Introduction
The world of hyper-casual and casual games continues to transform for survival. Users are no longer satisfied with simple “match-3” and tower defense games, prompting developers to incorporate deeper gameplay and diverse progression into “stand and shoot” games. As a result of this evolution, a new game has emerged—BangBang Survivor.
BangBang Survivor is a casual role-playing shooting mobile game with tower defense elements in a roguelike style, published globally by the SPGame studio. Many in the gamedev community compare BangBang Survivor to Doodle Magic, and for a good reason, as there’s a more intriguing truth hidden here. Doodle Magic was developed by MOREFUN (H.K.) LIMITED, a subsidiary of a conglomerate. The same gaming company from Shenzhen, China, the tech giant Tencent, is behind the release of both games.
In January 2024, the Chinese version of BangBang Survivor was launched as a mini-game on WeChat. Subsequently, in April, partnerships with SPGame and MG.OL were established for global publication. SPGame handles the game worldwide, except for China and Southeast Asia (SEA), while MG.OL specifically manages the SEA region.
On April 25, 2024, MG.OL released BangBang Survivor under the name Zombies Boom, and on May 6, the game was launched globally under its more popular name, BangBang Survivor, by SPGame.
In BangBang Survivor, players fight in a post-apocalyptic world against hordes of zombies and other mutated creatures with their personal robot, Morph. The essence of the game is to prevent zombies from breaching the barricades, destroying them with the hero’s firearms and the diverse skills of the droid.
Game Design Review
Concept and Gameplay
The problem with many contemporary games, including BangBang Survivor, is the lack of available information. There are no guides from developers, no descriptions of skills and abilities, and no clear understanding of level progression or skill trees. Players are left to discover this information through trial and error, which can lead to a negative experience. BangBang Survivor is no exception, as finding crucial information is almost impossible.
In BangBang Survivor, players are in for a long haul, with levels reaching up to 200. The developers have clearly invested considerable effort to create an impressive number of levels to ensure the game doesn’t need content updates for a long time. Alternatively, it could be just numbers, with the actual levels to be added later.
In the Research Lab building of the base, players can view only 75 unique enemies (32 mobs, 32 elites, 11 bosses), and by level 13, players will have already encountered (and received rewards for) 25 enemies (13 mobs, 11 elites, 1 boss). This means that after only 6.5% of the game, 33% of the enemies have been unlocked, suggesting that while 200 rounds are drawn, they might not all exist yet. Consequently, the game’s content might be exhausted after a month or two of active play.
During gameplay, BangBang Survivor offers two difficulty levels: Common and Elite. Common mode is a single-player experience where players progress through levels, earning rewards and experience. Common levels have three reward tiers:
- Cleared: Rewards plus the ability to attempt the level in Elite mode and access to the next level.
- Clear at 50% HP: More rewards than the first clear.
- Perfect Clear: Maximum rewards.
Each new level introduces more difficult enemies. For instance, the base HP of a mob at level 1 might be 300, but it will increase in subsequent levels. Although exact data on enemy stats isn’t available, the game likely uses geometric or another mathematical progression. Consequently, players need to upgrade their heroes and skills, necessitating the improvement of their robot and gear.
Elite levels become accessible after completing the corresponding Common level and can be played solo or in a team of two. Players can invite friends or share a link in the in-game chat for others to join. Elite levels feature stronger enemies and more mobs, sometimes even including more powerful elite or boss mobs.
Besides the routine levels, players can engage in three other game modes in the Training Hall (part of the personal base): Abyss Challenge, World Rescue, and Apocalypse.
Abyss Challenge: Features endless waves of mobs with an ultra-strong final boss. Players have three attempts per day, which can be replenished starting from 50 diamonds. During the battle, all abilities and progressions are unlocked, and mobs have three unique buffs (e.g., 30% fire resistance, health regeneration). The goal is to survive as long as possible to earn resources for improving personal defenses, such as fortifying barricades, adding mines, and increasing damage. The “fort” level has 108 upgrade levels, allowing nearly endless improvements. This mode also features a leaderboard with rewards.
World Rescue: Similar to Common and Elite battles but with 20 levels. Mobs are stronger and have three unique attributes like in Abyss Challenge. Tickets for this mode can be purchased in the legion shop, costing 10 stamina. Two players participate and can earn diamonds and legendary equipment. This mode has a weekly leaderboard that resets every Monday.
Apocalypse: Players fight bosses and this mode unlocks at level 40.
For team play, players can join Legions, which offer functions such as a hall, shop, external challenges, missions, daily trades, and gifts. The shop allows players to purchase items with legion coins and trade skill scrolls. Missions involve completing daily tasks for rewards. Gifts involve donating diamonds to earn legion coins. The hall is an overview window of the legion, and external challenges allow players to fight bosses at specific times for rewards.
As mentioned earlier, each player has a base with buildings like the Academy, Defense Line, Training Hall, Mess Hall, and Rankings. The Defense Line is crucial for upgrading fortifications, and the Training Hall offers the three additional modes (Abyss Challenge, World Rescue, Apocalypse).
Gameplay mechanics
Gameplay and Mob Battle Mechanics in the Classic Model (Common & Elite):
- Players face hordes of monsters up to level 20 (approximately 6 minutes at x1 speed). For the Common difficulty, once a level is completed, players can replay it at x1.5 speed (or x2 with the purchase of a Privilege Card).
- At each achieved level (1, 2, … 20), players select one additional ability or enhancement of an existing one.
- Firearms, which can be upgraded during the battle (e.g., additional bullets, bullet ricochets, explosive bullets), and 4 abilities for the Morph robot are used in combat. Players choose 1 out of 3 offered abilities (in Common difficulty, players can change the offered abilities or upgrades once per battle to select more suitable ones).
- The game features a patrol function, which passively collects gold coins and resources regardless of player activity. Collection productivity is calculated based on the highest completed level in Common difficulty. The patrol collects resources for a maximum of 8 hours (12 hours with a Diamond Card and +30% drop). Additionally, there is an active “Quick Patrol” function, allowing players to collect rewards for 5 stamina as if they completed the last cleared level in Common difficulty.
- Elite battles are the most profitable in terms of stamina, offering more gold (+100) and better drops (more valuable equipment, other rewards). Experience from patrols, Common, and Elite levels is the same, at 15 units per level.
- Every 5 levels, there is a noticeable increase in difficulty, preventing players from jumping from level 3 to level 16 abruptly. Instead, it requires gradual play, accumulating drops and strength incrementally.
The gameplay model is straightforward: play more to be the best. There is variety, passive drop collection through patrols, and the use of all stamina at once through quick patrols.
The main mechanics include weekly and monthly updated events where players strive to achieve the highest rankings for unique rewards. While the game may currently seem endlessly repetitive, it is hoped that developers will introduce greater variety to prevent BangBang Survivor from becoming monotonous.
Role-Playing System and Character Development
BangBang Survivor offers a wide range of improvements for character development:
- Hero equipment ranges from Tier 1 to Tier 18 (potentially more in the future).
- Hero equipment quality ranges from Common to Supreme, with 7 levels.
- Hero equipment has sub-qualities (Common to Fine), upgraded using Craft Stones.
- Up to 5 different Gems (ranging from Common to Supreme) can be embedded in hero equipment.
- The Gun development branch of the character is upgraded using Gun Blueprints.
- Variations of the character’s weapons add 10-20% weapon damage and have 3 rarity levels.
- Special character skins enhance specific skills and add attack power.
- Development of the personal robot Morph and its skills (13 skills with 31 levels each) using Gold Coins and individual Skill Manuals.
- Skins for Morph that increase damage, critical damage, and enhance specific skills.
Assessing the maximum level of parameters and skills is irrelevant, as development is nearly endless and costly. Only the hero’s equipment has over 1,500 variations, not to mention gems, the robot, and more.
In short, the game is packed with numerous character development and monetization options for years to come. For small purchase packages, up to $100, players can get skins in Special Offers, many Gems through Premium Pass in Pass Events, and more. This provides about a two-week boost for active play to be in the top ranks, but further progression requires geometric spending, as upgrades are virtually endless.
Technical Implementation of BangBang Survivor
Overall, the game is well-made and operates smoothly, but there are some issues that should not be present given the game’s level of revenue.
Update Issues
When updating the game, users often encounter significant problems. The auto-update feature seems to malfunction or have obvious errors in finding new versions. Upon entering the game, a pop-up message might inform the player of a new version and instruct them to restart the application manually. When the player clicks “OK,” the game crashes without an automatic restart.
After the player clicks on the game icon again, the update process begins. Even for an update size of just 6 MB, the game seems to perform complex calculations, making the update process take around 30 seconds. Following this, the game crashes once more, and only after another manual restart can the player resume enjoying BangBang Survivor.
Performance and Connectivity Issues
During gameplay, noticeable lags and connectivity issues have been observed. After re-entering the game, the buttons may become unresponsive for 30-40 seconds, forcing the player to repeatedly tap them until they respond and the game can continue. When the player Alt-tabs out of the game to another application (such as reading a message or checking the weather), similar functionality lags and prolonged reconnection times can occur upon returning to the game.
Game Economy
BangBang Survivor employs a free-to-play model with an extensive system of in-game purchases, ads, and a plethora of time-limited events.
The game uses a relatively simple and compact in-game economy. The main resources are diamonds, gold coins (coins), and stamina. Diamonds are the hard currency, purchasable with real money or earned through various achievements. Diamonds can buy upgrade packages, stamina, and more. Coins are the soft currency used to upgrade skills, hero weapons, and other items. Stamina is a consumable energy resource for actions in the game, purchasable with diamonds (limited amount), by watching in-game ads, or even in the cafeteria from an anime-style waitress-cook.
While hyper-casual games strive to integrate deeper gameplay, game development studios from East Asia (China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, and others) incorporate various monetization models into these games.
Thus, BangBang Survivor exemplifies aggressive monetization in modern mobile game development. In this analysis, we will examine various aspects of the in-game economy, including diamonds, gold, materials, chests, passes, and special offers, to understand how these elements affect gameplay and user experience.
For detailed in-game economy information, head to this Excel file where we’ve detailed every bit of this game’s economy: see it here.
Diamonds
Diamonds are the main premium currency in the game. Purchasing them with real money is a key aspect of monetization. Diamonds can also be earned by discovering new monsters in the Research Lab (10/50/100 for Mob/Elite/BOSS respectively), watching ads, and receiving other rewards.
| Top-up Diamond Shop | Cost | Diamonds | |||
| $ | Number of | Cost per $ | Profit (%) | ||
| Top-up | Diamond Shop | 0,99 | 60 | 60,61 | 0% |
| 4,99 | 330 | 66,13 | 9,12 | ||
| 9,99 | 750 | 75,08 | 23,87 | ||
| 19,99 | 1480 | 74,04 | 22,16 | ||
| 49,99 | 3780 | 75,62 | 24,76 | ||
| 99,99 | 7780 | 77,81 | 28,38 | ||
| Average cost per $1: | 76,26 | ||||
An analysis of the cost shows that as the purchase amount increases, the number of diamonds received also increases. However, the $19.99 package appears to be an anomaly. At first glance, this package seems like a logical continuation of previous packages, but a deeper look raises questions.
The $19.99 package has a lower diamond cost per dollar than the $9.99 package. This means that for $19.99, players get fewer diamonds per dollar than for $9.99. This phenomenon is called “broken profit” and can significantly affect the perceived value of offers.
We see a clear disproportion in the profit/quantity of diamond packages. Players expect more bonuses for higher packages, but the profit percentage of packages ranges from 23.87% to 28.38%, despite the price increasing up to 10 times. Developers have focused on the first three packages to earn minimal profits through microtransactions and player psychology, but they have done nothing for players with greater spending potential.
The average cost of 76.26 diamonds per dollar is quite high, especially for players who want to make small purchases. This can deter potential buyers and reduce engagement with the game.
Gold Coins
Gold is the main in-game currency used for all possible upgrades and crafting. We calculated the cost of gold in diamonds, with the average cost of 1 diamond equaling 12.24 gold coins.
| Gold Coin Shop | Cost | Gold Coin | ||
| Diamonds | Number of | Cost | ||
| Resources | Gold Coin Shop | Adv | 500 | Free |
| Daily | 300 | Free | ||
| 90 | 1000 | 11,11 | ||
| 400 | 5000 | 12,50 | ||
| Average cost per 1 Diamond: | 12,24 | |||
At first glance, the exchange rate seems reasonable, but comparing the gaming experience with such a rate changes the perspective. To productively earn gold in the game, players need to play Elite levels, not Common levels with x2 acceleration and especially not Patrolling. The latter two game modes yield 100 units of gold less, and at around level 10+, this amounts to approximately 40% less gold.
The only problem with the Elite game mode is that players need to monotonously complete each round for those extra 100 gold coins every 6 minutes. While the drop rate is also better, this monotony, combined with the fact that players can buy a considerable amount of stamina, means they can play about 120 matches per day, equating to 720 minutes or 12 hours of gameplay! This suggests that the game’s monetization model for this in-game currency is designed to encourage players to buy diamonds (which also have a suboptimal profit margin) to convert into gold through the shop. This is yet another proof of aggressive monetization in BangBang Survivor.
Materials
РVarious materials for upgrading hero equipment, firearms, personal defense, and more also have their value equivalent in diamonds.
| Cost | Gear Blueprint | Skill Manual | Recruitment Order | Enhancement Potion | Building Material | Building Powerder | Gun Blueprint | |||||||||
| Diamonds | № | Cost | № | Cost | № | Cost | № | Cost | № | Cost | № | Cost | № | Cost | ||
| Material Shop | 100 | 10 | 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 100 | – | – | 100 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 30 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 30 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 100 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | 10 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 30 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 30 | – | – | ||
| 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | 1 | ||
These resources are crucial in the game since without upgrading equipment, it will be very difficult to defeat increasingly stronger mobs in the future. The price of such materials relative to diamonds seems low, and their required quantity accumulates organically during the game.
This is one of the few relatively balanced in-game resources, although in games like Genshin Impact (not a direct competitor), players have more opportunities to obtain resources without significant financial investments, making the gameplay more enjoyable and less costly. It is likely that after 5-7 days of playing, the number of required materials will be significantly higher than what is available from drops.
Monthly Premium Subscriptions
The game offers two types of monthly premium subscriptions: Diamond Card and Privilege Card. There is no significant difference between the subscriptions, but splitting all benefits into two packages helps developers earn more, as some players may choose only one for $5 instead of buying both for $10.
Diamond Card
- Price: $4.99 per month
- Privileges:
- End Times Crisis Purchase +1: Additional purchase in crisis mode.
- Abyss Challenge Purchase +1: Additional purchase in abyss challenge mode.
- Battle Arena Purchase +2: Two additional purchases in battle arena.
- Additional 30% patrol rewards.
- Patrol reward duration +50% (from 8 to 12 hours).
- Daily rewards:
- 30 diamonds;
- 300 gold coins;
- 5 Gear Blueprints;
- 30 Skill Manuals.
Privilege Card
- Price: $4.99 per month
- Privileges:
- Ad-free experience for receiving additional rewards (many ads, very convenient adblock).
- Increases Max Stamina by 20.
- Cleared stages and abyss 2x speed (default is 1.5x).
- Unlimited quick patrol.
- Legion Contribution Times +1.
Comparison:
The Diamond Card is more focused on increasing rewards for various activities such as patrolling and battle arena, and it provides daily rewards. The Privilege Card focuses on improving gameplay convenience: ad-free experience, increased energy reserve, doubled speed for cleared stages and abyss, unlimited quick patrol, and additional legion participation. Essentially, it compensates for the lack of time for unnecessary waiting.
The choice between these subscriptions depends on the player’s preferences: if daily rewards and increased activity rewards are important, choose the Diamond Card. If convenience and speeding up the gameplay process are more important, the Privilege Card is the better choice.
The cost of diamonds and gold (metrics) shows that 1 diamond is worth 10 coins, and for $1, you can buy 30 artifact upgrade blueprints or 180 skill enhancement scrolls.
| Cost | Diamonds | Gold Coins | Gear Blueprints | Skill Manuals |
| $4.99 | 900 | 9000 | 150 | 900 |
| $1 | 180.36 | 1803.60 | 30.06 | 180.36 |
Chests
In-game economy plays a crucial role in the gameplay, especially when it comes to the chest system and the probabilistic dropping of items. We calculated the probable cost of items from Common and Brilliant Chests, keys to which can be purchased for 50 and 250 diamonds, respectively.
The main idea is to use inverse probability to assess the relative value of items. The rarer the item, the higher its value. To do this, we determine the value of each item as the inverse of its drop probability, then normalize these values relative to one item. Next, we calculate the expected value of the chest, allowing us to determine logical prices for each item.
- Definition of probabilities and calculation of inverse probabilities:
- Item value = 1P, where P is the probability of the item dropping.
- Normalization of values relative to one item.
- Calculation of the expected value of the chest:
EV=i=1NPiVi
where Pi – is the probability of the item dropping, Vi – is the normalized value of the item.
- Calculation of logical item prices:
Item Pricei=Chest CostViEV
Table 1: Chest for 50 Diamonds
| Item | Probability (%) | Probability | Inverse Probability | Normalized Value | Price (Diamonds) |
| Random Common Gem | 60.00% | 0.60 | 1.67 | 1.00 | 16.69 |
| Random Fine Gem | 30.00% | 0.30 | 3.33 | 2.00 | 33.38 |
| Random Rare Gem | 9.85% | 0.0985 | 10.15 | 6.07 | 101.24 |
| Random Epic Gem | 0.10% | 0.001 | 1000.00 | 598.80 | 9986.99 |
| Random Legendary Gem | 0.05% | 0.0005 | 2000.00 | 1197.60 | 19973.99 |
Table 2: Chest for 250 Diamonds
| Item | Probability (%) | Probability | Inverse Probability | Normalized Value | Price (Diamonds) |
| Random Fine Gem | 60.00% | 0.60 | 1.67 | 1.00 | 42.28 |
| Random Rare Gem | 30.00% | 0.30 | 3.33 | 2.00 | 84.57 |
| Random Epic Gem | 8.50% | 0.085 | 11.76 | 7.04 | 297.68 |
| Random Legendary Gem | 0.78% | 0.0078 | 128.21 | 76.74 | 3247.54 |
| Random Peerless Gem | 0.08% | 0.0008 | 1250.00 | 749.25 | 31706.69 |
| Random Supreme Gem | 0.02% | 0.0002 | 5000.00 | 2995.00 | 126588.55 |
| Legendary Core Skin | 0.40% | 0.004 | 250.00 | 149.7 | 6337.8 |
| Peerless Core Skin | 0.04% | 0.0004 | 2500.00 | 1497.01 | 63370.08 |
| Legendary Character Skin | 0.16% | 0.0016 | 625.00 | 374.63 | 15832.12 |
| Peerless Character Skin | 0.02% | 0.0002 | 5000.00 | 2995.00 | 126588.55 |
This analysis shows a significant disproportion between item prices and drop probabilities, indicating an excessively aggressive monetization strategy. High prices for rare items create a barrier for most players, possibly pushing them to constantly purchase chests in hopes of rare luck, which can lead to dissatisfaction and a sense of unfairness within the gaming community. This could result in players leaving the game, feeling that their spending does not justify the results.
Passes and Special Offers
Passes and Special Offers are also a significant feature of Southeast Asian developers, including BangBang Survivor. The number of these offers in the game is incredible, sometimes confusing players due to their different locations and quantities.
| Event | Type | Price | Items | Total price in equivalent | ||||||||
| Brill | Gold Coins | Brill Chest Key | Engineer Blueprint | Building Material | Building Powder | Renew Reagent | Gun Blueprint | Diamonds | Profit per $, % | |||
| Pass Event | Mid Pass | $4,99 | 300 | 54000 | 13 | – | – | – | – | – | 7960,00 | 1595 |
| Prem Pass | $14,99 | 980 | – | 98 | – | – | – | – | – | 25480 | 1700 | |
| Abyss Pass | Super Pass | 680 brilliants | – | 10000 | 10 | 50 (~20, we don’t know their cost) | 100 | 30 | – | – | 28716,7 | 4223 per Pack’s Price |
| Level Fund | Adv | $9,99 | 680 | 20000 | 20 | – | – | – | 48 | – | 18161 | 1818 |
| Battle Plan | Adv | $1,99 | 120 | – | 2 | – | – | 10 | 12 | 100 | 2992 | 1504 |
| Abyss Pass gives you the opportunity to receive increased rewards for passing the appropriate fashion in the game. It is a complex mod by itself and we won’t calculate it in Average Profit. | ||||||||||||
| Average Profit in Diamond’s equivalent per Event’s Passes per $1 ~ 1654. | ||||||||||||
Link for Special Offer’s Sheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_348Se9-ONBv9fdwhffQdIgYoJQt4t85aginM-M52UY/edit?usp=sharing
Despite these offers seeming advantageous at first glance, their real value in diamonds might be overestimated, reducing their attractiveness. In other competing games, similar prices offer more rewards, indicating either a deliberate desire of the developer to earn more and miss player engagement or incompetence of game designers in the game’s economy. We hope for balance adjustments in future updates.
Conclusion
BangBang Survivor manipulates prices and discounts to create an illusion of value for the player. For example, passes and packages may offer “discounts” that are not actual discounts. This is done to push players to buy, creating a sense that they are getting a lot for their money.
For instance, the pass table clearly shows that some discounts do not match the actual value of items. The $19.99 package offers a lower profit than the $9.99 package, which disrupts pricing logic. This might be a strategic move to highlight more expensive packages as more profitable compared to intermediate options.
Prices for higher packages might be inflated to make cheaper packages seem more advantageous. This psychological trick is known as the “anchor effect.”
Developers also use the rarity of items and limited-time offers to encourage immediate purchases. This creates a sense of urgency and fear of missing out on valuable items.
Prices for gold coins and diamonds can vary depending on the store or package. For example, gold coins might be cheaper in special offers but more expensive in permanent shops. This forces players to monitor promotions and events to get the best deals.
The cost of materials and chests is often inflated, especially for rare items. The probability system used to determine item value often leads to significant disproportions, making rare items extremely expensive.
An analysis of resource and item prices in BangBang Survivor shows that developers actively use various monetization strategies to maximize profits. Prices are often inflated and not always logically justified, which can lead to player dissatisfaction.
Comparisons with other games like Genshin Impact and Clash of Clans show that there are many approaches to monetization, and more balanced methods can lead to greater player satisfaction and long-term loyalty to the game. However, based on this in-game economic analysis, BangBang Survivor’s player engagement is likely to decline over time, making the game relevant not for decades, but for 1-2 seasons to collect “seed money.” On the other hand, what else are casual games for developers?
Product Analysis
Key Metrics
BangBang Survivor has received fairly high ratings from players, with an average of 4.3 stars out of 5 from 77,645 votes. Since the game has multiple versions from different publishers targeting various geographic regions, we cannot consider global metrics for BangBang Survivor alone. Therefore, we will also analyze Zombies Boom (rated 3.5/5 with 27,742 ratings).
We will examine key metrics based on available and insider data for both games:
- Number of Downloads:
- BangBang Survivor: Over 2 million lifetime downloads and more than 1 million downloads in the last 30 days.
- Zombies Boom: Over 2 million lifetime downloads and more than 1.5 million downloads in the first two weeks.
This indicates the presence of organic promotion and effective advertising, as the distribution of app downloads by country did not change significantly. Notably, the number of downloads exceeded 1.2 million within just two weeks after its release on May 6, 2024, and subsequently tripled within a month. The primary consumers of BangBang Survivor are Southeast Asian countries, such as Taiwan (15%), South Korea (12%), and Japan (12%). The United States also accounts for a high percentage of downloads (11%).
The strategy of releasing two identical games for different regions worked, though perhaps not as perfectly as intended. Fifty-four percent of BangBang Survivor downloads were from the rest of the world, while the remaining 46% were from Southeast Asia. In the case of Zombies Boom, all 100% of downloads came from Southeast Asia, with Vietnam (46%), Thailand (25%), and Indonesia (22%) leading the way.
Zombies Boom by MG.OL had a launch on par with its twin (1 to 1.8 million downloads), but the last 30 days show a clear decline in interest (just over 200,000 downloads).
- Revenue:
- The lifetime revenue from BangBang Survivor ranges between $5 to $10 million, with an average Revenue per Download (RpD) of $2.26 (Southeast Asia – $4.36, Rest of the World – $1.24).
- Zombies Boom has been less successful in terms of revenue, earning just over $200,000 in the first two weeks and over $500,000 in total lifetime revenue.
For BangBang Survivor, the revenue for the last 30 days remains the same (between $5 to $10 million), suggesting it might soon surpass the $10 million mark (though this is unlikely) or that it is experiencing a decline. The top four revenue-generating regions over the past 30 days and the entire lifetime have remained almost unchanged, with Taiwan (42%), South Korea (18%), Japan (14%), and Hong Kong (10%) leading. The rest of the world accounts for only 16% of the revenue.
Zombies Boom has an average Revenue per Download (RnD) of just $0.19, with the primary consumers of in-game premium features being Vietnam (54%), Thailand (26%), and Indonesia (12%).
- Peak Metrics:
- BangBang Survivor reached its peak download and revenue figures between May 15 and May 25, 2024. As the game was recently released, this surge is likely due to the advertising campaign that attracted the current players. Whether the studio will continue promoting the game depends on their internal analysis of all metrics.
- Zombies Boom, having launched earlier, was advertised from May 3 to May 16. After that, the game’s ratings decreased significantly (no more than 10), indicating an early end to and generally weak advertising for the game.
We cannot assert the exact reasons why the advertising campaign ceased, but we can highlight some clear facts:
- Organic traffic growth did not sustain and is declining, indicating that further marketing will be required to boost profits.
- Zombies Boom did not put in significant effort or did not see the expected response.
- The expectation might have been to rank in the top free or bestseller lists, but the highest positions the game reached were 471 and 192, respectively, meaning organic traffic was not very high.
- Comparison with Doodle Magic: Wizard vs Slime:
- BangBang Survivor has yet to reach the level of Doodle Magic in all aspects. Although released in November 2023, Doodle Magic has a significantly higher RpD of $5.45, which is 141% more than BangBang Survivor.
- Number of Downloads: Doodle Magic has over 2 million lifetime downloads. More notably, it has been downloaded over 100,000 times in the last 30 days, indicating a ~5% influx of new users each month.
- Revenue: Doodle Magic has achieved considerable success in revenue, surpassing the $20 million mark.
- Average Rating: The average rating of Doodle Magic is comparable to BangBang Survivor, with Doodle Magic having a rating of 4.1 out of 5 from 103,102 reviews.
Analysis of Other SPGame Games
SPGame has developed several successful games across various genres, showcasing their ability to create diverse products. However, all these games are designed specifically for and cater primarily to the SEA audience.
SPGame has released the following games:
- Key of Deity (聖鑰-與許瑋甯解鎖六神格)
- Release Date: Jun 07, 2022
- Revenue: Over $20 million
- Downloads: Over 500,000
- Exile: Avenging Fire (엑자일: 어벤징 파이어)
- Release Date: Sep 05, 2022
- Revenue: Over $10 million
- Downloads: Over 200,000
- Boom of Three Kingdoms (超爆三國志-送1000抽)
- Release Date: Nov 15, 2022
- Revenue: Over $10 million
- Downloads: Over 200,000
- City of Day & Night (暮色雙城)
- Release Date: Mar 6, 2023
- Revenue: Over $20 million
- Downloads: Over 500,000
- Immortal Soul (이모탈 소울)
- Release Date: Jan 23, 2023
- Revenue: Over $5 million
- Downloads: Over 200,000
- Saga of Forest (森之物語)
- Release Date: Jul 11, 2023
- Revenue: Over $2 million
- Downloads: Over 200,000
- TT: Tiny Tales (TT: 타이니 테일즈)
- Release Date: Aug 07, 2023
- Revenue: Over $1 million
- Downloads: Over 100,000
- Moonlight hunters (月光魔盜團)
- Release Date: Sep 1, 2023
- Revenue: Over $5 million
- Downloads: Over 500,000
- RnD Global: $17,18
- W: Cross World (더블유: 크로스월드)
- Release Date: Nov 08, 2023
- Revenue: Over $2 million
- Downloads: Over 200,000
- Energy Battle (源進化)
- Release Date: Dec 26, 2023
- Revenue: Over $5 million
- Downloads: Over 500,000
- RnD Global: $14,92
- Land Arcana – ふしぎの大陸
- Release Date: Jan 30, 2024
- Revenue: Over $2 million
- Downloads: Over 200,000
- RnD Global: $17,01
- Pandora: Prophet of Fate – 《潘朵拉：命運先知》
- Release Date: Mar 12, 2024
- Revenue: Over $5 million
- Downloads: Over 500,000
- RnD Global: $19,47
- Sera: Eternals (세라: 이터널스)
- Release Date: Mar 15, 2024
- Revenue: Over $2 million
- Downloads: Over 100,000
- RnD Global: $18,61
- BangBang Survivor (방방 서바이벌)
- Release Date: May 06, 2024
- Revenue: Over $5 million
- Downloads: Over 2 million
- RnD Global: $4,36
In total, SPGame has generated over $94 million in revenue and amassed an audience of more than 8.9 million users. This is an impressive achievement for just two years in the market.
Product Conclusion
BangBang Survivor shows strong engagement and revenue performance in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in Taiwan and South Korea. This indicates successful marketing and user strategies in these regions. However, despite a strong start and significant user base, the game shows signs of declining interest, which may require further marketing efforts to maintain and increase revenue.
Comparing BangBang Survivor with other successful games like Doodle Magic: Wizard vs Slime reveals that BangBang Survivor has yet to reach the same level of success. Doodle Magic has significantly higher average revenue per user and total downloads, highlighting the need for improvements in monetization and player retention for BangBang Survivor.
Overall, SPGame demonstrates a successful strategy for releasing games targeting various regions and audiences. However, there is a need for more precise targeting and adaptation of marketing campaigns to achieve optimal results globally.
Conclusions and Recommendations
BangBang Survivor shows good results in Asia due to its engaging gameplay and content variety. However, the current monetization strategy and balance issues may reduce long-term player engagement.
The game uses aggressive monetization, which may deter some players. It is recommended to review the cost of in-game purchases and offer more free opportunities to earn valuable resources.
Despite the variety of events, their excessive number and poor organization can confuse players. It is recommended to optimize and streamline events, creating a more logical structure and improving the user interface.
The stability and performance of the game, especially during updates and connections, need improvement. Quickly addressing these issues will increase player satisfaction and retention, which is especially important for the long-term success of the game.
According to various product analysts, the game has achieved significant success from the start, earning $600-700 thousand and up to 70 thousand downloads. We see that these are real numbers and that the game can maintain player engagement, but it is necessary to address the critical issues we mentioned. If these issues are resolved, Doodle Magic will seem like a mere stroll compared to the storm of success that BangBang Survivor can achieve. Otherwise, the game will remain at the same level and not reach the top tier.
