Agenda
Heart and Numbers: The Formula Behind a Breakout Mobile Indie Hit
Zoe Hobson (CEO, Runaway Play)
Emma Johansson (Creative Director, Runaway Play)
Pass Type:
Academic Pass, Festival Pass, Game Changer Pass, Indie Pass, Start-Up Pass -
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Track:
Luminaries Speaker Series
Audience Level:
All
Format:
Lecture
Vault Recording: TBD
Audience Level: All
Hatch Dragons launched globally in March 2026, reaching number one in Simulation in the US, and Top 10 in over ten countries across Simulation, Casual and Top Free Games. Hatch Dragons paid off its development cost in the first three days, exceeded its yearly budget target in its first week, and has continued with sustained growth. This talk is about the deliberate strategy, built on a decade of learnings across ten mobile F2P games, that led to this success. Runaway Play CEO Zoe Hobson and Creative Director Emma Johansson show how commercial and creative decisions reinforced each other at every stage. From identifying a market gap to world-building grounded in Nordic folklore, to using Meta ad testing as part of the creative process. This is a genuine behind-the-scenes account of a successful independent game, covering the specific commercial targets, creative frameworks, and production decisions that shaped it.
Takeaway
Attendees learn how to use data alongside creative processes - what, when and how to test alongside building pipelines and processes that support creativity. Learn how to use benchmarks like retention, ARPDAU, pre-registration targets, Ad A/B tests and CTR thresholds alongside a creative culture.
Intended Audience
Creative directors, art leads, marketers, producers, designers and business leaders at studios of any size, particularly those weighing creative ambition against commercial pressure. No prerequisite knowledge is required, though familiarity with free-to-play mobile games as a business model will help attendees get the most from the case study.