Why One Mobile Game is Leapfrogging Established Stores

Gossip Harbour: A Mobile Game's Unexpected Move to Alternative App Stores

You've likely seen the ads, even if you don't play it. Gossip Harbour, a merge and story puzzle game, is a surprising success story. Developer Microfun has earned over $10 million on Google Play alone. However, instead of focusing on further Google Play promotion, Microfun has partnered with Flexion to launch the game on "alternative app stores."

What are alternative app stores? Simply put, they're any app stores besides Google Play and the iOS App Store. Even seemingly significant stores like the Samsung Galaxy Store are dwarfed by the market dominance of the two giants.

The Profit Motive and the Future of Mobile App Distribution

The move to alternative app stores is driven by increased profitability. However, it also reflects a broader shift in the mobile app landscape. Recent legal challenges to Google and Apple's app store dominance are forcing a reevaluation of alternative app stores. This is creating opportunities for alternative stores, with companies like Huawei's AppGallery leveraging promotions to attract developers and users. Established titles like Candy Crush Saga have already made the switch.

Microfun and Flexion are betting on the growing significance of alternative app stores. Whether this strategy will prove successful remains to be seen, but it highlights a potential paradigm shift in mobile game distribution.

For those seeking high-quality puzzle games, we recommend checking out our list of the top 25 best puzzle games for iOS and Android.