ZiMAD maintains leadership in the Casual genre with the successes of Magic Jigsaw Puzzles

The journey of ZiMAD began in 2009, and two years later, Magic Jigsaw Puzzles emerged, captivating players worldwide even to this day. Dmitry Bobrov, CEO of ZiMAD, shares insights into what propelled the game to the top and how the team has sustained its position over 12 years.

Evolution of Magic Jigsaw Puzzles over the years

Before 2011, there were numerous individual Magic Puzzles games available, ranging from paid versions to free ones with ads. However, in mid-2011, ZiMAD introduced a unified puzzle store: Magic Jigsaw Puzzles. This marked a unique approach in the mobile gaming world, setting it apart from others. The gameplay was simple: users selected a picture and pieced it together.

Back then, there were no backends, in-game currency, or daily missions – almost none of the features we see today. As the market, mobile devices, game design, and monetization methods evolved, so did the game. ZiMAD closely monitored trends and best practices from other genres, shaping the game accordingly.

In essence, Magic Jigsaw Puzzles has mirrored the industry’s evolution over its 12+ years. Interfaces and user experiences become outdated over time, prompting careful and thorough improvements to stay current. For instance, the app was initially designed for large tablet screens, leading to UI/UX and gameplay adjustments for smartphones, resulting in a one-handed interface.

Regular updates aren’t limited to the technological aspects; gameplay itself changes. However, tweaking gameplay requires special attention, as not all changes are embraced by the conservative mainstream audience.

ZiMAD’s approach to Innovation

Keeping players engaged for 12 years is no easy feat. To achieve this, the company adheres to several key principles:

• Data-Driven Approach: Product management is heavily reliant on data. Every day, a vast amount of data is analyzed, quantifying everything possible. These reports form the foundation for enhancing the application.
• Daily Market Monitoring: ZiMAD constantly tracks direct competitors, observes the overall market, and keeps an eye on emerging trends in various aspects: products, features, Live Operations, and monetization. It’s not just about tracking trends; it’s also about trying to anticipate them.
• Courage to Innovate: It’s crucial not to shy away from introducing something new to the segment. Magic Jigsaw Puzzles was the first comprehensive digital puzzle store on the market. ZiMAD also pioneered the integration of global brands into the genre, offering unique branded content for free.
• Close Player Interaction: This principle, while not groundbreaking, is highly important. Maintaining close interaction with players, both in terms of product and community, as well as user support, is crucial for a game that has been in the market for over 12 years.

Maintaining Audience loyalty and Interacting with Players

As mentioned, ZiMAD employs a Data-Driven approach, utilizing quantitative analysis for virtually every measurable aspect. From tracking the minutest details of player behavior like button presses, puzzle size, and image selections, to analyzing user profiles, group patterns, and demographics, no stone is left unturned.

Despite this, the audience’s feedback remains pivotal in decision-making, especially for a product with such a long tenure. The division of users into old and new presents a unique challenge. Evaluating how updates impact both groups is crucial to maintaining user trust. If new players embrace changes while old ones react negatively, finding a compromise or adjusting gameplay for new players becomes necessary.

ZiMAD carefully monitors user preferences, particularly focusing on adults, predominantly women, with the most loyal audience being those over 50. While there’s a traditional Live Ops system for casual games, its implementation varies from classic Live Ops, such as in match-three games. Adaptation to the target audience is paramount.

Puzzle enthusiasts typically dislike stress and competition, hence Magic Jigsaw Puzzles has no time limits or eliminations. Live Ops also serves to motivate players. For instance, the game promotes the importance of brain training and cognitive function maintenance, scientifically proven benefits of puzzle solving. Additionally, playing with children or grandchildren is a significant motivation, prompting special mechanics and content for these player categories.

The game’s social media communities boast around half a million subscribers. Polls and mini-games are regularly posted to gauge audience opinion and provide entertainment. Followers can participate in charity campaigns or vote for different content formats, fostering direct player involvement in the product’s life.

Changes brought to in-game Monetization strategies

When Magic Jigsaw Puzzles, initially a unified puzzle store, was released by ZiMAD, it was free to install. Monetization was achieved through one-time puzzle pack purchases, alongside advertising banners and inserts. As time passed, ZiMAD introduced an in-game currency that players could earn by watching commercials.

Subsequently, the devs at ZiMAD developed a subscription system, which now constitutes the vast majority of all payments. There are weekly, monthly, and annual subscriptions, with a 7-day trial available. The subscription removes ads and grants players access to the entire puzzle library, along with unlocking unique features such as selecting the shape of puzzle pieces.

Following this, ZiMAD actively developed the daily mission system, league functionality, and Live Ops. This introduced several new monetization points, through both in-game purchases and advertising. Presently, user payments contribute to approximately 30% of revenue, varying by platform and region, while the remainder comes from advertising.

Integrations with famous Brands

ZiMAD’s initial major partnership was with National Geographic, starting in 2015. The reasoning was straightforward: there was a substantial demand for puzzles featuring nature and animals, and it was crucial to offer unique, high-quality content to distinguish ourselves from the competition.

This successful and mutually beneficial integration was achieved by understanding the audience’s needs and selecting a partner with relevant content that aligns with user desires. Another instance of fruitful cooperation was our collaboration with Pixar. ZiMAD had also developed unique content featuring characters from their movies and cartoons, which was warmly received by our game’s audience, contributing significantly to increasing brand awareness.

Working with major brands offers numerous advantages:

• Enhanced user engagement through higher advertisement conversion rates. Banners featuring popular characters stand out against others, attracting users who might not have been interested in puzzles before.
• Recognizable images draw new users to the game.
• Larger brands yield greater marketing success across all communication channels, including better optimization in the App Store and more effective PR campaigns.

Thus, partnerships result in higher conversion rates on landing pages, increased organic installs, access to unique features, heightened media interest, and more.

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