Ball Blast Cannon is a an hybridcasual arcade game by Voodoo, released in 2018, and it’s still generating over $300K per month in IAP revenue alone, according to AppMagic.
While the game seems to resonate more with a male audience, let’s explore the design strategies this follows.
Dexterity-based gameplay
The game leans heavily on skill-based gameplay—easy to learn but hard to master. To keep the player experience fresh and engaging, it introduces levels with various formats such as serpent runs, boss battles, and more. Players are also given temporary boosters at the start of a level and mid-level to ease the learning curve and support progression. Most notably, it features a skill system tied to win streaks and a rank-based leaderboard, which helps motivate players by directly linking their accomplishments to in-game performance. Also the game offers detailed stats through its settings, for the players who are interested in tracking their performance.
Engaging Meta
The game adds meaningful depth through a well-integrated meta system. It features a shard-based gacha mechanic for unlocking and evolving weapons and abilities, offering a strong sense of long term progression. Quick access to the upgrade system directly from the home screen—along with suggested upgrade levels—encourages even hypercasual players to engage more readily. Additionally, having an idle reward system reinforces re-engagement loops, while the quest system, which gets unlocked as players progress, introduces a strategic layer focused on capturing bases and expanding territory, further boosting player motivation and long term retention.
Hybrid Monetization
The game employs a hybrid monetization approach, combining IAPs and IAAs to maximize revenue potential. Banner ads are displayed at the bottom during the gameplay, while interstitial ads appear between levels. RV ads are integrated across multiple occasions, including level rewards, idle rewards, shop offers, weapon upgrades, booster access, and skill selection. Players are only given single RV based revival per level playthrough, and afterwards, premium currency is required—creating a gentle nudge towards IAPs. The in-game shop further supports monetization through bundles, ad removals, and skip-its, effectively catering to a wide range of player spending preferences.
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Original Post: Kavindu Priyanath-LinkedIn
