Decoding the Success of Block Jam 3D

Block Jam 3D is a hybrid casual game that was published in June, 2022 by Voodoo. It was Developed by Partyup Inc. Partyup seems to have been acquired by Voodoo according to a post on Voodoo’s LinkedIn page dated 09/06/2023.

‍Block Jam 3D made over $1M revenue in the month of March, 2023 according to a report from Sensor Tower. The game had over 400K installs during the same period.

Core Game Loop

The core game loop is simple. Match-3 to clear a level, get rewarded coins and blocks, move up a leaderboard, spend blocks to reveal buildings and decorations in your current level and repeat.

Core Mechanics

Block Jam 3D’s core mechanic involves matching three game blocks of the same color in an effort to clear the board of all game blocks.

The main action a player may take is to tap on a game block to send it into one of seven slots.

If any of the seven slots contain three game-blocks of the same color, they disappear.

The player loses if all seven slots become full.

Progression and Retention

The early gameplay in Block Jam 3D is focused on introducing the rules, core mechanic, and core loop to the player. The first two levels are impossible to fail. The first level has only one puzzle stage. Within 15 seconds, the player has gone through the core mechanic, been rewarded for completing a level, and is ushered right into level 2.

This approach allows the player to very quickly get through a couple iterations of the core mechanic without distractions or being overwhelmed. The design guarantees two minor hits of dopamine within the first minute of launching the game.

Area Building Mechanic

The third level introduces a longer-term goal for the player.

On completion of level 3, the first ‘Area’ is unlocked. This allows the player to spend the newly revealed blocks they were awarded for completing level 3 to ‘build’ various buildings and aesthetics in the new area.

This area building progression mechanic taps into human psychology to increase retention. Curiosity, exploration, and completionism motivate players' to form longer term goals. These goals keep players coming back day after day.

Leagues and Leaderboards

The completion of level 5 introduces a new progression mechanic; leagues. Now, inn addition to coins and blocks, the player is rewarded with league-trophies as well. When the player accumulates enough trophies, their league-level increases. The player enjoys further rewards when they enter a new League.

The leagues mechanic also introduces a leaderboard system. This is another powerful motivator to continue to play the game.

A screenshot of Block Jam 3D's Leagues and Leaderboard User Interface

Power-ups

Starting Level 5 also unlocks one of four ‘Power-ups’ that players can use to gain an advantage in a level. These power-ups are all consumable meaning the player has a limited number they can use without acquiring more.

The four power-ups are as follows:

Unlocks at Lvl 05: Undo
Unlocks at Lvl 10: Extra Spaces
Unlocks at Lvl 15: Shuffle
Unlocks at Lvl 20: Magnet

Screenshot of the Bus Schedule UI in Block Jam 3D

Daily Rewards

The “Bus Schedule” is a retention system designed to encourage players to open Block Jam 3D daily. The player is rewarded coins and gifts based on the number of consecutive completions of the mini game.

The player is able to use their power-ups in the Bus Schedule mini game. This encourages spending power-ups because of FOMO and Sunk Cost Bias.

Monetization

Block Jam 3D uses a monetization strategy that is common to Hybrid Casual Games. Key components include in-app purchases (IAPs), rewarded ad videos, banner ads, and interstitial ads.

In app Purchases

There are only a handful of in-app purchases that can be made. Seven IAPs were in the shop at the time of this writing. The Purchase and price are listed below:

$9.99 No Ads Bundle (250 coins, 3 shuffles, 2 undos, and 1 extra space)
$7.99 No Ads
$1.99 150 Coins
$7.99 650 Coins
$14.99 1,800 Coins
$29.99 4,000 Coins
$64.99 8,000 Coins

Coins are used to purchase power-ups. The prices are as follows:

40 Coins: Undo
120 Coins: Extra Space
20 Coins: Shuffle
80 Coins: Magnet

Without making any purchases, at level 23 one can expect to accumulate about 21 coins from various rewards.

Wrapping it Up

Block Jam 3D is an outstanding example of how the hybrid casual model can lead to massive success in the mobile games industry.

Simple core game mechanics allow fast development and iteration. This in turn allows an entrepreneur to spend less time and money finding a good fit in terms of the product and market.

Mixing in longer term retention systems, like Block Jam 3D’s ‘Area Building’ system is an effective way to maximize the life-time value of acquired players. This is the essence of the ‘hybrid’ in ‘hybrid casual’ games.

Hybrid casual games like Block Jam 3D take inspiration from casual and mid-core game’s monetization strategies. Unlike hyper casual games, hybrid casual games tend to offer in-app purchases. This further increases the life-time value of an acquired player.

‍Block Jam 3D serves as an inspiration to anyone looking to enter the mobile games industry. Fierce Guppy Game Labs can help you achieve the success that Block Jam 3D has achieved.

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