Now a 16-person team and growing, Mood Games is a mobile game development studio based in Turkey with a portfolio including hyper-casual hits like Queen Bee! With Traffic Jam Fever, the team partnered with Supersonic to take advantage of the trending idle clicker genre and build a game with both great marketability and impressive LTV to maximize profitability. Here, Yusuf YILDIRIM, Founder of Mood Games, dives into the process of growing Traffic Jam Fever with Supersonic into a profitable idle clicker hit with more depth to increase LTV.
From Traffic Expert to Traffic Jam
We had a previous game - Traffic Expert - that had a traffic theme with puzzle elements. It had good marketability (CPI was low), but in-game metrics weren’t very high and the game never fully launched. But after seeing a viral video about traffic flow, we returned to this concept with some fresh ideas and gave the already-marketable concept an idle clicker twist - this was the start of Traffic Jam Fever.
Introducing an idle clicker mechanic with the traffic theme showed potential during prototyping with a low CPI and good in-game KPIs:
- 1200s D0 playtime
- 25% D1 retention on Android
So we moved onto the iteration phase, building more content and tweaking the balance of the game to address the challenge of users dropping off because they were progressing too quickly. At this time, we also wanted to distinguish it even further from other traffic-themed and clicker games on the market. The Supersonic team suggested we introduce a secondary drawing mechanic for users to trace a new road.
This unique feature helped keep users engaged for longer, which improved in-game metrics:
- 2200s D0 playtime
- 37% D1 retention
At this point, the great in-game KPIs and addictive mechanic indicated the game could have more depth than a traditional hyper-casual title. For example, we recognized early on that rewarded videos (RVs) would be a primary monetization strategy - but we never predicted just how true that would be. As we quickly moved onto advanced testing, our focus was on improving the game’s depth, balance, and progression to boost LTV and optimize monetization.
Making the most out of rewarded video
Since we recognized the rewarded video opportunities, we worked closely with the Supersonic team to optimize features like placement, timing, and reward type. They suggested implementing a money truck, for example, that users could unlock through a rewarded video to earn more money.
Another RV let users upgrade the buildings on the side of the roads to generate more cash.
While improving our rewarded video strategy, we also worked on the game’s balance. This is important for RV monetization, in particular, because we needed to make the game challenging enough to encourage users to engage with rewarded videos and progress - but also avoid frustrating users with a difficulty level that was too high.
"We needed to make the game challenging enough to encourage users to engage with rewarded videos - but also avoid frustrating users with a difficulty level that was too high."
- Yusuf YILDIRIM, Founder of Mood Games
Making both monetization and in-game tweaks led to incredible results for our rewarded video strategy - the average RV engagement rate per user on D0 was 10-11.
The Supersonic team also suggested running A/B tests mostly focused on optimizing ARPU. For example, we tested a new look for the start of the game. Previously, we used a very clean, minimalist environment. But a creative with a forest environment performed well, so Supersonic suggested testing a version using this theme - the new starting look led to a 7% increase in D7 ARPU.
Improving the gameplay alongside monetization optimizations set us up for a successful launch. We earned significant profit very quickly - even after launch, we’re continuing to scale the game and increase profit together with Supersonic.
Continuing to improve ARPU post-launch
Since launch, we’re continuing to A/B test with the Supersonic team and optimize our monetization strategy. We tested a more expensive economy, which made the costs of progressing and upgrading higher for users - it led to a 9% increase in D7 ARPU. Also, seeing how well RV performed, the Supersonic team suggested introducing in-app purchases to create more revenue opportunities with our engaged user base. So far, IAPs have on average a 10% - 12% SOV - and we’re continuing to grow that.
Meanwhile, on the in-game side we’re working on the balance of gameplay and testing new features that enhance depth, like a car accident and construction that users need to deal with. These are helping us continue to boost LTV.
Throughout the publishing process, we’ve really enjoyed using the tools on the Supersonic dashboard to track our game’s performance on all sides.
"We’ve really enjoyed using the tools on the Supersonic dashboard to track our game’s performance on all sides."
- Yusuf YILDIRIM, Founder of Mood Games
Using the Finance section in LiveGames, we’re able to look at ARPU per user cohort and see how well we’re monetizing and engaging users. We also look at the Top Creatives section to view which ads are driving the most installs and pick out what’s working. And checking the A/B testing platform, we can see the tests currently running and their impacts on the game.
This level of transparency lets us stay updated on our game at all times so we can make better optimization decisions, build a knowledge base, and stay aligned both internally and with the Supersonic team.
Another part I really enjoy about partnering with Supersonic is the participation of their entire team. We didn’t just communicate with our Publishing Manager - many other Supersonic team members joined the conversation and shared their feedback and expertise as we grew the game. They also made it very clear their expectations at each step and always offered their support.
As we continue optimizing Traffic Jam Fever together, I know I can count on the Supersonic team to help us maximize profit and improve in-game metrics for the kind of sustained success that’s usually a challenge in the idle clicker genre.
"I know I can count on the Supersonic team to help us maximize profit and improve LTV to achieve a level of sustained success that’s usually a challenge in the idle clicker genre."
- Yusuf YILDIRIM, Founder of Mood Games
As for the future, we’re looking forward to the next game we can grow into a hit together.
Let's put these tips to good use
Publish your game with Supersonic
