Fish of Fortune Growth & Fortress Merge Retention | Gaming News Episode #8

Brick Fight — Voodoo

Voodoo’s Brick Fight introduces a fresh twist by blending Cup Heroes style mechanics with brick tower battles inside a puzzle-RPG shell. The combination of reactive physics and strategic puzzle elements creates a surprisingly hybrid experience, making it ideal for both casual players and RPG-light audiences. Its visual clarity also lends itself perfectly to high-CTR UA creatives.

Mine Drillers — Supersonic

Supersonic’s Mine Drillers stands out as a hybrid combining We Are Warriors gameplay with drilling and tower-defense mechanics. Players drill downward while defending against waves of enemies, creating a multi-layered loop that balances action, resource management, and tactical positioning. This kind of hybrid depth positions the game strongly for mid-core retention patterns.

Weapon Balls — SayGames

SayGames introduces Weapon Balls, an innovative twist on number-based combat where players engage in sword-fighting using numerical upgrades. This introduces a new sub-genre within number mechanics, blending action inputs with puzzle-like progression. The result is a fresh, satisfying combat loop that can appeal to both casual and strategy-driven players.

Loop Games Variations

Loop Games continues iterating on the highly successful This is Blast framework with three new titles — Color Tap Blast, Tank Jam, and Octo Crush. Each variation adds distinct dynamics and visual identity while maintaining the core explosive satisfaction the genre is known for. These consistent iterations demonstrate Loop Games’ strategy of broad-spectrum testing across multiple creative angles.

Angry Birds Rush – Angry Birds Rush introduces a bold hybrid by blending the massively successful Monopoly GO template with the iconic slingshot mechanics of Angry Birds. This fusion creates a unique progression loop that pairs dice-based advancement with action moments. It’s a strategic move by Rovio to tap into the exploding board-game-style meta while refreshing their core IP.

SayGames – Wool Done – SayGames finally enters the booming knit-thread puzzle trend with Wool Done. The game uses visually satisfying thread-pulling and weaving mechanics that align perfectly with today’s tactile, viral-friendly hyper-casual aesthetic. This move positions SayGames firmly inside one of the fastest-scaling puzzle categories of 2024–2025.

Voodoo – Conveyor Belt Puzzle Releases – Voodoo continues innovating in the conveyor-belt meta with Liquid Factory and Color Bus Trip. These games integrate color sorting, movement timing, and resource flow mechanics, creating instantly satisfying gameplay for casual audiences. Conveyor-style puzzles have proven to achieve excellent retention and CPI performance, making these strong contenders for scaling.

Pixon Games – Block Hole & Ball Away 3D – Pixon Games drops Block Hole and Ball Away 3D, both variations on movement-based clearing mechanics. These titles focus on simple drag-and-collect loops, blending hole-game inspiration with 3D pathing challenges. Their clean visuals and intuitive controls make them highly suitable for global UA.

1Soft – Wool Out + Blossom Triple Match – 1Soft experiments with a mix of thread mechanics and matching systems through Wool Out and Blossom Triple Match. Wool Out rides the growing yarn-puzzle wave, while Blossom Triple Match leans into triple-tile trends. This dual-angle strategy increases their chances of locating high-retention casual concepts.

Higgs Studio – Coffee Factory Puzzle Variations – Higgs Studio introduces puzzle variations inspired by Coffee Factory and Coffee Craft, combining assembly-line logic with multi-step puzzle solving. The highly visual ingredient-flow mechanics work well for both organic discovery and paid acquisition thanks to their strong custom-creative clarity.