Author | Lightnews

Hybrid casual games report card: Puzzle takes >60% rev in Q3

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · 9d

Hybrid casual games report card: Puzzle takes >60% rev in Q3

Top-10 teardown: rank, genre mix, rev$, downloads, design takeaways.

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/hybrid-cas...

#Hybridcasual #GameDev #GameIndustry

Top-10 teardown: rank, genre mix, rev$, downloads, design takeaways. 378#

💰 $180M+ poured into gaming this week, here’s where the money went

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · 11d

Excited to be part of IGDC 2025 as a Supporting Partner!

Looking forward to connecting with friends, peers, and studios this November.

Wishing everyone a Happy Deepavali ✨

#IGDC2025 #GameDevIndia #GameDevelopment

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Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · 12d

💰 $180M+ poured into gaming this week
– General Intuition $134M (AI gameplay training)
– Tilting Point x Quiet $30M/yr creator fund
– ego AI $6.7M (human-like NPCs).....

Full roundup → businessofgames.icartic.com/p/180m-poure...

#GameFunding #GameIndustry #GameInvestments #gamedev

Covering gaming startups, creator funds, game studio raises, and new UGC expansions [2nd Week of October 2025], 377#

💰 $176M+ poured into gaming this week, here’s where the money went

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · 19d

$176M+ invested in gaming this week
– Kakao Games $111M
– Sbarter €40M blockchain skill gaming
– PolyDream $500K (Azerbaijan).......

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/176m-poure...

#GameFunding #GameIndustry #GameInvestments #gamedev

Covering investments, acquisitions, AI tools, studio launches, and industry shifts [First Week of Oct 2025] 376#

💰 $121M+ poured into gaming this week, here’s where the money went

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · 25d

💰 $121M+ poured into gaming this week 🧵

- Cypher Games secures $30M Series A
- Ambrus Studio raises $15M
- KGeN raises $13.5M.......

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/121m-poure...

#GameFunding #GameIndustry #GameInvestments #gamedev

Covering investments, acquisitions, AI tools, studio launches, and industry shifts [last Week of September 2025] 374#

💰 $61B+ poured into gaming this week, here’s where the money went

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Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Sep 29

💰 $61B+ poured into gaming this week 🧵

- Nilo raises $4M
- Midwest Games secures up to $2M from Prevail Private
- Capital LocusX raises $2.1M for AI-powered bug-fixing tools.......

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/61b-poured...

#GameFunding #GameIndustry #GameInvestments #gamedev

Covering investments, acquisitions, AI tools, studio launches, and industry shifts [4th Week of September 2025] 373#

GDC → Festival of Gaming: smart reset or just a re-skin?

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Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Sep 24

Ballot to wallet.

Subscription cancellations are the new protest march.
Our rights live inside our wallets now.

#JimmyKimmelLive

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Sep 23

GDC → Festival of Gaming: smart reset or just a re-skin?

New logo, one access, bigger vibes… but will the core be any different.

#GDC2026 #FestivalofGaming #GameDev

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/gdc-festiv...

New logo, one access, bigger vibes… but will the core be any different. 372#

💰 $160M+ poured into gaming this week, here’s where the money went

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Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Sep 22

$160M+ in gaming deals last week 🧵

– Lingokids raises $120M for interactive learning app 📚
– AppQuantum launches $10M fund for mobile studios 📱
– Verve acquires Captify in $30.3M deal.......

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/160m-poure...

#GameFunding #GameIndustry #GameInvestments #gamedev

Covering game studio funding, acquisitions, UGC updates, and learning apps [3rd Week of September 2025], 371#

The Click Moved, PPC ≠ Dead

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Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Sep 19

The Click Moved. PPC ≠ Dead.

Chrome AI is answering in the omnibox, compressing journeys + reducing classic SERP clicks.

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/the-click-...

#SEO #PPC #chromeAI

Chrome AI is rewriting PPC journeys, 370#

What dominated global charts in Aug?

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Sep 18

What dominated global charts in Aug?

Top Games of August 2025 – Downloads vs. Revenue.

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/what-domin...

#GameDev

Top Games of August 2025 – Downloads vs. Revenue, 369#

💰 $19M+ poured into gaming this week, here’s where the money went

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Sep 15

$19M+ in gaming funding last week

>> Born (Pengu app maker) raises $15M
>> LocusX raises $3M seed for AI debugging tools...... (more)

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/19m-poured...

#GameFunding #AIGames #GamingStartups #GameIndustry #gamedev

Covering gaming startup funding, AI game tools, indie publishers, and service expansion [2nd Week of September 2025], 367#

Trending Game Spotlight: NYT Pips

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Sep 10

Trending Game Spotlight: NYT Pips
Can you tap into UA trends with Pips?

Pips as a mini-games = retention fuel + streak boosters + UA hooks

Would you integrate one into your live-ops title?

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/trending-g...

#GameDev #MobileGames #UATrends

Can you tap into UA trends with Pips? 366#

💰 $255M+ poured into gaming this week, here’s where the money went

3 10

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Sep 8

$255M+ in gaming deals this week
– Aonic acquires Prime Insights ($250M)
– Classy, Symmetric, Thirdverse & GLHF raise fresh rounds
– Exel by Merak invests in 17 gaming startups.......

More → businessofgames.icartic.com/p/255m-poure...

#GameFunding #GameIndustry #GameDevelopment

Covering gaming startup funding, AI game studios, investments, partnerships [Sept 1st week] 365#

💰 $250M+ poured into gaming last 3 weeks, here’s where the money went

1

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Sep 1

$250M+ in game funding (last 3 weeks)
– Appcharge $58M
– Lumikai $50M
– Shrapnel $19.5M
– Fateless $22M total
– Duolingo acquires NextBeat
– Blackbird acquires Hardspace: Shipbreaker

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/250m-poure...

Covering gaming startup funding, AI game studios, investments, partnerships [last 3 weeks in August] 364#

💰 $77M+ poured into gaming last week, here’s where the money went

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Aug 28

First Gamescom wrapped

• B2C = electric; B2B full of publishers/devs/services
• Unreal > Unity sentiment (vs India)
• Many teams parking own titles to extend runway
• UA budgets active → performance-led over equity

#Gamescom2025 #GameDev

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Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Aug 11

💰 $77M+ poured into gaming last week, here’s where the money went

Covering gaming startup funding, AI game studios, investments, partnerships [Week of August 5, 2025] 362#

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/77m-poured...

#GameDev #GameFunding

Covering gaming startup funding, AI game studios, investments, partnerships [Week of August 5, 2025] 362#

Google is proposing RMG games in PlayStore — do we even need it in APK-first India

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Aug 7

Google is proposing RMG games in PlayStore — do we even need in APK-first India

One financial controversy with an RMG app, and state government/s may respond with blanket bans.....

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/google-is-...

#IndieDevIndia #GameDev #PlayStorePolicy #RealMoneyGaming #MobileGames

RMG should uplift, not threaten the ecosystem, 361#

💰 $78M+ poured into gaming last week, let’s break down where and why

3 6

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Aug 4

$78M+ in game funding (July 29th week)

>> Inutan Studios raises $5M to expand its hybrid-casual portfolio
>> JECO secures $1.3M to streamline game development + creative pipelines....

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/78m-poured...

#funding #gamedev

Covering gaming startup funding, AI game studios, investments, partnerships [Week of July 29, 2025] 350#

LiveOps Benchmarks: Top Casual Hits Now Run 97 Events a Month

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Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Jul 31

LiveOps Benchmarks: Top Casual Hits Now Run 97 Events a Month.

Did you know race mechanics headline 70% of the charts?

Steal these LiveOps benchmarks.

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/liveops-be...

#MobileGames #LiveOps #GameEconomy #GameIndustry ##GameData

Did you know race mechanics headline 70% of the charts? Steal these LiveOps benchmarks, 358#

$500M+ Poured Into Gaming — Weekly Roundup (Week of July 21, 2025)

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Jul 29

Rundown of last week’s top stories #gameindustry

From Telegram’s crypto wallet launching in the U.S., to Nintendo Switch driving a 249% spike in U.S. console sale, Stillfront shuts down Super Free Games in a portfolio reset.....

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/500m-poure...

#gaming #gameindustry

Covering AI-native studios, crowdfunding shakeups, and big publisher moves [Week of July 21, 2025], 357#

$500M+ Poured Into Gaming — Weekly Roundup (Week of July 21, 2025)

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Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Jul 28

$500M+ in game funding (July 4th week)

>> Supercell backs GenAI studio
>> Sony invests $462M in Bandai Namco.... (more)

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/500m-poure...

#funding #gamedev

Covering AI-native studios, crowdfunding shakeups, and big publisher moves [Week of July 21, 2025], 357#

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Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Jul 28

I’ll be at Gamescom this August (18–23)—meeting with old friends and hoping to make some new ones!

If you’re attending and want to talk games, co-development, partnerships, or just swap stories over coffee, I’d love to connect.

Drop me a message — let’s meet up! 👋

#Gamescom #GameDev #GameIndustry

Candy-crushing reality check

Cartic P @icartic.bsky.social · Jul 25

Candy-crushing reality check, the AI we trained is now taking our seats.

If we don’t hustle, learn, and experiment now, we may not get the chance later.

What skill are you doubling down.

businessofgames.icartic.com/p/candy-crus...

#AI #gamedev

The AI we trained is now taking our seats, 356#