Wooga's IP Strategy Boosts June's Journey with Wicked and Agatha Christie

Since its launch nearly a decade ago, June's Journey has thrived on its own unique content, a hidden-object mystery set in the 1920s, amassing over $1 billion in lifetime revenue. Rusev shared insights during his keynote at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona, highlighting the recent pivot towards IP integrations as a strategy to attract and retain players.

Rusev outlined four primary objectives for these integrations: to provide fresh content for existing players, attract new players, re-engage lapsed players, and expand the hidden-object game genre. The newly introduced limited-time items, which remain available to players once unlocked, aim to enhance the gameplay experience over time. Additionally, marketing campaigns featuring these recognizable properties aim to draw in new users while offering fresh, branded content for user acquisition.

The selection of IPs involved careful consideration and research, as Rusev emphasized that the challenge lies in identifying the right fit rather than merely securing a popular license. Wicked was chosen to appeal to a younger, female demographic around the release of its second film, while Agatha Christie naturally aligned with the game's murder mystery theme, allowing Wooga to reinterpret classic stories through a new lens. Interestingly, player feedback influenced this selection process, with suggestions for Sherlock Holmes being met with a desire not to overshadow June's Journey.

Wooga's approach involved comprehensive branding across the player journey, integrating the IP into various aspects of the game, from user acquisition advertisements to loading screens. A particular challenge arose in modifying the tutorial to incorporate these changes, which led to the development of a 'foreshadowing' mechanic to encourage new players to engage more deeply with the content.

Rusev noted that both campaigns resulted in the production of over 500 videos and 600 static assets, all approved by the licensors. The metrics from the Wicked campaign showed significant improvements in in-game sales and participation in events, leading to an overall enhancement in top-of-the-funnel metrics, such as increased revenue per mille (RPM) and click-through rates (CTR). For Agatha Christie, the campaign similarly achieved a 20% reduction in static asset CPI and a 33% decrease in video CPI.