[Interview] Monster Planet Story: Shift from hyper-casual games to idle RPGs

Written by Brand Pixie Mini, 2 October 2024

#01
We are a Monster Planet!

Monster Planet is a development studio founded by former members of Nexon, one of Korea's largest game publishers. We started with hyper-casual games in 2017 and have continuously challenged ourselves by developing games across various genres.

Our flagship series is the widely popular word game, Word Tower. Currently, we are focused on the live updates for our idle RPG, Mr. Hero.

#02
Why we chose to use BACKND

When we started developing Mr. Hero, building our own server infrastructure felt overwhelming.

We needed to focus on the client-side development and began searching for services to help. That’s when we discovered BACKND. It allowed us to reduce the burden of server development while increasing the stability and reliability of the game.

Monster Planet: This is our first time making an idle game.

#03
Introduction to Mr. Hero

Mr. Hero begins with a protagonist who dreams of becoming a social media celebrity. The character decides to defeat the monsters invading Earth and post their victories on social media to gain fame.

It is an idle RPG where players can develop their character using equipment, skills, companions (hero bots), pets, and a training system.

#04
Drawing inspiration from childhood experiences

When it came to Mr. Hero's concept, every team member contributed ideas with the mindset of a game designer.

Looking back at our idea boards, there are still many concepts we can draw from for future games. I believe that fostering an atmosphere of respect for everyone's ideas and opinions is the most crucial factor for creativity.

The concept of becoming a social media star in Mr. Hero came from my childhood dream of becoming famous 😄, and it reflects today’s trends.

#05
Achievements so far

It took about a year to go from planning to launch. Our small team of three programmers, two artists, and one game designer worked incredibly hard on this project. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that we all contributed to the game's design! 😊

After launching, Mr. Hero has been exposured in various media, which resulting in a considerable number of overseas gamers. Global users from countries such as the US, UK, South Korea and France have played the game the most. We were continuously putting a lot of effort into working on making the game known to a wider audience all over the world.

#06
Featured in multiple global markets!

Mr. Hero was featured on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in multiple countries, including the United States, France, Germany, South Korea, and Thailand, among others.

Although the idle RPG genre may be less familiar to international audiences, I believe our globally appealing art style and the memes embedded within the game played a significant role in receiving these features.

All of Monster Planet's games are designed for a global audience, which has contributed to us being featured multiple times.

"Every expert was once a beginner! Developing and Operating first Idle Genre"

#07
A Practical Challenge: Taking on Idle RPGs

Our decision to shift from hyper-casual games to an idle RPG was largely influenced by practical reasons.

The cost of user acquisition (UA) marketing through platforms like Meta(Facebook) and Google Ads had skyrocketed, making it difficult to compete. Unless you are a large company like Voodoo or a major Chinese publisher, profiting from casual games became increasingly challenging.

So, after much discussion, we decided to take on the challenge of developing an idle RPG.

#08
Making it Fun Even Without In-App Purchases

Balancing the in-game economy is one of the most challenging aspects of developing an idle RPG. Every time we introduce a new feature, we spend a lot of time tweaking the balance.

While every player experiences the game differently, we designed Mr. Hero so that players can feel a sense of progress and enjoyment without spending any money. We included various reward systems and growth features, such as the Training Center.

We added in-app purchase options for players who want to accelerate their progress. Despite the generous rewards, in-app purchases have not decreased. In fact, making the game enjoyable for free helps retain more players and fosters a stronger community in the long term.

#09
Marketing: A Universal Challenge

User acquisition and marketing are the most challenging aspects for us, as they are for most developers.

Fortunately, Mr. Hero was featured by Apple right after launch, and about a month and a half later, it was featured globally by Google Play. A well-known gaming YouTuber in Korea also posted a four-part review of Mr. Hero, which significantly helped with promotion.

Although we have continued our user acquisition efforts through Google Ads and other channels, it remains a tough process. We are constantly discussing ways to further promote the game with our partners.

#10
Key metrics: user acquisition and retention

The key metrics we monitor include user acquisition, retention (D1, D7, D15, D30), PR, ARPU, and ARPPU. Of these, user acquisition and retention are the most critical.

Without strong performance in these areas, sustaining a game becomes difficult. A drop in user acquisition means fewer new players, and a drop in retention suggests that existing users are leaving.

We use MMP ADJUST to track and manage these metrics. After launching the game, our primary goal was to improve retention.

Before wrapping up the interview

#11
Data saving frequency

For actions like upgrades or relic synthesis, where multiple actions occur, we attempted to save data after all actions were completed and the popup closed. We used transactional functionality to ensure data integrity, even if a save failed.

Since players often leave the game running to gather resources, we implemented a default save routine that triggers every minute. If a save fails, instead of shutting down, the game will retry or wait for the next save attempt. We plan to extend the save intervals in the future to align with recent pricing model changes.

#12
What makes a Good Idle Game?

I think user feedback is what ultimately determines whether an idle game is great.

We have seen a lot of successful idle games lately. Common traits include unique themes, solid balance, varied content, and systems that allow you to enjoy the game without spending money.

At Monster Planet, we will continue striving to make Mr. Hero even better and more enjoyable for everyone!😊

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