Media
ALL PODCASTS, ARTICLES AND MORE.
From Space Ape to Duolingo via Supercell: Simon Hade on Building, Pivoting, and the Price of Being a Founder
Simon Hade's journey from co-founding Space Ape through Supercell and eventually into arms of Duolingo is worth hearing.
I Analyzed Clash Royale’s Marketing. Here’s What I Found.
So was it all product or was marketing behind the resurrection?
Inside Squad Busters’ $150 Million Experiment
Supercell went all-in on Squad Busters with Hollywood talent, no soft launch, and a $150M budget. It didn't work out. Here's why it still mattered.
Supercell vs. EU: How Europe Risks Killing Its Golden Goose
Supercell’s Ilkka Paananen calls out EU regulators over the Digital Fairness Act, warning that new laws could cripple Europe’s $27B gaming industry. Is Brussels protecting consumers or killing its own innovation engine?
The Hard Truth About the Finnish Game Industry
Why did Finland’s once world-leading game industry lose momentum? Michail Katkoff explores the broader decline across the Finnish ecosystem—from overreliance on studio culture and Supercell mimicry to missed market shifts, studio closures, and waning investor confidence.
Squad Busters 2.0 and Supercell's YOLO Strategy
Supercell has rebooted Squad Busters. Again. Yet the reboot feels more like a company wrestling with itself than with its competition.
Supercell Investments: A Creative Community or a Missed Opportunity?
Supercell has revamped its investment strategy under a new brand, but is it more than just rebranding? We break down Supercell Investments' track record, how it compares to CVC best practices.
Supercell's Record Year: Crushing It, But At What Cost?
Dive into our take on Supercell's jaw-dropping 2024! While they celebrated record revenue and user growth, we’re asking the tough questions.
Squad Busters One Month Later: Down, But Not Out
Let’s dig into why Squad Busters, Supercell's latest release, struggled after launch and whether it can become a comeback story or remain a costly lesson in mobile game development.
Supercell's Squad Busters - The Definitive Deconstruction
Overall, this game is a hit! But is it a monster hit or 'just' a hit? Read and watch our fill review!
The Uncomfortably Comfortable Supercell Talk
Over the years, we’ve grown uncomfortably comfortable reading about Supercell’s declining numbers and the actions that the company takes to counter the downward trend.
Why Removing Loot Boxes in Brawl Stars Failed
We analyzed Brawl Stars’ removing loot boxes before and after the box-removing update. But the real question was left unanswered: how would this affect the revenue? We look deeper in this update.
The 8 Things Supercell is Doing to Level Up
Analysis of the Supercell CEO’s blog post that outlines the company’s strategy and provides a laundry list of initiatives that lay out the transformation roadmap for the one-of-a-kind games company.
10 Years of Excellence - Deconstruction of Supercell
Perhaps the most thorough analysis of Supercell’s strategy, portfolio, culture, and M&A efforts.
What the H _ _ _ Happened to Brawl Stars?
During the past year Supercell’s latest game in soft launch has pulled all the tricks in the book - but it looks like that won’t be enough.
Managing and Avoiding Content Treadmills
An analysis of content-driven games and successful mechanics to reduce the volume of content needed.
Supercell's Spooky Pop and the Six Rules of a Hit Puzzle Game
Supercell's take on puzzle category. A fun game that failed.
Boom Beach - Developing the Next Big Thing
Supercell's Clash of Clans follow-up innovates on the gameplay and chooses to go light on the social.
Mid-Core Success Part 3: Social
Third part of the series analyzes the social mechanics in mid-core games.
Mid-Core Success Part 2: Retention
Second part of the series analyzes the retention mechanics that make players stick in mid-core games.