔 What if games paid players back?

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/14

What if paying players actually made games more profitable?In this episode, we sit down with Ben Cousens (Chief Strategy Officer at ZBD) to unpack how embedded payouts, loyalty rewards, and regulated payments infrastructure can radically change retention, LTV, and monetization in mobile games.This is payments, psychology, and monetization design.Topics covered• Why gaming has a payments problem• Embedded rewards vs cash-for-tasks• How ZBD increases retention by 180%• Sharing ad revenue with players•

en

00:30:50

🔨 Forge Master review: Forging $3mil/month Revenue....

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/12

In this episode, we break down Lessmore’s second major hit after Arrows and explain why Forgemaster is a pure IAP-driven idle RPG with no visible ads. From Legend of Mushroom mechanics and gacha systems to LTV, UA limits, and creative strategy, this is a deep dive into why Lessmore knows exactly when ads help and when they don’t.What we cover• Why Forgemaster feels instantly familiar• Legend of Mushroom DNA explained• Why are ads missing on purpose• LTV vs scale tradeoffs• UA and creative

en

00:10:32

🚨📢 BREAKING NEWS: Block Blast Hits 70M DAU, Apple...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/09

Block Blast hits 70M DAU after running 10,000 A/B tests in a single year, Apple is fined €98M in Italy over unfair ATT rules, and Brazil forces major App Store changes including third-party payments and app stores.This week shows how execution, regulation, and platform power are colliding in mobile gaming.What we cover• How Block Blast scaled to 70M DAU• Why experimentation beats features• Apple fined €98M over ATT• Why double consent hurts developers• Brazil forces App Store rule changes• What this

en

388 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

詭哭郎嚎

郎祖筠 & FMTaiwan製作團隊

Ron en Erik Podcast

Ron en Erik

Poor Man"s Pinball Podcast

Poor Men Ian and Drew

WeAreChange on Odysee

WeAreChange