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Harbor's Leap for Stores

by Sophia Dec 30,2024

You've likely seen ads for Gossip Harbour, a surprisingly successful merge puzzle game that's generated over $10 million for developer Microfun on Google Play alone. However, its continued success isn't relying on traditional app stores. Instead, it's making a strategic move to alternative app stores in partnership with publisher Flexion.

But what are alternative app stores? Simply put, they're any app store besides Google Play and the Apple App Store. Even seemingly significant stores like the Samsung Galaxy Store are dwarfed in comparison.

The Alternative App Store Advantage

So why the shift? Profitability is a key driver. Alternative app stores are predicted to gain significant market share, fueled by the ongoing legal scrutiny of Google and Apple's dominance. This pressure is encouraging the acceptance of alternative app stores, leading to promotions and sales on platforms like Huawei AppGallery. Established games like Candy Crush Saga have already demonstrated the viability of this approach.

Microfun and Flexion are betting on the growth of alternative app stores as the next big thing in mobile gaming. Whether this bet pays off remains to be seen.

Looking for more puzzle games? Check out our list of the top 25 best puzzle games for iOS and Android!

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