Paradise Paws is a merge-3 puzzle game by Wildlife Studios, released in July 2025, and it has already scaled to make nearly $1M in monthly IAP revenue, according to AppMagic.
The game follows the same template used by the publisher’s previous merge-3 title, Midas Merge, but introduces richer story-building to deepen engagement. Let’s take a look at the design choices that set it apart.
Narrative Hook
The game opens with two girls washed ashore after a shipwreck, gradually discovering a mysterious island filled with unusual creatures, fruits, relics, characters and some mysteries. These are introduced through well-paced dialogue cutscenes that create a strong FTUE while teaching players basics. Combined with a sprawling map that unfolds over time, the narrative drip-feeds curiosity and gives players a reason to stay engaged beyond the core mechanics.
Accessible Gameplay
The game blends a slot machine system with merge-3 mechanics, both of which are highly familiar and approachable for casual audience. The slot machine generates the pieces needed for progression, while merge can be used in both game island and slot machine’s board to add more depth. Space management becomes an important strategic layer as players juggle animal upgrades, food production, and building progression. The game also incorporates hearts and keys for gated progression, collections with extra rewards, social features that reward player referrals, slot machine upgrades that improve yields, and time-based progressive rewards tied to slot usage. Altogether, these systems create a reinforcing loop: spin → merge → upgrade → unlock.
Smart Monetization
The game relies primarily on IAP offers through its in-game shop, supported by some time-limited events as well. Features like reward chests, board expansions, and slot machine draw limits help regulate the flow of hard currency, encouraging players to purchase more through IAPs. RV ads are also included, allowing players to unlock certain hidden items or earn additional slot-machine spin tokens. The shop also features a rotating deals section with timely resets, encouraging players to check back frequently.
Genre Insights: Merge-3: Complex Metagame
Merge Dragons remains the leader of the merge-3 genre even eight years after its initial release. However, when looking at merge-3 titles launched in the past three years, only two (including Paradise Paws) surpassed the $100K monthly revenue mark last month out of 107 apps. The question now is: can Paradise Paws outperform its predecessor, Midas Merge, in the long run and climb higher within the merge-3 genre?
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Original Post: Kavindu Priyanath-LinkedIn
