Cracking the Match 3 code

This Week's Top Mobile Stories [Grow with ironSource]( | [LevelUp]( Cracking the Match 3 code UX expert Om Tandon is back with a new article in his "How to crack the Match 3 code" series, analyzing the lucrative Match 3 category and deconstructing the success of Project Makeover — a new kind of Match 3 game. Project Makeover, developed by Magic Tavern, has a lot of bold experimentation and several key distinctions from conventional meta Match 3 games. Om defines it as a "Meta Heavy Match 3" that switches on its head the balance between Match 3 core and the number of meta design loops a player can engage with. Another interesting distinction according to Om is the game's use of unanticipated rewards, which he sees as an antidote to the repetitive nature of rewards in other Match 3 titles. Going forward, Om expects more developers to launch Match 3 games that go beyond the conventional formula for hits in this category. Read the full article on [LevelUp]( What I wish I knew when getting started with mobile game monetization In the fourth episode of “What I Wish I Knew When...”, our series for indie developers, Melissa Zeloof is joined by Bozo Jankovic, who heads up Business Development at GamesBiz Consulting. Bozo and his team spend a lot of time working with indie developers to strengthen their game's monetization performance, so we thought it would be a good idea to pick his brains on this topic and discuss what he wishes he knew about game monetization earlier on in his career, to help devs who are just started out themselves get on the right track. We loved this quote: IAPs and ad monetization go hand in hand; there is no reason to wait until you start thinking about ads. The earlier you start, the better they’ll be integrated into the core experience of your game, and the better your chances of making a successful game. Listen on [Apple Podcasts]( [Spotify]( or [read the edited highlights]( How My Town Games increased eCPM 28% after switching to ironSource mediation and LevelPlay in-app bidding [Read the case study]( The leading ad networks you can access through ironSource mediation and LevelPlay in-app bidding [Check out the list]( GameSpot: [Ubisoft Wants To Be More Reliant On Free-To-Play Mobile Games In The Future]( GamesIndustry.biz: [Core gamers generated 66% of mobile revenues in 2020]( Video Games Chronicle: [Multiple free-to-play Warcraft mobile games are in ‘advanced development’]( PocketGamer: [EA snaps up Design Home creator Glu Mobile]( VentureBeat: [Zynga beats Q4 2020 expectations with bookings of $699 million, up 61%]( GamesIndustry.biz: [Tencent acquires minority stake in Bohemia Interactive]( [Spotify]( [Medium]( [YouTube]( [LinkedIn]( Monitor your game business on the go. Download ironSource's new mobile app [Download on the App Store]( [Get it on Google Play]( ironSource provides leading marketing and monetization solutions for app developers. [Head to LevelUp for more great content](. We don't like saying goodbye, but if you want to [unsubscribe]( we understand.