The Hybridcasual Playbook

Characteristics of
Hybridcasual

Topics Covered Developing a Hybridcasual

Game

The Arcade Core

 Characteristics of
Hybridcasual

Topics Covered Developing a Hybridcasual

Game

The Arcade Core

Hypercasual to Hybridcasual
Past, Present and Future

2017 2019 2020 FUTURE

Hypercasual starts its Archero launches and Archero inspires Hybricasual games overthrow purely
massive growth breaks the market Numerous other games ad-monetized hypercasual games
 Developing a Hybridcasual Game
Three Pillars of a Success

Marketing Strategy
03 Take a page out of Hypercasual
development. Optimize creatives to
acquire both Hypercasual and
non-hypercasual players at a dime!
Game Design
Creativity
Marry the simple, addictive and easily +
marketable core of a Hypercasual game with
Data
power progression to drive up player
life-time value. 01 02 Production Process
Find a balance between the lighting fast
Hypercasual game development and an
agile game development. You’ll need to
get more structured to run successful
live-services.
 Characteristics of
Hybridcasual

Topics Covered Developing a Hybridcasual

Game

The Arcade Core

From an Idea to Live Services
Proof of Concept Production Soft Launch Live Services
(1 to 3 months) (3 to 6 months) (3 to 6 months)

Total Cost to
Global Launch

$345K to $885K
Goals: Goals: Goals: Goals:
● Core gameplay ● Metagame features ● Improve user acquisition ● Events
● Marketability ● Art production strategy ● Features
● Design document ● (Tools development) ● Optimize economy ● Creatives optimization

Average Team size: 3 Average Team size: 8 Average Team size: 10 Average Team size: 10
1 x Developer 4 x Developer 4 x Developer 4 x Developer
1 x Designer 1 x Designer 1 x Designer 1 x Designer
1 x Artist 2 x Artist 2 x Artist 2 x Artist
1 x Producer 1 x Producer 1 x Producer
1 x Data Analyst 1 x Data Analyst
1 x UA Manager 1 x UA Manager

Average Monthly Marketing Spend: Average Monthly Marketing Spend:

$20k-$50k $20k-$50k

Cost: $15k- $45k Cost: $120k- $240k Cost: $210k- $600k Cost: $200k / month
Proof of Concept Production
De-risking and Figuring Out Build it

Proof of Concept (POC) allows you to validate the Team enters production when they know what they
game idea and iterate on the core gameplay and are building. Take your time in the concept validation.
main mechanics to figure out the best options It will save you time (and money) by enabling
until you achieve an addictive core for your effective production.
hybridcasual game.
In the production, the team:
Keep the team small at this stage to limit costs. - Increases significantly the content of the game
- Develops features that drive the game loop
Key questions to be validated: consisting of playing and upgrading
- Is the setting/theme appealing for the target - Builds the tools required to effectively manage,
audience? If your IPM is high, you’ve nailed it. optimize and grow the game when live
- is the game engaging and fun enough? If
players can’t stop playing during a test, you’ve
nailed it!
- Are the selected controls good? Can your
testers pick-up and play without hand holding
and instructions?
Soft-Launch Creative
Test it Optimisation
In Soft Launch phase, team starts testing the game by releasing in Optimisation of creatives allows you to reduce their CPIs
one or multiple countries. Soft Launch is a good indicator of significantly in order to achieve an acceptable CPI
whether the game has potential or not. range that is lower than lifetime value of acquired users
(ads + IAP combined)
Goals are:
- Measuring the initial metrics for engagement and Criteria: Net LTV > CPI for profitability.
monetisation (early/mid/late retention, purchase rates,
ARPPU, session time/counts) Suggestions:
- Getting feedbacks from players about your game - Take out existing gameplay footage and iterate
- Improving your User Acquisition strategy and optimisation of new ad creatives with new animations, effects,
creatives customisations to test their appeal among players.
- Economy optimisation. balancing - Build a strong cooperation between game
- App store optimisation designers/product teams and UA/creative teams
who knows the market trends.
Suggestions: - Test different ad formats to optimize the
● Choose the right countries for your soft launch: Focus on available placements in various marketing
countries similar to your main target audience and market. channels: Short or long videos, playable ads,
● Set yourself KPI goals and analyze thoroughly: Iterate interstitial banners, carousel ads etc.
and improve your features to reach your KPI goals by using - A/B test good performing creatives to find
the feedback loop driven by analytics. incremental improvements: Test out different
● Test your ad creatives as well as the ad placements in colors, copies, call to actions etc.
your game
 Characteristics of
Hybridcasual

Topics Covered Developing a Hybridcasual

Game

The Arcade Core

Hybridcasual Game Onion
What Makes a Hybridcasual Game

Live Services keep the game fresh. Events offer short-term Live Services
challenges. Leaderboards and cooperative play allow players to
compare their progress to others’. Big updates will re-engage the
whole player base.
Hybrid monetisation
Monetisation that is satisfying player’s constant itch for power
progression. Ads drive baseline monetisation, IAPs provide base
price points, bundles drive up price point, Battle Pass enforces
conversion. Simplified meta
Meta game that relies of power progression. It has to be
accessible, supercharge the core gameplay and create long-term
motivation. Metagame is the foundation for live services.
Hypercasual /
Arcade core that is easy to pick-up, hard to master, addictive and Arcade core
gratifying all at the same time.
Hybridcasual’s Core Mechanic is Arcade First
Core Gameplay Design
What each of these leading
Hybridcasual games have in
common is a core gameplay
mechanic that shares many
properties with traditional
Arcade gameplay.

Focus on the pillars of an

arcade core (next page) when
prototyping your core
gameplay.

Archero Combat of Hero Sky Bandit

Shoot ‘em Up Core Hack n Slash Core Runner Core
Arcade Core
Pillars of Core Gameplay Design

Power Progression (Gratifying) Simple Controls (Accessible)

Progression that relies both on reflex as well as classical One or maximum two finger control systems that make the
increase of power based on time and/or money spent. core gameplay very easy to pick up and play instantly. If you
need a tutorial, the control system is too complicated.

Four Pillars of an
Arcade Core

Skill-based (Addictive) Demanding Core (Simple)

Feedback loop is tied to players’ skills. Clear win/fail states, Simple core gameplay that nevertheless requires players’ full

quantified progress and often a constant time pressure attention.

enforce the skill elements.

The Spectrum of Core Games on Mobile
Core Gameplay Design

You might ask - but aren’t all mobile game cores Accessible, Simple, High Power Progression
Addictive and Gratifying in their own unique ways?

Yes, they are. So on what vectors can various cores across mobile
games be distinctly categorised on?

Vector 1: Long sessions vs. Short Sessions

Long Short
Vector 2: Low Power Progression vs. High Power Progression Sessions Sessions

The more longer the gameplay session is the more demanding it

tends to be. If there are no breaks in the session, it also limits
ability to monetize via ads.

Power progression is non-negotiable for a hybridcasual monetization

Low Power Progression
model.
 Hybridcasual
Cores that Fit for Hybridcasual Make core game mechanic more accessible Sweet Spot
Core Gameplay Design

High Power Progression

Based on these two vectors, there are some mobile gaming 4X Cards
Squad
Sniper
Arcade Action
RPGs Sports RPGs
cores that are more conducive for Hybridcasual versus others.
Highly non-conducive cores will need to undergo significant
transformation before they can be implemented in a
Hybridcasual game.

Ádd Power Progression

Build & Tact. Action Racing Tower
Bingo Puzzle
The 2x2 matrix on the right showcases which cores are Battle Battler Games Def.

inherently conducive (green) and which are not (red and yellow).
The transformations that need to occur to non-conducive are

Low Power Progression

showcased by the green arrows and grey text outside.
Battle Fighting Time Arcade
Slots Bingo
Royale Games Mgmt. Subgenres
Cores that are perfect for Hybridcasual combine accessible
gameplay with power progression.

Keep an eye on production values. Accessibility and lower

Sandbox MOBAs Sim. Hyper-
production values tend to go hand-in-hand... Match-3 Decorate
casual

Long Sessions Short Sessions

Each Core Perfectly Fits the Arcade Mould
Core Gameplay Design
Arcade Core?

Yes

No

Simple Controls Demanding Core Skill-based Power Progression

One or maximum two finger Players primarily use reflexes to Game design and feedback loops Retention is not capped by players’
controls that are easy to pick up optimally beat levels drives reflex growth as a skill skills
 Hybridcasual’s core mechanic is usually
strongly Arcade, which has a strong and
distinctive set of design principles.

Key Takeaway When thinking about your core mechanic

these design principles will guide to to a
successful Hybridcasual core:
Core Gameplay
1. Accessible (simple controls)
2. Simple (reflex-driven core)
3. Addictive (skill-based)
4. Gratifying (power progression)
Hybridcasual Needs Two Types of Progression
Meta Gameplay Design

Power Progression (The Money)

Social + Live Ops
Power progression is driven by stat-based progress in the game, and these three aspects
of the onion should maximise it.

It is important to note that there should always be a healthy tension between power and
Hybrid monetisation skill progression because if power progression reduces the importance of skill progression
for long periods of time, the core gameplay fun is lost.

This also works the other way around - if power progression is never made to feel
significant enough to make up for lack of skill progression, then the significance of the
meta, monetisation, social and live-ops systems is lost.
Simplified meta

Skill Progression (The Fun)

“Skill” refers to inherent player skills to react to action phase gameplay quickly and
Hypercasual / accurately. “Progression” refers to the action phase gameplay allowing for players being
Arcade core able to improve their “Skill” over time.

It is very important that the core action phase gameplay allows Skill Progression, because
without that, the game can never be fun in the long run.
Hybridcasual’s Meta Creates Power Progression
Meta Gameplay Design

Since each of these games has a central

character, or set of characters, the opportunity
to implement a power progression curve is
instantly created.

The progression of power is justified by the

core gameplay design itself. Increasing level
difficulty necessitates growth of power and
drives the core loop engagement.

The growth of power creates a long term

Archero Combat of Hero Sky Bandit motivation to keep coming back to the game as
Slow Power Progression Quick Power Progression Unique Power Progression investment of time equals in-game progress.
Four Steps to Power Progression
Meta Gameplay Design

Core Game Selection Content Progression Difficulty Progression Power Progression

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

Pick a core gameplay Provide lots of content. The difficulty curve needs Beating the difficulty
design that easily lends Levels are your runway. You to be layered on top of the curve demands constant
itself to stat based power need enough of them to retain content progression. growth of player power.
progression mechanics. players. And the levels also Player skill has a ceiling.
have to evolve and create a When you have enough easily
Good choice: a shoot-em-up variety of gameplay as players generated content, you can High LTV is reached when the
core with increasing power of progress. create smooth difficulty meta systems grow players’
opponents will drive player to increase that scales up to a power beyond inherent skill
increase their own power. Make sure that the content is final boss battle. limits.
straightforward to produce.
Bad choice: a classic Match-3 It’s vital for your live services..
puzzle core.
#1 - Hybridcasual’s Meta has Light-Medium Depth
Meta Gameplay Design

Hybridcasual’s sweet spot

for systems depth driving
power progression

There is no need to sacrifice

spend depth with reduced
system depth. The trick is to
maximise spend depth in
conjunction with simplifying
meta system complexity.

Hybridcasual games cast a wide net when it comes to audience, and therefore the game design needs to be fitting.
Hence the systems depth to drive power progression pales when comparing to a typical RPGs, which are designed for more core players.
#2 - Hybridcasual’s Meta has High Accessibility
Meta Gameplay Design

Typical RPG
Decision Making

Hybridcasual
Decision Making

Even though Hybridcasual mirrors deeper meta systems from other genres, it simplifies player decision making by absorbing a lot of the cognitive
load within the system versus making the player spend time deciding. The objective is to push the player back to the core as fast as possible.
Meta Enables Live-ops
Meta Gameplay Design

Core Player continues to enjoy playing the game’s core action phase
Gameplay
Without a meta design that allows the
Special players to catch up to the content
More core gameplay loops means more content progression, but events
Content difficulty curve through moving higher
content difficulty creeps in and the player cannot continue
on a power progression curve, the game
Progression playing the core gameplay
would be unable to run meaningful
New live-ops that can extend product
content
Meta To continue content progression, the player interacts releases lifetime (new content releases), provide
with the meta systems to move higher on the power aspirational content (events) or
Systems progression curve so as to match content difficulty
effectively merchandise (bundles), so
Time that the player’s long term satisfaction
limited
These activities all help the player regularly move up the for progression on all fronts is satisfied.
Live-ops power progression curve over and above what can be
bundles

Activities achieved with the game’s base content layer

 Hybridcasual’s meta systems design is usually inspired
from genres with great spend depth, like RPGs.
Whatever meta system you decide to adopt, make sure
that it’s straightforward.

Key Takeaway You don’t want your players spending too much time in
the meta. Core is what drives the engagement and
monetization in Hybridcasual.
Meta Gameplay
Hybridcasual’s meta systems are:
1. Simplified and accessible
2. Supercharging core gameplay engagement
3. Creating a long-term motivation
4. Foundation for live services
Common Pitfalls

Overproduction Cloning Unscalable

Same but just better looking game. Same game for the same audience. Skipping concept validation

As developer with no experience in The most common pitfall is simply make Developers who lack understanding of
hypercasual games rush the market, they will Archero but just change the visuals by offering marketing will simply focus on making a the
focus on making their game compete with another setting. By making a game just like the game without testing how well it resonates with
higher quality visuals. This prolongs the biggest game in the genre will lead to failure to target audience during concept validation
development times and hinders the ability acquire players. They are already playing or phase. This leads to the game being
to acquire from hypercasual games. have played the game. ‘dead-on-arrival’ when it launches.
michail@deconstructoroffun.com
appendix
Common Pitfalls
Common Pitfalls

Overproduction Cloning Unscalable

Same but just better looking game. Same game for the same audience. Skipping concept validation

As developer with no experience in The most common pitfall is simply make Developers who lack understanding of
hypercasual games rush the market, they will Archero but just change the visuals by offering marketing will simply focus on making a the
focus on making their game compete with another setting. By making a game just like the game without testing how well it resonates with
higher quality visuals. This prolongs the biggest game in the genre will lead to failure to target audience during concept validation
development times and hinders the ability acquire players. They are already playing or phase. This leads to the game being
to acquire from hypercasual games. have played the game. ‘dead-on-arrival’ when it launches.
 Characteristics of
Hybridcasual

Core and Meta Design

Topics Covered
Monetisation Design
(Appendix)

Social & Live Ops Design

(Appendix)
Hybridcasual Implements Hybrid Monetisation
Monetisation Design

While these images showcase how

Combat of Hero monetises, all
Hybridcasual games implement a
mix of market standard IAP and
Ad monetisation mechanics to
boost LTV.

This healthy mix of monetisation

options is at the heart of hybrid
monetisation.

IAPs + Ads + Bundles + Battle Pass

 Power Progression Drives Monetisation
Monetisation Design

Battle Pass IAPs

The newest monetisation technique gaining massive Monetisation starts with the base IAP set available in the
popularity in the market, and it is a great fit for store, which sells the game’s hard currency at 6 standard
Hybridcasual - it drives both retention and monetisation, price points - $0.99, $4.99, $9.99, $19.99, $49.99, $99.99 -
therefore making it a very powerful monetisation A Player’s need to and hard currency is sunk to grow various power attributes
mechanic grow power over
time drives 4 types
of monetisation

Bundles Ads
While these are closer to live-services related monetisation, Both rewarded video and interstitials are used here, but are

the one bundle that opens up a player’s wallet is the implemented at points in the game to provide quick relief

conversion bundle - a collection of highly valuable early game versus being baseline monetisation contributors like IAPs

items, bundled up and sold at a no-brainer purchase price

 The Most Exciting is the Battle Pass
Monetisation Design

The battle pass is a rare

feature that strongly drives Archero releases Archero releases
both engagement and the Battle Pass the Battle Pass
conversion. season 1 season 9

Engagement is driven by its

progression based design,
which incentivises the player
to play-more-to-earn-more.
Revenue baseline Revenue baseline
Conversion is driven by
steadily increasing rewards
that player can redeem as
they progress. The caveat is
that the player can redeem
rewards she earned only
after purchasing the battle Archero is probably the first of all hybridcasual titles to implement a Battle Pass. It regularly sees huge revenue spikes with
pass. the cycling season based design nature of the feature, and the new seasons also help maintain a strong revenue baseline.
Ads Drive Monetisation by Providing Quick Relief
Monetisation Design

Small Ad Chest Small Ad Coins Round Revive Ad Ad-based Bundle

Quick relief for chest Quick relief when coins Quick relief when player is deep into a run and Quick relief for bundle specific
specific rewards are required dies, but does not want to lose progress rewards to drive engagement

Almost every ad placement in Hybridcasual is designed by keeping quick player relief at its core.
That is why getting players back into the core is vital.
 Hybridcasual’s monetisation design is centered
around satisfying a player’s constant itch for
increase in power.

You can achieve this through a hybrid monetisation

Key Takeaway approach, that utilises both Ads and IAPs.

Four distinct techniques are used:

Monetisation Design 1. IAPs - to set baseline price point
2. Ads - to monetize the whole player base
3. Bundles - to drive up purchase point
4. Battle Pass - to drive conversion through loss
aversion
 Characteristics of
Hybridcasual

Core and Meta Design

Topics Covered
Monetisation Design

Social & Live Ops Design

Hybridcasual Currently Falls Short on Social
Social & Live-ops Design

Archero is probably the only Hybridcasual

game that has a true social
implementation with its co-op mode. All
other Hybridcasual titles go only as far as
“Leaderboards” when it comes to creating
a social experience.

A huge opportunity exists for Hybridcasual

titles to capitalise on deeper social
mechanics integration.

Archero Combat of Hero Sky Bandit

Light Social No Social (Likely) Light Social
Hybridcasual Currently Falls Short on Live-ops
Social & Live-ops Design

While Archero’s revenue graph has the typical

shape of a game running regular live-ops (spiky),
it is also worth noting that a game with strong
meta systems and effective live-ops usually sees
an upward trending and spiky revenue graph.

Combat of Hero has the same problem as Archero,

as explained above.

In short, Hybridcasual still hasn’t figured out

live-ops, and therefore exposes opportunity.
 Social Live Services
Social and Live-ops Design

“Bold Beats” Leagues & Leaderboards

These are massive game-changer features that can drive Once a player has achieved great character power, the
massive revenue and re-engagement, but also have long need to show it off can be capitalised on through local
production timelines. For example, a PvP mode in (city/country), global and social (amongst friends)
Once a player has
Archero. They are usually released during live-ops due to Leaderboards. Further, players can use their power to
satisfied a thirst for
their high-risk, possibly high-reward nature. power, there are compete in League based tournaments and put their

more ways to create money where their mouth is.

new thirst
Events
Alliances & Cooperative Play
Events play a key role in keeping game content fresh all the
time. They always have special rewards due to their higher than Using the power of cooperative goal based gameplay can be

usual difficulty, so a great event cadence generates revenue another way grow player power. The social pressure from

spikes and maintains a healthy revenue baseline. And if players alliance members pushes players to invest further in power

want to progress on an even faster, they can buy an event progression, so that the entire group moves forward together

specific bundle, thereby generating more revenue! and wins together.

 Today’s Hybridcasual titles still don’t fully
capitalise on social and live-ops. To build a truly
long-term business that grows revenues as installs
decline requires updates that keep the audience
engaged for an extended period of time.
Key Takeaway
Your Hybridcasual titles can create new thirst for
Social & Live-ops progression across the player base through four
distinct approaches:
1. Leagues & Leaderboards (Strong social)
2. Alliances & Cooperative Play (Strong social)
3. Events & Bundles (Strong live-ops)
4. Bold Beats (Strong live-ops)
P&L
Profit and Loss (P&L)

Profit and Loss statement summarizes your expenses and profits and shows if your business or product is profitable.

- Always have at least 2 scenarios if you are making forecasted P&L for your product (low, medium and high)
- Include milestones in your P&L based on your production and launch roadmap, such as:
- Initial development period (POC and production): Higher investment costs, team costs - no income.
- Soft launch period: low marketing expenses + low revenues.
- Global launch period: higher marketing expenses, higher revenues + additional costs
- When you go global, you will most likely notice differences in metrics in some countries. It is a good idea to cluster
them based on quality and measure the performance of each cluster. (E.g Tier 1 - USA, UK, Canada, Germany,
Japan / Tier 2 - Italy, Israel, Portugal, Turkey etc./ Tier 3: Cambodia, Armenia, Gabon, Kongo, Pakistan etc.)
- Expect some additional costs when you go global from local. E.g:
- Localisation to multiple languages (in-game localisation, marketing materials, FAQs, app store listing etc.)
- Higher need of customer support and community management
- Ideal scenario is resulting high Operating Income with high Operating margin (which means higher profitability)
- You may get lower operating margin when you spend more on User Acquisition since reaching 100%+ ROAS
will take some time but you will have a higher operating income in the long run.
 P&L
Calculating the predicted revenues for your title can be difficult, that is why it is better to focus on metrics that you can control.

Revenue = Daily Active Users x Avg. Revenue per Daily Active User

Installs Retention
There are other metrics that can be used in revenue calculation, such as CARPU (Cumulative average revenue per user) for each install cohort
(e.g daily, weekly, quarterly etc.), how much money does that cohort pay over time.

If your product is not live yet, make a better educated estimations by using the data of your other titles in a similar category or analyse your
competitors.

You can use a flat rate in calculation for a simple P&L (fixed DAU and daily revenues) or you can apply some assumptions for more complex
calculations such as:
- Considering a k-factor and estimating higher organic installs when there is a higher marketing expenditure.
- Planning scheduled updates for your product that would uplift certain KPIs (i.e major content update every 6 months with a target of
improving day 30 retention by 10%)

Store Fees: App Store and Google Play commission cuts - In general, 30% of your revenues.

Operational Costs: Salaries of the team, rent, overhead costs, maintenance costs etc.

Marketing Expenses: User Acquisition expenses, outsourcing marketing assets etc.

P&L Examples

2 YEARS LOW MEDIUM HIGH

+Revenue $43.8M $83.7M $141.3M

-Marketing Expenses $37.0M $55.4M $91.2M

-R&D $1.4M $2.4M $2.9M

Profit $5.4M $25.9M $46M