In 2014, TabTale was a three-man operation. Five years later, they occupy one of the most prominent positions in mobile gaming— a multibillion-dollar industry. Their wide-reaching “Hyper Casual” games have been downloaded over 2.5 billion times, and the company continues to release one chart-topping title after another. How do they do it? TheGamer recently spoke with TabTale’s COO, Guy Tomer, about the company’s recent Summer Blitz, an initiative where they gave an open invite to game developers for possible publishing help. Tomer told us what they look for in a game, and what makes “Hyper Casual” mobile gaming a hit.
For those who don’t know, What is TabTale’s ‘Crazy Labs’ brand?
Crazy Labs, a TabTale brand, is home to industry-leading Hyper Casual games, famously adored Lifestyle games, and Licensing (Causal IP) games with top-tier entertainment brands. In the past year, we released some of the most successful free-to-play mobile games, crossed 2.5 billion downloads, and became a top five mobile games publisher (according to AppAnnie and Sensor Tower). We’re especially proud of Run Sausage Run, which was one of the first Hyper Casual success stories in this industry. Run Sausage Run recently crossed 90 million downloads and is one of the most popular games we ever released.
Where did the idea for ‘Summer Blitz’ come from and what has the response been like from indie developers thus far?
Crazy Labs’ strategy is to offer our expertise and know-how to developers who want to publish their Hyper Casual mobile games. In the past year, our publishing team reviewed thousands and thousands of games. After the recent success of our mobile games AMAZE!, Tricky Taps & Rope N Roll, to name a few, the team was finally open for publishing new games. We knew that games that will be published during the third quarter of 2019 may continue to dominate the top of the charts during the holiday season. So, our “Summer Blitz” came to life. The responses have been amazing so far, with fantastic new games received on a daily basis and amazingly creative prototypes shared by developers from around the world. Most of all, as the Blitz offers a real opportunity for game developers and has allowed us to expand our developer network significantly.
What does a pitch typically look like from a developer trying to work with your studio?
There are a few kinds of submissions or pitches we usually get from developers.
- A written pitch: just as a general idea that needs developing. A rough prototype: so we can see the look and feel, and understand what’s the plan. A video: displaying what is planned for the game. A playable build: a much more advanced version, but not necessarily polished.
The submissions we get vary, since developers know that we have what they need in order to move forward and develop their game. Furthermore, we’re very much aware that some developers have amazing ideas with substantial prospect - but they lack the financial resources needed to develop the game and bring it to life. If we find the game has significant potential, we’ll bring in our game studios and help the developer to finish the development process so the game can be published successfully.
Do you know right away when a game is going to be a hit? What features do you look for in a successful game? What’s the formula?
Since the market is changing on a daily basis, and new games enter the top charts every day, we can try and recognize potential in a mobile game, but the players and the market will be the real judges of the game. We do share our past experience with the developers, give advice, assist with our professional knowledge, and work with them on all aspects of their game. Our experience has taught us that if you follow a few simple rules, you can develop the next big hit. There are three key elements to a successful Hyper Casual mobile game:
- Innovation & the WOW Effect: The game needs to bring something new, be it an innovative idea with simple intuitive gameplay, or a creative new approach to existing game mechanics. Players are always looking for something new, and so the WOW effect needs to be part of the core gameplay. Mass Appeal Art: The design for Hyper Casual mobile games can sometimes make or break the game. Games with abstract art, or some other mass-appeal art, games that are easy on the eye and are gender-neutral have a better chance to succeed. Onboarding is the Key: The first 3 seconds of the game video need to be enough for the players to understand the core of the game. If you start easy, teach controls, scale up the difficulty but don’t forget relief levels - you can create a mass-market game. The game needs to allow non-gamers (mobile-only players) to feel they are making significant progress every time they play.
What’s one mistake that indie developers typically make when they are starting out? Where does your expertise and guidance most play out in the development process?
Some developers tend to create games that are too difficult. We work with them on the difficulty curve of their game, and make sure they design their levels accordingly. It’s important to have relief levels after a hard level, and even more important to test and analyze those levels to better monetize the game. Some developers may try to create a clone for a game they know and love. Inspiration is great, even important, but if you can’t bring something new, or give an existing idea an innovative twist, it usually won’t work. We push our developers to find that special sauce.
Is there anything on the horizon or anything of importance that you want fans to know about? Any upcoming projects or developments that you’re excited about?
With Crazy Labs’ games enjoying enormous popularity, the company is now concentrating on pushing its limits even further. From upcoming partnerships to new game releases, we’re always looking for ways to grow and expand our global presence. We are very excited to offer new opportunities for global game designers and developers and are actively looking for talented Game Designers to work on Crazy Labs’s top games in all of our locations.
