Blog

Stories from the field

Notes from the team — what we learn building AI monetization for Unity and Unreal studios.

• Aug 8, 2026 · 4 min read

  What a healthy first-week economy actually looks like

  The first week sets a player's understanding of what things cost and whether earning is worthwhile. Most of the damage done here is invisible until much later.

• Aug 1, 2026 · 4 min read

  The second session predicts what the first one cannot

  First-session analysis dominates onboarding work. The second session is where a player decides the game is a thing they do, and it behaves very differently.

• Jun 25, 2026 · 6 min read

  The first five minutes decide whether a player ever returns

  Players quit in five to fifteen minutes if the value is not obvious. Here is what the early game must prove and the depth that holds them past day 30

• Jun 20, 2026 · 6 min read

  First-session funnel: measuring early player drop-off

  Treating your first session as a conversion funnel reveals exactly where players drop off, and which early-game fixes actually move D1 retention

• Jun 16, 2026 · 7 min read

  Notification permission timing: when to ask, not what to say

  Most studios ask for notification permission in the first five minutes. That's why their permission rates are low. Here is when to ask instead.

• Jun 6, 2026 · 7 min read

  Tutorial vs onboarding: the distinction that matters

  A tutorial teaches mechanics. Onboarding builds the relationship between player and game. Confusing the two is the most common cause of D1 drop-off.