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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

00:40:19

🤯 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

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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

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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

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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•

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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

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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

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00:35:27

↪️ Simple ARROW design FTW. You don't need super...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/08

Why is Lessmore’s Arrow Puzzle Escape scaling to millions of DAU and making $250k/day in Ad Revenue? In this episode, we break down how Lessmore built Arrow Puzzle Escape into one of the fastest-scaling ad-monetized puzzle games on the market. From brutal simplicity and ultra-low CPI to aggressive ad design and relentless testing, this is a masterclass in distribution-first mobile game design.Topics covered• Why Lessmore is a testing company• How Arrow Puzzle Escape reached ~4M DAU• Why simplicity

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00:20:03

🧠 MVP UA template: How to set up your Google Ads...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/07

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-f9eWhat you’ll learn• Why Firebase is mandatory for Google UA• Which events to bid on (and which to avoid)• How conversion windows affect

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00:59:57

Why short drama is beating games at Engagement & UA...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/05

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.Topics covered:How interactive stories evolved into AI-generated showsWhy most revenue sits outside the App

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00:07:24

🚨📢 BREAKING NEWS: Meta Buys AI Brains, Love & Deep...

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/02

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 where gaming is headed in 2026.What we cover• Love & Deep Space Version 5.0 anniversary• Why live-ops

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00:34:41

Game Rewiew Radar #10: What happened to these games?

two & a half gamers ·

2026/01/01

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 games hit revenue ceilings• How hybrid monetization keeps games alive• Why UA quality beats game design• How

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00:18:54

🎙️ Creative & Category Blocking: Save your retention...

two & a half gamers ·

2025/12/31

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 proactiveMediation is not a global kill switch — you must block ads on every networkCategory blocking alone

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00:54:44

🚀 Our 2026 Mobile Gaming Predictions. No fluff!

two & a half gamers ·

2025/12/29

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• Playables as scaling templates• The next roguelite wave• Why AI hits marketing firstKey takeaway2026 won’t

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00:09:25

🚨📢 BREAKING NEWS: OpenAI Becomes a Platform, AI Eats...

two & a half gamers ·

2025/12/26

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 market• Why consoles and Steam Deck prices are rising• Micron exiting consumer memory• Netflix acquires Ready

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00:39:31

🤖 AI Creative trends November 2025: How to spot AI...

two & a half gamers ·

2025/12/25

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• How to spot AI (and why players don’t)• Why “good enough” beats perfect• How consistent AI characters are

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00:21:16

Steam Wishlist Scanner: The games that matter by...

two & a half gamers ·

2025/12/24

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 Hole.io• Why co-op horror keeps exploding• Which games are perfect for mobile translation• Why chore sims

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00:42:32

The Art of Scaling games: The Creative arms race

two & a half gamers ·

2025/12/22

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• How games produce 23,000 creatives per month• How Meta allocates traffic to new uploads• Why testing

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00:11:30

🚨📢 BREAKING NEWS: Unity Fee Drama, Netflix vs WB,...

two & a half gamers ·

2025/12/19

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 may charge top studios ($250k–$2M/year)• Netflix vs Paramount: who controls Warner Bros• Why streaming

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00:38:13

Creative trends November 2025: Players don’t care....

two & a half gamers ·

2025/12/18

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 - it’s a creative genreAI-generated creatives are now indistinguishable from real UGCCreative success = copying

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00:42:09

Why is mobile mediation broken? Jim Payne: Here is...

two & a half gamers ·

2025/12/17

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 legacy workaround• How mobile ads differ fundamentally from desktop advertising• Why publishers can’t see or

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