Author: Lian

Creative is an advertiser’s best opportunity for a competitive advantage in social advertising. Soon, the combination of Facebook’s and Google’s Media buying automation with Apple’s removal of IDFA will make ‘winning’ creative ﹘the five percent of Facebook videos that are successful﹘of paramount importance. Here we break down match 3 puzzle games with competitive trends & creative recommendations, so you can learn from their creative best practices.

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Match 3 Puzzle Games Competitive Analysis

• Competitors: Competitors: Fishdom, Gardenscapes, Homescapes, Mansion Blast, Home Design Challenge, Wildscapes, Slices, Township Farm & City, Wordscapes, Clockmaker, Meow Match, Home Design Makeover, Jelly Juice, Lily’s Garden, My Home, Paint by Number, Sweet Road, Vineyard Valley, Brain Out, Candy Crush, Cookie Jam, Disney Magic Kingdoms, Fashion Blogger, Fashion Boutique, Museum Story, Sweet Escapes, Tropicats, Tropic Trouble, Choices, Dragon City, Episode, Hustle Castle, Lost Island, Merge Dragons!, Party in My Dorm, The Simpsons, Covet Fashion, Klondike, Minecraft, Clash of Clans, June’s Journey, Panda Pop, Manor Cafe, Home Blast, Hidden Resort
• Top Competitors: Match 3 Toon Blast, Farm Heroes Saga, Bubble Witch 3 Saga, Toy Blast, Candy Smash Mania, Jewel Crush, Jewel Fever, Candy Blast Mania, Candy Pop, Sugar Blast, Cookie Jam Top Match 3 game.
• Top Competitors: Building Matchington Mansion, Homescapes, Gardenscapes, Township, Fishdom, Coin Master
• View competitive videos here

Match 3 Puzzle Game Trends

• Puzzles: Locks & Gates and other puzzles that challenge users to free a game character (Fishdom, Gardenscapes, Homescapes, many others)
• Picker Videos: 3D or 2D situations with pickers, often resulting in disastrous fails. (Township, Sweet Escapes, Manor Cafe, many others)
• Hidden Items: Videos or still images that contain hidden items the user must find. (Meow Match, June’s Journey)
• Design Challenges: Tasks that must be completed within an allotted time or budget. (Design Home, Sweet Escapes)
• Real Player Gameplay: Split screen featuring a player and gameplay. (Jelly Juice)
• Female-Centered Vignettes: Women overcoming adversity and men behaving badly in soap opera situations. (Lily’s Garden, Choices, Vineyard Valley, My Home: Design Dreams)
• Choose Your Adventure: Series of situations where you choose between two actions. (Choices, Episode)
• Game Controller: Picker that mimics a game console, guiding character through levels. (Candy Crush, Hustle Castle)

Match 3 Puzzle Game Trends (cont.)

• Lifestyle and Gameplay: Showing lifestyle footage and gameplay that matches image (Toon Blast, Farm Hero Saga)
• Gameplay + Side Character: Gameplay elements leaving the screen to interact with character (Candy Blast Mania, Candy Smash Mania, )
• Mixing gameplay with narrative: Storybook narration, Coloring book style (Bubble Witch Saga))
• 3D effect: Characters “floating” above gameplay (Farm Heroes Saga)
• Funny but still cute: Evil character getting hit by gameplay, mentioning how you can’t get weight by playing candy games (Candy Blast Mania, Bubble Witch Saga))
• Incorporating game to solve a problem: Using gameplay to find the key to escape a room (Candy Smash mania)

 

Player Motivations

Sample motivations for playing:

• Stress relief
• Complete levels or beat score
• Killing time
• Escape from “real life”
• Socialize with friends, family, or other people

Player Motivations

The Most Common Primary Motivations for Women are Completion and Fantasy:

• For women, Completion (get all stars/collectibles, complete all missions) and Fantasy (being someone else, somewhere else) are the most common primary motivations, while Excitement (fast-paced, action, surprises, thrills) and Challenge (practice, high difficulty missions) are the least common.
• These gender differences seem to align with stereotypes, but as we’ve pointed out before, age differences are often just as large if not more so.

Completion is the Most Low-Risk, High-Reward Motivation:

• One finding that surprised us was consistently high Completion (get all stars/collectibles, complete all missions) placed across all the charts. Whether we’re comparing gender or age segments, Completion is always in the top 3. In this sense, Completion is a very low-risk, high-reward motivation.
• It helps explain why games that emphasize Completion, such as Pokemon Go, can be so broadly appealing across different demographic segments, especially when these games also steer away from motivations that are more volatile and polarizing, such as Completion.

Player Motivations

Here’s an illustration of what such a motivation map looks like for mobile puzzle games (games like Candy Crush, Pet Rescue, or Bubble Witch):

• The data tells us that puzzle game players would like to have more Immersion and Creativity in their games. This could provide an explanation to the success of titles such as Gardenscapes or Homescapes, which provide players with some light narrative and decoration options

Puzzle Players, broken down by clusters:

• 55% of players (Completionists and Solvers) are quite happy with their games as they are
• 25% of players (Explorers and Designers) are where the narrative/decoration opportunity lies
• 20% of players (Champions) are interested in a more social puzzle game
• Written by Ishai Smadja, Product Manager @ King // Player of Games // Contrarian

Concept: Faux Hidden Items Gameplay

Faux “relaxing” games are interrupted by exciting interactions/fights between characters:

• Begin video with slower games like hidden items or word games, with a header like “Find 5 Bats”
• Characters breakthrough painting as others chase with a (baseball) bat

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• N/A

Player Motivations:

• Decorative/creative opening could attract puzzle players

 

Concept: Locks and Gates

• New 2D animation style
• Try characters in “How to Loot?” where a lock releases sweets or allows her to escape
• Test “What’s Next?” vs FAIL – to appeal to new users Leverage “dumb ways to die” assets

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• Gardenscapes: 96%
• Homescapes: 36%

Player Motivations:

• Engage puzzle players who want to complete challenges

 

Concept: Connect The Dots

Create videos where finger connects dots to create Matchington characters:

• Simple background
• Engages viewer’s curiosity
• Can speak to game truths like Clockmaker’s “We know you’re tired of Match-3 ads..”

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• Sweet Escapes

Player Motivations:

• Targets player need for creativity and narrative in games

 

Concept: Serial Storytelling

Serial storytelling style:

• Soap opera clichés and adult situations to capture the attention of the 25-54 female demographic
• Minimal scenes (“UP” style opening)
• Rival characters fighting over a love interest
• Female characters overcoming odds and bad male behavior

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• Lily’s Garden: 91% SOV

Player Motivations:

• Targets player need for narrative in games

 

Concept: Perilous Situations

• Rescue situations: Feature characters. Leverage pop culture, movies, or just mini-games
• Character holding rope bridge (Indiana Jones)
• The character holding a clock (Harold Lloyd)
• Dumb ways to die concepts
• HS/GS “in a theme tied to the game”

 

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Creative is an advertiser’s best opportunity for a competitive advantage in social advertising. Soon, the combination of Facebook’s and Google’s Media buying automation with Apple’s removal of IDFA will make ‘winning’ creative ﹘the five percent of Facebook videos that are successful﹘of paramount importance. Here we break down social casino games with competitive trends & creative recommendations, so you can learn from their creative best practices.

Social Casino Games Competitive Analysis

• Competitors: DoubleDown Casino, Jackpot Party Casino, Slotomania, House of Fun, Goldfish Casino, Heart of Vegas, Hot Shot Casino, Hit it Rich!, DoubleU Casino, Quick Hit Slots, Slotomania, 21 Blitz, GSN Casino, Caesars Casino Slots, Lucky Lottery Scratchers, Worldwinner, WSOP, SpinToWin Slots, Jackpocket, Huuuge Casino, Wizard of Oz Slots, Big Fish Casino, Cashman Casino, Pop! Slots, Bingo Blitz, Coin Master, FaFaFa Gold Slots Casino, June’s Journey, Cradle of Empires, Coin Kings, Coin Runner, VeryDice, Lucktastic Match, Crazy Coin Pusher, Lucky Day, Piggy Go – Clash of Coin, Bricks n Balls, Bricks Ball Crusher, Casino Coin Pusher, Pirate Kings, Disney Emoji Blitz, Match to Win, Wordscapes.
• View competitive videos here.

Social Casino Games Trends

• Game Overview/Gameplay: Gameplay with an overview of the game, levels, and rewards. (Big Fish Casino, Jackpocket, many more)
• Bonus: Gameplay focused on offering free rewards, coins, and bonuses when you sign up. (Cashman, Double Down, many more)
• Players/Gameplay: Split screens showing players enjoying the game with gameplay. (21 Blitz, WSOP, Heart of Vegas)
• News Report: Real or fake news clips showing the importance of the game. (Jackpocket, Casino Slots)
• Celebs: Celeb spokespersons advocating for the game. (Coin Master, Jackpocket)
• Puzzles/Hidden Object: Brain teasers designed to engage viewers. (June’s Journey, Cradle of Empires)
• Mortised Gameplay: Gameplay shown with backgrounds and licensed characters. (Wizard of Oz, Game of Thrones, Hit it Rich!, Hot Shot Casino)
• Seasonal: Gameplay with seasonal additions reflecting Halloween, Christmas, and other holidays. (Huuuge Casino, Quick Hit Casino, Slotomania, many more)

Social Casino Games Trends (Cont.)

• Fake Text: Two characters or “real players” interacting via text, discussing the game, or daring them to play
• Split screens: Noob vs. Pro, Winner vs. Loser, Comparing screens with highlighted part of the screen, explosive elements
• Players with UI elements: Showing “players” using elements of the game in real-life situations (Game buttons, coins, interacting with characters)
• Coin, Money, and Gift Cards showers: Big wins are seen often with luring monetary elements and prizes/ overtaking the screen or as transitions
• Spinning wins with prizes: Faux Spinning wheel with Prizes and mascot encouraging the user to spin
• Connect the dots: A drawing outline is presented and the final picture is revealed at the end, connecting drawing to gameplay
• Color by numbers/Draw: Replicating old coloring books, a simple drawing is colored one color at a time until a character or game scene is revealed
• Matching Cards: Faux matching/pairing game where two correct cards reveal a prize or game feature
• Save the character: Obstacle, a puzzle-like concept where I character in peril needs to be saved.
• I Spy/Found the Object: Find one or several objects that are directly associated with the game
• Relaxing Themes: Adding a touch of escapism and relaxation to an otherwise challenge-based game

Player Motivations

Demographics: As of the last estimate, there were currently over 170 million active social casino gamers worldwide, with millions of players playing on any given day (Martin, 2014).

• To put this in perspective, social casino gamers outnumber online gamblers 4:1
• The average social casino gamer is a 40-year-old middle-class woman and women make up over 2/3rds of social casino gamers (Superdata, 2016).
• Social casino games seem to be a popular form of entertainment across all stages of life, including among adolescents and young adults (Kim, Wohl, Gupta, & Derevensky, 2016, 2017; Griffiths & Wood, 2007)

Motivations: Motivations for playing social casino games are likely similar to motivations for engaging in gambling (Wohl, Salmon, Hollingshead, & Kim, in press).

• People may play for fun and entertainment, to pass the time, to relax, relieve boredom, or to distract themselves from negative emotions
• A portion of gamers may be attracted to the social feature of social casino games, such as seeing their scores on leader boards and sharing their achievements on Facebook
• Some social casino gamers may use free-to-play simulated gambling games to practice their ‘skills’ before playing for real money gambling
• Social Casino Games: Current Evidence & Future Directions, Hyoun S. Kim, University of Calgary

Gaming Psychology of Near-Misses

“…Near-misses have some intrinsic appeal for our reward circuitry, tricking those brain cells into believing that we won even though we actually lost… This suggests that from the perspective of our dopamine neurons, near misses are virtually indistinguishable from actual wins. Both forms of feedback tickle our reward circuitry, which is why Vegas invests in games and algorithms that are full of close calls. For a casino, the beauty of a near miss is clear: Although we’ve lost money, it feels as if we won. – The Near-Miss Effect, Jonah Lehrer, Wired Magazine, 3.28.11

Although no studies have investigated the ramifications of Candy Crush near-misses, one can make reasonable inferences based on near-misses in other scenarios. In slot machine games, near-miss outcomes encourage the urge to continue to play despite the absence of reward (Côté et al. 2003; Kassinove and Scharev, 2001; Clark et al. 2009; Billieux et al. 2012). In general, the idea of falling just short of a big win appears to facilitate players wanting to continue with the game in the belief that practice makes better, or more spins will eventually lead to success (Kassinove and Schare 2001). – The Candy Crush Sweet Tooth: How Near Misses in Candy Crush Increase Frustration, and the Urge to Continue Gameplay: Journal of Gambling Studies, Volume 33, Issue 2, pp 599–61

Concept: Faux Hidden Items/Puzzle Gameplay

Faux “relaxing” games interrupted by exciting gameplay:

• Begin video with slower games like hidden items or word games, with the header: “Need something more exciting?”
• Slot gameplay bursts into the frame, obliterating slower game and showing exciting slot gameplay
• Slot gameplay shows jackpots, wins, and bonuses

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• N/A

Player Motivations:

• Targets women with “relaxing” ad; women represent 2/3rds of all social casino players

 

Concept: Mortised Gameplay

Feature slot gameplay in mortised environments that take advantage of the beautiful game animation:

• Showcases game graphics
• More eye-catching than simple gameplay
• Positions game as premium “Vegas-type” slot play
• “Wall of Wilds!”, “10x”, etc

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• Goldfish Casino: 9% SOV
• Hit it Rich!: 73% SOV
• Wizard of Oz Slots: 7% SOV
• Hot Shot Casino: 14% SOV

Player Motivations:

• Engages players looking to distract themselves from negative emotions or to relax

 

Concept: Comedic Voice Over

Videos that juxtapose slot play with a comedic voiceover:

• Showcases slot play and graphics
• Mimics player dialogue
• Uses subtitles

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• 21 Blitz: 56% SOV
• Rise of Kingdoms: 72% SOV
• Questland: 8% SOV

Player Motivations:

• Mirrors social nature of slot play

 

 

Concept: Picker Jackpot

Leverage success from Match 3 games test simple pickers to game situations, such as picking coins to match 3 Fur Babies:

• Increase engagement with viewers
• Showcases slot play, game graphics, and characters

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• Cradle of Empires: 16% SOV

Player Motivations:

• Engage players looking fun & entertainment

 

Concept: Near Misses

Create videos of slot gameplay in which near misses happen repeatedly:

• Slot wheels should tease an almost win
• FAIL or ALMOST supered on near-miss slot play

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• Multiple games using this technique but it has not been used in social casino games; missed opportunity given the psychology of near misses

Player Motivations:

• Capitalize on near-misses motivating players to keep playing as much or more than wins

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Creative is an advertiser’s best opportunity for a competitive advantage in social advertising. Soon, the combination of Facebook’s and Google’s Media buying automation with Apple’s removal of IDFA will make ‘winning’ creative ﹘the five percent of Facebook videos that are successful﹘of paramount importance. Here we break down Casual RPG Games with competitive trends & creative recommendations, so you can learn from their creative best practices.

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Casual RPG Games Competitive Analysis

Competitors: AFK Arena, Disney Sorcerer’s Arena, Idle Heroes, Tap Titans 2, Hero Wars, Taptap Heroes, Empires & Puzzles: Epic Match 3, Legendary: Game of Heroes, Almost a Hero, Clicker Heroes, Ulala: Idle Adventure, Hopeless Heroes: Tap Attack, The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, Rise of Kingdoms, Questland: Hero Quest, Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, Rise of Kingdoms, Questland: Hero Quest

More Competitors: Clash of Clans, FTL, Dead Ahead: Zombie Warfare, The Elder Scrolls: Legends CCG, Stormbound, Gods of Olympus, TerraGenesis: Star Settlers, Nova Empire: Space Commander, Bit City, AdVenture Communist, Godus, The Battle Cats, South Park: Phone Destroyer, Space Arena: Build & Fight MMO, Fire Emblem Heroes, Dungeon, Inc: Idle Clicker, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, Star Trek Fleet Command, Dawn of Titans, DomiNations, Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, Craft Warriors, Mushroom Wars 2, Armello, Deep Town: Idle Miner Factory, Epic Battle Simulator 2, Zombie Gunship Survival, Hades’ Star, Prison Architect, King’s Raid, Hustle Castle, Fallout Shelter, Tiny Tower, Second Galaxy

View competitive videos.

Casual RPG Games Player Motivations

Idle Clicker gamers are not primarily casual gamers. In fact, they have a perfectly average core gamer profile. Most are also driven by Completion (collect stars, complete all missions) and Power (leveling up, getting powerful gear). But least driven by Excitement (fast-paced, thrilling, surprises) and Fantasy (being someone else, somewhere else). – Nick Yee, The Surprising Profile of Idle Clicker Gamers, Quantic Foundry

Casual RPG Games Competitive Trends

• Influencers: Gameplay featuring influencers and in-game commentary. (Ulala)
• Game Overview/Gameplay: Gameplay with an overview of the game, levels, and rewards. (AFK Arena, Idle Heroes, many more)
• Countdowns: Characters, weapons, or powers listed in order of their “awesomeness.” (AFK Arena, Rise of Kingdoms)
• Puzzles: Characters featured in puzzles that are not reflective of gameplay. (Hero Wars)
• Humor: Comedic voiceover juxtaposed against heroic gameplay/character footage, or dialogue between players. (Rise of Kingdoms, Questland)
• Music Influenced: Aggressive metal music combined with gameplay, or as a music video. (AFK Arena, King’s Raid)
• Game Trailer: Gameplay with an overview of game graphics, levels, and rewards. (AFK Arena, Star Trek Fleet Command, Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, many others)

 

More Competitive Trends:

• Characters & Countdowns: Characters, weapons, or powers listed in order of their “awesomeness.” (AFK Arena, Rise of Kingdoms)
• Puzzles: Characters featured in puzzles that are not reflective of gameplay. (Hustle Castle)
• Humor: Comedic voiceover juxtaposed against heroic gameplay/character footage, or dialogue between players. (Rise of Kingdoms, Questland)
• Music Influenced: Aggressive metal music combined with gameplay, or as a music video. (AFK Arena, King’s Raid)
• Player Focused: Gameplay that features inset player imagery and reactions or player interviews. (Space Arena, Mushroom Wars, DomiNations)
• Noob vs. Pro/Level Focused: Gameplay that shows experienced versus new players, while often based on the level completion. (Space Arena)

Concept: Influencer Gameplay

Create short videos featuring influencers playing the game:

• Attracts players while legitimizing the game
• Demonstrates how to win stages and rewards

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• Ulala: Idle Adventure: 51% SOV

Concept: Character Countdown

Feature characters in a countdown of best characters, powers, and/or weapons:

• Showcases animation style, range of characters, and/or powers
• Humorous voice over
• Generates higher engagement (curiosity over rankings)

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• Rise of Kingdoms: 28% SOV

Concept: Character Puzzles

Create videos featuring characters in brain-teasing puzzles:

• Engages “completion” and “power” motivators for Idle RPG players
• Shows characters in a familiar environment

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• Hero Wars: 100% SOV

Concept: Comedic Voice Over

Create videos that juxtapose gameplay with a comedic voice-over.

• Showcases gameplay and/or characters
• Mimics gamer dialogue
• Uses subtitles

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• Rise of Kingdoms: 72% SOV
• Questland: 8% SOV

Concept: Choices

Add simple pickers to characters and game situations:

• Increase engagement with viewers

Competitor/Share of Voice:

• AFK Arena: 6% SOV
• King’s Raid: 4% SOV

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Creative is an advertiser’s best opportunity for a competitive advantage in social advertising. Soon, the combination of Facebook’s and Google’s Media buying automation with Apple’s removal of IDFA will make ‘winning’ creative ﹘the five percent of Facebook videos that are successful﹘of paramount importance. Here we break down Puzzle Hidden Object Games with competitive trends & creative recommendations, so you can learn from their creative best practices.

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Puzzle Hidden Object Games Competitive Analysis

• Puzzle game competitors: June’s Journey, CC Friends Saga, CC Soda Saga, Gardenscapes, Homescapes, Toon Blast, Toy Blast, Cookie Jam, Sweet Escapes, Lily’s Garden, Funky Bay, Best Fiends, Lost Island, Manor Cafe, Resort Hotel, Passion Puzzle, Design Home Express, Meow Match, Diner Dash, Pet Rescue Saga, Choices, My Home: Design Dreams, My Cafe, Word Villas, Vineyard Valley, Township
• Hidden Object game competitors: Pearl’s Peril, Criminal Case, The Secret Society, Agent Alice, CSI Hidden Crimes, Diggy’s Adventure, Hidden City, Letters from Nowhere, Murder in the Alps, Mysteries of the Past, Tropicats, Adam Wolfe: Dark Detective Mystery Game, Adventure Escape, Hidden Objects Mystery Society, Pearl’s Peril, Seeker’s Notes: Hidden Mystery, Bubble Island, Survivors: the Quest, Temple Run 2, Township: Farm & City Building, Horse Haven World Adventures, Klondike Adventures, Diamond Dash, Stand O’Food, Virtual City Playground, Just Dance Controller, Just Dance Now, Trials Frontier, Ubisoft Club, Cage & Aviary Birds, Clipomatic, Colorfy, Color Your Call, Galatea, Murder Minute, Paint Color, Quiz Crazy, Shudder, Tarot
• To view competitive videos, click here

Puzzle Hidden Object Games Player Profiles

Demographics/Profiles Summary:

• 91% women aged 35+, 18% of whom aged 65+
• 70% play in the living room, 40% play in bed, 60% watch TV while playing
• Favorite YouTube channels include Bernadette Banner (sewing, vintage art), Rachel Maksy (vintage makeup), and Kendall Rae (murder mystery)
• Other games they enjoy are also strongly story-driven:
• Hidden Object: Seekers Notes: Hidden Mystery, Hidden City, Criminal Case, Pearl’s Peril, Murder in the Alps
• Words: Word Whizzle Search, Bible Verse Collect
• Town-building: Klondike Adventures

Target Audience

• “Escapist Homebodies” (Introverted High Payers)
• Demographics Women 45-60+
• Motivations: Escapism, Self Improvement, Self Expression, Self Care

Puzzle Hidden Object Games Player Motivations

Solitary Story Player:

• Hooked by the story and can’t wait to know what’s next!
• Wants to know what happens next in the story, but doesn’t want to sacrifice her island decoration to progress faster
• Wants to decorate her island to her own taste
• Looking for an immersive solitary bubble to recharge away from the world

Solitary Self-Challengers:

• Story and decorations are nice but secondary: what matters is hidden-object scenes
• Immersive gameplay helps her relax into repetitive, hypnotic focus
• Wants to relax through steady self-improvement Play is “me-time”
• Looking for a good brain-teaser to improve their memory
• Cares most about the gameplay, less about the story

Puzzle Hidden Object Games Competitive Trends

• Cinematic Storytelling: Romantic, dramatic stories (Murder in the Alps, Criminal Case, Galatea)
• Female-centered storytelling: (StoryScape, Solve It, Galatea)
• Cats!: “Find the Cat” concepts are becoming more ubiquitous and beginning to evolve (Criminal Case, Hidden City)
• Hidden Object Countdowns: (Pearl’s Peril, Hidden City)

Concept: Story-focused challenges

• Attract Hidden Object players with hidden object challenges in a movie trailer-like format, like Murder in the Alps and Criminal Case
• Try counted clues in Criminal Case style (before and after)
• Use a series of images/hidden object challenges that tell a story (similar to Murder in the Alps)

Concept: Story-focused countdowns

Use crime scenes to create more of a story in finding hidden objects (Pearl’s Peril, Criminal Case, Murder in the Alps)

Concept: Character-centric Stories

• Utilize simulation/role playing-style (e.g. Pocket Gems Episode) technique to tell character-centered stories (Solve It, Storyscape)
• Create simple puzzles that “save” your main character – targeting both solitary story-centric and self-challenge players (Homescapes)
• Tell character-centered stories with voice over and/or supers (Galatea, Dream Home Solitaire)

Concept: Gameplay Methods

• Combine live action people playing the game (relaxed, escapist) with gameplay (Klondike, Pearl’s Peril)
• Combine gameplay with leaderboards (Tropicats)

Concept: “Find the Cat”

Incorporate saturated interiors with food with the “Find the Cat” challenge or other short headers/items:

• “Find the Gun”
• “Locate the Dog”
• “Find the Rope”
• “Discover 5 Cats”
• “Find 5 Oranges” (Criminal Case, June’s Journey)

Consider using cinemagraphs like the bar scene (Pearl’s Peril, Hidden City)

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Creative is an advertiser’s best opportunity for a competitive advantage in social advertising. Soon, the combination of Facebook’s and Google’s Media buying automation with Apple’s removal of IDFA will make ‘winning’ creative ﹘the five percent of Facebook videos that are successful﹘of paramount importance. Here we break down Simulation Lifestyle Games with competitive trends & creative recommendations, so you can learn from their creative best practices.

Simulation Lifestyle Games Competitive Analysis

• Top Competitors: Vertical Design Home, Home Design Makeover, Property Brothers, House Flip, Home Design 3D, My Home Design Dreams, Home Maker, My Home Design Story, HomeCraft, House Designer, Home Street, Home Design, Dream House, Design this home, Word Villas, Planner 5D, House Flipper
• Top Competitors: Apps Zillow, RedFin, Realtor.com, Homescapes, Gardenscapes, SimCity BuildIt, Home Design Story, Design This Home, Home Design Makeover!
• To view competitive videos, click here and select the competitor tab

Player Motivations

• Motivations: “The idea of getting by in 2030 is just too big to wrap my head around, the path there is too obscure and has too many steps, so sometimes I have to turn on my Xbox… in order to feel like I’m making concrete progress in something I can control.”
• Design Home’s recent appeal, and razor-sharp focus on real-life products and design trends, can tell us something about the type of void aging millennials are seeking to fill. They are a generation scorned by the Great Recession, holed up in city rentals, and unable to afford new homes or furniture. But they also can’t help but be influenced by social media and the excessive displays of wealth that come with it. They long to feel what it’s like to afford the lifestyle of a successful adult.
• – The House That ‘Design Home’ (and Millennial Anxiety) Built, Alyssa Bereznak, The Ringer

Simulation Lifestyle Games Competitive Trends

• Day and Night: Show transitions from day to night, provoking an emotional response. (Sim City)
• Text Transitions: Transition frames with colorful text in different shapes. (Home Design Makeover, HomeCraft)
• Emphasize Copy Matching and Emotion: “Bring Vision to Life,” “Create your vision,” “The Power is yours.” (Sim City)
• Client Based: Design for a specific client. (Property Brothers, Home Design Makeover)
• Creative Expression/Design: Use pickers to create and furnish rooms and houses, while adding encouraging messages. (My Home: Design Dreams, Home Design Makeover)
• Unique End Cards: End ad with mobile device and gameplay, search engine style, flipping logo. (Home Design Makeover)

 
 

 

Concept: Present a Challenge to Solve

Explore stories with an issue to solve, targeting creative decision-makers:

• Present problem in the opening: “Help grandma sell her house”
• The decor is customized based on client needs, using pickers and furniture options

Concept: Give Users the Power

Utilize empowering language to engage users who want to feel more in control of their design process:

• Mix game footage with compelling copy that speaks directly to users’ ability to creative with their decision making

Concept: Show the Possibilities

• Engage users and help them express their personal style by showing an array of different styles and options
• Give users a creative outlet by transporting them to idyllic yet achievable homes

Concept: Incite Relaxation

Invite users to relax and unwind with concepts that compel them to disconnect:

• Calming colors, imagery Copy that incites relaxation and “me time”

Concept: Before and After

Create videos that show before and after transformations:

• Use various headers, split-screen, and “Cinderella Transformations” which flip screens and highlight drastic changes

Concept: New Intros and Outros

• Create new intro and outros utilizing available assets:
• Test Intros with the full logo (Design Home Makeover, Property Brothers, HomeCraft)
• Add search-engine feature to end card (House Flip)
• Open the first frame with a challenge or question (“Can you help me?”) (My Home Design Dreams)

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Creative is an advertiser’s best opportunity for a competitive advantage in social advertising. Soon, the combination of Facebook’s and Google’s Media buying automation with Apple’s removal of IDFA will make ‘winning’ creative ﹘the five percent of Facebook videos that are successful﹘of paramount importance. Here we break down Simulation role Playing Games with competitive trends & creative recommendations, so you can learn from their creative best practices.

Simulation Role Playing Games Competitive Analysis

• Top Competitors: Avakin Life, Chapters: Interactive Stories, Choices: Design Home, Cooking Diary, Covet Fashion, Design My Room, Episode: Super Stylist, Episode: Choose your Story, Fill in 3D, Hollywood Story, House Flip, I Peel Good, Icing on the Cake, IMVU Avatar, Ink Inc., Journeys: Interactive Series, Lily’s Garden: Design & Relax, Linda Brown, Linda Brown: Interactive Story, Love Sick, Moments: Choose Your Story, My Cafe, My Home: Design Dreams, My Story, My Story: Choose your own Path, Paint by Numbers, Party in My Dorm, Pottery, Secrets: Game of Choices, Storyscape, Super Stylist, Township, What’s your Story?
• To view competitive videos, click here

Simulation Role Playing Games Competitive Trends

• Event/Date Prep with Character Reaction: Picker utilized for hair/makeup/clothing, with character reaction (Hollywood Story, My Story, Lovesick)
• Choices-Style situations: Empowered female characters given option to choose their next move (Episode, Choices, Avakin Life, IMVU Avatar)
• Men Behaving Badly: Women triumphing over adversity and badly behaving men (Choices, Episode, Love Sick, My Cafe, many others)
• Female characters in peril: Females suffering and crying but overcoming the obstacles and ultimately having the last laugh
• Mean Girls: Cruel characters making fun of unpopular/weak girls, but ultimately losing against them
• Relaxing, Mindless Expressions of Creativity: Decorating, painting, and cooking apps that display simple gameplay, sometimes comedically (I Peel Good, Icing on the Cake, Fill in 3D, Pottery)
• Creative Expression/Design: Using pickers to create and furnish rooms, houses, etc. (Design Home, My Home: Design Dreams)
• Time Progressions: Narrative style ads where present conflict is explained by going back in time or forward to the future.
• Outfit Selections Montage: Showing many outfits or makeup choices. Dressing up girls for an event/date/contest
• Choosing between two interests: Main character torn between conflicting interests (Best friend and lover, two lovers, money or love)
• Awful Dates: Female characters enduring awful dates/relationships but finding a better partner in the end or having to decide what outcome to choose
• Competitive Nature: Friends competing for better dates/outfits/more likes on Instagram/popularity.

Concept: Timed Character Reactions

• Add personality to timed picker challenges by allowing models to react, either with expressions or with talk bubbles. (Hollywood Story, Love Sick, IMVU Avatar)
• Make the timed challenges more story-focused to engage players (e.g. boyfriend is almost there) (Hollywood Story, Love Sick)

Concept: Choices-Style Situations

• Precede picker situations with simple, choices-style situation that necessitates new style/design (Choices, My Story )
• Simplify situations with dual picker (Avakin Life)
• Create stories where makeovers help a woman get over a bad relationship, insensitive man, etc… (My Cafe, Choices)

Concept: Poor Pregnant Woman

Trends: Females in Peril, Awful men

• A pregnant woman about to reveal baby news to the future dad.
• Plot options
  • A) Guy has other plans
    • He’s about to reveal he doesn’t love her anymore/is leaving her.
  • B) She finds him cheating on her with someone else (Sister/agent/friend)
• Ending
  • A woman has to make a difficult decision as a cliffhanger

*Competitor and SOV: Journeys 20.5%

Concept: Revenge with Timing Elements

Trends: Mean Girls, Time, Competitive

• Bullied girl gets her payback years later
  • Starts in the present time with the bride crying/husband cheating with sexy attendee
  • Sexy attendee memory takes her back to High School days
  • Turns out the bride was very mean and bullied sexy girl 

Options appear with

• Revenge
• Let it go
• The scene returns to the present time with the choice made and the consequences

*Competitor and SOV: My Story, Journeys 25.5%

Concept: Ugly Betty with a Twist

Trends: Mean Girls and Outfit Selections

• The girl is made fun of because of her looks
  • She decides to go home and change her appearance
  • A picker screen appears next to her
  • She selects new make-up, clothes, hair and removes glasses/braces
  • (I’d avoid doing the weight loss part)
• Her “new me” comes to school and tries to seduce her crush
• Two options appear
  • Crush rejects her because she’s now like everyone else
• He lusts after her and dumps his girl

*Competitor and SOV: My Story, What’s your story 18.5%

Concept: You vs. Your Friend with a Twist

Trends: Competitive, Outfits, Two loves

• Friends compete to find the hottest date
  • Two frenemies go to Tinder to find a hot date
  • Side by side screens show each swipe
  • Both choose a guy but this part is not revealed
  • Next, both girls are seeing choosing different outfits (fast montage)
• Twist end, they both arrive to meet the same guy
• The guy must make a choice
  • He chooses one
  • He chooses both

*Competitor and SOV: Kim K. Hollywood  31.5%

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Creative is an advertiser’s best opportunity for a competitive advantage in social advertising. Soon, the combination of Facebook’s and Google’s Media buying automation with Apple’s removal of IDFA will make ‘winning’ creative ﹘the five percent of Facebook videos that are successful﹘of paramount importance. Here we break down Sports Games Creative Strategy with competitive trends & creative recommendations, so you can learn from their creative best practices.

Sports Games Competitive Analysis

• Competitors: MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2020, 8 Ball Pool™, Real Boxing 2, My NBA 2K20, Tennis Clash: Online League, NBA 2K Mobile Basketball, Asphalt 9: Legends, Basketball Stars™, Homer City, MADDEN NFL MOBILE FOOTBALL, Golf Battle, WWE SuperCard, Oh My Goal! – Soccer, Baseball Boy! MLB 9 Innings 20, NBA LIVE Mobile Basketball, Dream League Soccer 2020, MLB Champions, FIFA soccer, EA SPORTS™ UFC®, PBA® Bowling Challenge, Football Strike, Score! Hero, PGA TOUR Golf Shootout, NBA 2K20, R.B.I. Baseball 20, NBA JAM by EA SPORTS™, Football Manager 2020 Mobile
• View competitive videos by hitting the competitor tab here.

Sports Games Creative Trends

• Gameplay/Game Overview: Shots of gameplay that showcase graphics and players. (Home Run Clash, NBA 2K, Boxing Star, many more)
• Distance Challenges: Simple gameplay that challenges viewers to hit an object as far as they can. (Baseball Boy, Slap Master)
• Competition: Videos dramatizing head-to-head competition between players. (Darts of Fury, Home Run Clash)
• Noob vs. Pro: Videos displaying bad versus good gameplay. (Darts of Fury, Mini Golf King)
• Real Player Footage: Real footage replacing game characters and gameplay. (Tennis Clash, Sniper Arena, Draft Kings)
• Cinematic Techniques: Slo-mo, camera pans, and other cinematic techniques utilizing game characters. (Johnny Trigger, Mr. Bullet, Sniper Arena, Tennis Clash)
• Augmented Gameplay: Illustrations, emojis, talk bubbles, and voice-over added to gameplay or characters (Mr. Bullet, Draft Kings, Flip & Dive 3D)
• Game Controller Overlay: The game controller overlays on gameplay to give it a game console effect.  (Tennis Clash, City Fighter Vs. Street Gang)

Concept: Statcast

Create videos that incorporate statistics into the gameplay

• Overlay graphics to show the distance of tape measure shots and challenge viewers to play and hit home runs
• Overlay graphics on pitching stats and ground covered by outfielders, challenging viewers to beat their opponent

Competitor/Share of Voice

• Baseball Boy: 90% SOV
• Slap Masters: 100% SOV

Concept: Character Countdown

Create a countdown of featured players in the game

• Showcases animation style, range of players, and stats
• Use baseball card like graphics
• Generates engagement (curiosity over the list of characters)

Competitor/Share of Voice

• Rise of Kingdoms: 28% SOV

Concept: Trash Talk Voice Over

Juxtapose gameplay with player trash talk

• Showcases gameplay and graphics
• Mimics player dialogue and chat portion of the game
• Uses subtitles

Competitor/Share of Voice

• Icing on the Cake: 54% SOV
• Flip & Dive 3D: 90% SOV

Concept: Emoji Gameplay

Feature gameplay with emoji overlays and talk bubbles to communicate player emotions

• Humorous
• Humanizes players
• Showcases game graphics

Competitor/Share of Voice

• Bullet: 3% SOV
• Flip & Dive 3D: 90% SOV
• DraftKings: 12% SOV

Concept: Real Game Footage

Intercut gameplay with real footage, so that it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s the game

• Showcases game graphics
• Promotes simulation aspect of the game: “The closest thing to being on the field”

Competitor/Share of Voice

• Tennis Clash: 50% SOV
• Sniper Arena: 3% SOV

Concept: Announcer Calls

Re-create the feel of a famous announcer calling a legendary game with gameplay and voice over

• Creates emotional “what if” scenarios (see MLB The Show 2012 “Cubs Win” ad here)
• Engages the viewer’s curiosity
• Highlights the passion of sports fans

Competitor/Share of Voice

• N/A

Concept: Cinematic Stories

Create videos using cinematic techniques and voiceover to up the emotional ante of the game

• Showcases game graphics
• Utilizes nostalgic sports documentary feel
• Appealing to sports fans

Competitor/Share of Voice

• Tennis Clash: 2% SOV
• Johnny Trigger: 97% SOV
• Bullet: 3% SOV

Concept: Noob vs. Pro

Create side-by-side videos of good and bad gameplay, with “Noob vs. Pro” header

• Shows the difficulty of the game
• Triggers player competitive urge
• Incorporates head-to-head aspect
• Highlights both “wins” and “fails” – both powerful hooks for players

Competitor/Share of Voice 

• Darts of Fury: 13% SOV
• Mini Golf King: 12% SOV

Sports Games Creative Trends Concept: Sports Chants

Create a sing-along music video of gameplay with a famous sports chant

• g. bouncing ball version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”
• Most chants are in the public domain
• Showcases graphics and gameplay
• Will appeal to sports fans (specific team chants could accompany more targeted campaigns)

Competitor/Share of Voice

• N/A

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Creative is an advertiser’s best opportunity for a competitive advantage in social advertising. Soon, the combination of Facebook’s and Google’s Media buying automation with Apple’s removal of IDFA will make ‘winning’ creative ﹘the five percent of Facebook videos that are successful﹘of paramount importance. Here we break down Card Games Creative Strategy with competitive trends & creative recommendations, so you can learn from their creative best practices.

Card Games Creative Strategy Competitive Analysis

• Card Games Competitors: Solitaire Deluxe 2, Solitaire Tri-Peaks, Spades Plus, MobilityWare Solitaire, WSOP, Solitaire Cube
• Casino/Lottery Competitors: Lucktastic, 21 Blitz, Lucky Day, Caesars Casino Official Slots, House of Fun Slots, Lucky Lottery Scratchers, Slotomania Vegas Casino Slots, Cube Cube, Worldwinner,  Jackpocket, SpinToWin Slots, Dice with Ellen
• Shopping/Cash Back Competitors: Inbox Dollars, IBotta, Receipt Hog, Shopkick, Surveys on the Go, Swagbucks
• Solitaire Competitors: Rummy Royale, Gin Rummy Plus, Gin Rummy Best Card Game, Gin Rummy Master, Spades, Spades Card Classic, Solitaire Deluxe 2, Solitaire Tri-Peaks, Spades Plus, MobilityWare Solitaire, Fairway Solitaire, WSOP, Hearts World Tour, Klondike Farm Adventure, 21 Blitz, Bingo Town, Bingo Blast, Hearts Card Game Classic, Solitaire Time Warp, Grand Gin Rummy, Solitaire Epic Adventures, Bingo Pop, House of Blackjack 21, Bingo Bash, Wild Classic Slots, Poker Face Live Texas Hold Em, Zynga Poker, Blackjackist, Backgammon Live, Dominoes Gold, MobilityWare Solitaire, Flip & Dive 3D, Flip Dunk, NBA 2K Mobile, Chess Royale
• View competitive videos here.

Card Games Creative Strategy Player Motivations

Demographics

As of the last estimate, there were currently over 170 million active social casino gamers worldwide, with millions of players playing on any given day (Martin, 2014). To put this in perspective, social casino gamers outnumber online gamblers 4:1. Perhaps surprisingly, the average social casino gamer is a 40-year-old middle-class woman and women make up over 2/3rds of social casino gamers (Superdata, 2016). That said, social casino games seem to be a popular form of entertainment across all stages of life, including among adolescents and young adults (Kim, Wohl, Gupta, & Derevensky, 2016, 2017; Griffiths & Wood, 2007).

Motivations

Motivations for playing social casino games are likely similar to motivations for engaging in gambling (Wohl, Salmon, Hollingshead, & Kim, in press). That is, people may play for fun and entertainment, to pass the time, to relax, relieve boredom, or to distract themselves from negative emotions. Additionally, a portion of gamers may be attracted to the social feature of social casino games, such as seeing their scores on leaderboards and sharing their achievements on Facebook. Yet, some social casino gamers may use free-to-play simulated gambling games to practice their ‘skills’ before playing for real money gambling.

•     Social Casino Games: Current Evidence & Future Directions, Hyoun S. Kim, University of Calgary

 

Gaming Psychology of Near Misses:

“…Near-misses have some intrinsic appeal for our reward circuitry, tricking those brain cells into believing that we won even though we actually lost… This suggests that, from the perspective of our dopamine neurons, near misses are virtually indistinguishable from actual wins. Both forms of feedback tickle our reward circuitry, which is why Vegas invests in games and algorithms that are full of close calls. For a casino, the beauty of a near miss is clear: Although we’ve lost money if feels as if we won.”   

•     The Near-Miss Effect, Jonah Lehrer, Wired Magazine, 3.28.11

Although no studies have investigated the ramifications of Candy Crush near-misses, one can make reasonable inferences based on near-misses in other scenarios. In slot machine games, near-miss outcomes encourage the urge to continue to play despite the absence of reward (Côté et al. 2003; Kassinove and Scharev, 2001; Clark et al. 2009; Billieux et al. 2012). In general, the idea of falling just short of a big win appears to facilitate players wanting to continue with the game in the belief that practice makes better, or more spins will eventually lead to success (Kassinove and Schare 2001).

•     The Candy Crush Sweet Tooth: How Near Misses in Candy Crush Increase Frustration, and the Urge to Continue Gameplay: Journal of Gambling Studies, Volume 33, Issue 2, pp 599–61

 

Card Games Creative Strategy Trends

• App Explainers: Videos explaining how the game or app works with users/players, screenshots/gameplay, and rewards. (Caesars Casino, Gin Rummy Plus, Inbox Dollars)
• Real Winners/Testimonials: Videos featuring real winners and amounts they’ve won. (Lucktastic, Lucky Day)
• Newsreel: Videos showing newsworthiness of the app based on real or fake news coverage. (House of Fun Slots, Jackpocket)
• Casino Lifestyle: Videos with colorful slot machine graphics and/or big band music. (Caesars Casino, Gin Rummy Plus, WSOP, Slotomania, Spades Plus, Spin to Win Slots)
• Community: Videos featuring gameplay between players, or texts between players regarding the app itself. (IBotta, WorldWinner)
• Winners/Testimonials: Videos featuring winning moments and real winner testimonial. (Skillz)

Card Games Creative Strategy Trends (Cont.)

• Game Overviews/Gameplay: Overview of how to play, game elements, and gameplay, sometimes with a picker manipulating cards. (Grand Gin Rummy, Spades Plus, many others)
• Player Focused: Player versus player with player avatars or live video inset, often focused on the range of types of players. (Poker Face, Blackjackist, many others)
• Covid-Related: Videos with messaging built around boredom, being stuck at home, or not connecting with friends. (Gin Rummy: The Best Card Game)
• Relax/Train Your Brain: Messaging centered on the way the game sharpens your mental skills and/or relaxes you. (WSOP, MobilityWare Solitaire)
• Player Testimonial: Positive reviews or testimonials regarding the game. (21 Blitz)
• The heat of the Moment: Hyper-focused moments in the game when a big decision will make or break you. (WSOP)
• Humorous Voice-over: Mock announcer(s) or player voice-over, used over gameplay. (WSOP, Flip & Dive 3D, Flip Dunk)
• Real Game Footage: Live footage intercut with gameplay. (Flip Dunk, WSOP, Zynga)

 

Concept: App Explainer

Explainer videos showcasing how the game works and how players win money:

• Legitimizes app while demonstrating how you win
• Demystifies the game, lowering barriers to play

Concept: Spokesperson

Use a spokesperson/actor to appear in a variety of videos:

• App demonstration/overview
• Interviews with real winners
• Aspirational/optimistic stories

Competitive Landscape

This has been used by established sweepstakes firms, e.g. Publisher’s Clearing House – to their advantage

Concept: News Coverage/PR

Create videos that leverage any news coverage of the app:

• Portrays the app as a legitimate way to win money and by playing card games
• Removes barriers new players might have to download and play, e.g. fear it’s a scam
• Provides social proof that card games are bonafide

Competitive Landscape/Share of Voice:

• House of Fun Slots, Jackpocket
• House of Fun Slots: 7% SOV
• Jackpocket: 21% SOV

Concept: Card Game Influencers

Create videos featuring influencers such as Mikey Slice and PickTooth:

• Attracts players while legitimizing the game
• Demonstrates you can win money by playing
• Aligned with eSports trend and builds on the success of poker TV broadcasts and programming

Competitive Landscape:

• Seen more in games featured on live game streaming sites like Steam and Twitch

Concept: E-Sports Cards

Portray real winners as athletes:

• Static images of winners in athletic/heroic poses
• Graphics like baseball cards with stats and nicknames
• Leverages skill of card game players, downplaying luck
• Aspirational
• Funny but tongue-in-cheek
• Aligned with eSports trend and builds on the success of poker TV broadcasts and programming

Competitive Landscape:

• Twist on the “Real Winner” creative featured in games like Solitaire Cube, Lucktastic and Lucky Day

Concept: Competitive

Juxtapose real money card games and social card games:

• Why play regular solitaire when you could win money just for playing?
• Short videos compare and contrast screenshots of “boring” card games with winners and excitement of real money card games
• Other videos could juxtapose dull-looking stock imagery of people with “Plays Solitaire” winners/stars

Concept: Winners/Testimonials

Real (or not) winner testimonials perform well across all sub-genres. Testimonial videos tend to run long, so consider featuring them on your website and on YouTube:

• Create still imagery ads featuring female winners
• Consider opening shots of cash with motion instead of static imagery
• Create videos combining winners and gameplay
• TikTok style videos of female players playing/winning
• Create short videos that better utilize the emotion of the winner testimonials
• Create winner reels that leverage multiple winner testimonials into one video

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