Blog
Stories from the field
Notes from the team — what we learn building AI monetization for Unity and Unreal studios.
Aug 11, 2026 · 4 min read
Designing a game economy that has to last five years
Most economies are designed for launch and then patched forever. A few decisions made at the start determine whether the game can still be tuned in year four.
Aug 6, 2026 · 4 min read
Sink placement: front-loaded or back-loaded progression
Where you put the expensive things in a progression curve decides who reaches them, and whether the economy holds together for long-tenured players.
Aug 3, 2026 · 4 min read
Players who never spend are still worth designing for
Most of your players will never buy anything. Treating them as failed conversions costs you the thing they actually provide, which is not nothing.
Jul 27, 2026 · 5 min read
Progression walls and where the paying decision happens
Players rarely decide to spend while looking at a store. They decide at the moment the game stops them, and the store visit is the consequence.
Jul 20, 2026 · 5 min read
Why energy systems aren't just a paywall in disguise
Stamina and energy systems get framed purely as a spend gate. They're also doing a pacing job most studios never give them credit for.
Jul 20, 2026 · 5 min read
AI NPC dialogue: the risk nobody shows in the demo
AI-generated NPC dialogue can now respond to things no writer scripted. It can also go off-brand just as easily. Here's how to bound the risk.
Jul 19, 2026 · 4 min read
Why some mobile games run three or more currencies
Games used to run one soft and one hard currency. Now many run a dozen. Here's the design logic, and where it turns from clarity into confusion.
Jul 11, 2026 · 4 min read
Mid-core and casual monetization run on different logic
A pricing and offer playbook built for a casual puzzle game underperforms in a mid-core RPG, and the reverse is just as true. Here's why they diverge
Jul 8, 2026 · 4 min read
Guild systems are a monetization layer, not just social glue
Guilds are usually built for retention and left there. Guild-scoped offers and collective goals turn social structure into a distinct revenue channel
Jul 8, 2026 · 4 min read
Gifting mechanics as a currency sink players don't resent
Most currency sinks feel like a tax. A well-designed gifting system removes currency from the economy while making players feel generous, not gated
Jul 6, 2026 · 5 min read
Live-ops calendars that outlast the person who built them
A live-ops calendar built as one-off events dies when its owner leaves. Templated events survive team turnover and cut event-prep time in half.
Jul 2, 2026 · 5 min read
Catch-up mechanics close the returning player's gap
A returning player's biggest barrier is the progress gap that opened while they were gone. Catch-up mechanics close it so re-onboarding has a chance.