Gaming

GameRefinery unveils the finalists for its annual Mobile GameDev Awards, celebrating the best in mobile game design

Published

4 years ago

May 12, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The 2022 Mobile GameDev Awards finalists announced in seven categories covering different aspects of mobile game innovation and feature design, in USA, Japan and China.

Today, mobile game analytics specialist GameRefinery, a Liftoff company, is excited to announce that its jury has decided on the finalists for its second annual Mobile GameDev Awards. The awards recognise and celebrate innovation in mobile game design amongst developers in the USA, China and Japan.

The seven categories are:

Innovation and Excellence in Core Gameplay, (all regions)

Most Promising Soft Launch Game, (all regions) Biggest Evolver individually in USA, Japan, China Best Newcomer individually in USA, Japan, China

Best Feature Innovation, Best Event individually in USA, Japan, China and

Best Use of IP in Collaboration Events (all regions).

GameRefinery will announce the winners on the 24th of May 2022.

The 2022 Mobile GameDev Awards finalists have been selected by a panel of GameRefinery analysts, drawing on their extensive experience and expertise in games analysis.

GameRefinery’s platform tracks over 100,000 mobile games for market research, competitor intelligence, and player insights while providing more than 2,500+ in-depth game feature deconstructions and analyses.

Mobile GameDev Awards 2022 Finalists

Innovation & Excellence in Core Gameplay

The most innovative and well-executed core gameplay seen in 2021:

无尽的拉格朗日 (Infnite Lagrange, China)
Gold and Goblins: Idle Merge
哈利波特：魔法觉醒 (Harry Potter Magic Awakened, China)
Kingdom Guard: Tower Defence
ウマ娘プリティーダービー (Umamusume Pretty Derby, Japan)
The Ants: Underground Kingdom
League of Legends: Wild Rift

Most Promising Soft Launch Game

The 2021 soft launch game most likely to be a breakout launch success based on gameplay:

Apex Legends
Clash Mini
Star Blast
Tower of Fantasy
Diablo Immortal
Honkai: Star Rail
Star Wars: Hunters

Biggest Evolver

The game that has developed the most during 2021 in terms of gameplay:

USA Finalists:

Merge Dragons!
Clash Royale
Garena Free Fire
Lords Mobile: Tower Defense
Rise of Kingdoms
Yahtzee® with Buddies
Cookie Run: Kingdom

Japan Finalists:

ステート・オブ・サバイバル (State of Survival)
Shin Sangokushi
ドラゴンクエストタクト (Dragon Quest Tact)
パズル＆ドラゴンズ (Puzzle & Dragons)
プロ野球スピリッツＡ (Pro Yakyuu Spirits A)

China Finalists:

植物大战僵尸2 (Plants vs. Zombies 2)
天谕 (Revelation)
原神 (Genshin Impact)
跑跑卡丁车官方竞速版 (PopKart Mobile)
魂斗罗:归来-特战集结 (Contra Returns)

Best Newcomer

The best new entry into the market during 2021:

USA Finalists:

Beatstar
The Ants: Underground Kingdom
Royal Match
Kingdom Guard: Tower Defence
Family Farm Adventure
Zen Match – Relaxing Puzzle
The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War
No Limit Drag Racing 2
Idle Lumber Empire
League of Legends: Wild Rift

Japan Finalists:

ウマ娘プリティーダービー (Umamusume Pretty Derby)
二ノ国：Cross Worlds (Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds)
ガーディアンテイルズ (Guardian Tales)
グランサガ(Gran Saga)
Nier Re[in]carnation

China Finalists:

哈利波特：魔法觉醒 (Harry Potter: Magic Awakened)
王牌竞速 (Ace Racer)
幻塔（Tower of Fantasy）
无尽的拉格朗日 (Infnite Lagrange)
英雄联盟手游（League of Legends: Wild Rift）
重返帝国
金铲铲之战 (Battle of the Golden Spatula)

Best Feature Innovation

The most innovative new feature introduced in a game during 2021

松松总动员 (Song-song Zong-dong-yuan, China) – Login calendar meets IAP offers
松松总动员 (Song-song Zong-dong-yuan, China) – Innovative limited-time gacha event
Garena Free Fire – Special PvP modes
Cooking Diary – Social hangout areas
Yahtzee® with Buddies – Kingdom feature
Rise of Kingdoms – MOBA mode
Puzzle & Dragons (Japan) – Synchronous PvP mode
PUBG MOBILE – RP Activity Packs in Battle Pass
Highrise – NFT cosmetics
XFLAG’s Kotodaman and Monster Strike (Japan) – New gacha type with a social twist
Ensemble Stars!! Music (Japan) – Music co-op newcomer tasks

Best Event

The best in-game event held during 2021:

USA Finalists:

Yahtzee® with Buddies – Derby event

POP! Slots™ Vegas Casino Games – Win Zone event

Gardenscapes – Klondike Expedition event

Genshin Impact – Midsummer Island Adventure

Call of Duty®: Mobile – Anniversary event

Garena Free Fire – Pet Mania event

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang – Aspirants Unite event

State of Survival – 2nd Anniversary Airship Building event

Japan Finalists:

プロジェクトセカイカラフルステージ！ 初音ミク (Project Sekai Colorful Stage feat. Hatsune Miku) – New Year’s event

ドラゴンボールレジェンズ (Dragon Ball Legends) – Legends Festival

妖怪ウォッチぷにぷに (Youkai Watch Punipuni) – Collaboration event with Neon Genesis Evangelion

二ノ国：Cross Worlds (Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds) – General events

NieR Re[in]carnation – Collaborations events with the earlier titles in the series (NieR Automata (launch), NieR Replicant and Drakengard 3)

China Finalists:

明日之后 (LifeAfter) – Romantic event July 2021

松松总动员 (Song-song Zong-dong-yuan) – June 2021 Gacha event

御龙在天 (Legend of Yulong) – Fight the Landlord-card game event (doudizhu) in Jan

神武4 (Shén wǔ 4) – Event with a real-life map to beat monsters and get points

阴阳师 (Onmyoji) – recurring event with event-only customizable character

富豪麻将 (Fuhao Majiang) – collaboration event with China Mahjong Masters Tournament

Best Use of IP in a Collaboration Event

Finalists:

跑跑卡丁车官方竞速版 (PopKart Mobile) & Ali the Fox (China)

香肠派对 (Sausage Man) & Pizza Hut (China)

Top War: Battle Game & Transformers

江南百景图 (Canal Towns) & Kentucky Fried Chicken (China)

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang & Hello Kitty (Sanrio Characters)

Roblox & 24kGoldn Concert Experience

PUBG MOBILE & Arcane (League of Legends)

獅子の如く～戦国覇王戦記～ (Shishi no Gotoku – Sengoku Haousenki) & Rurouni Kenshin (Japan)

State of Survival & The Walking Dead (US)

casino

Stake Upgrades Flagship Crash Game With Sharper Visuals and Smoother Gameplay

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

stake-upgrades-flagship-crash-game-with-sharper-visuals-and-smoother-gameplay

A worldwide refresh of one of the most-played titles in the Stake Originals collection introduces a new graph crack animation, dynamic multiplier gradients, a live player count and faster, more reliable performance across devices.

Stake, the world’s largest online casino and sportsbook, has today announced a major worldwide update to its flagship Crash casino game, marking the next significant milestone in the evolution of the Stake Originals portfolio. The update delivers a refreshed visual experience and a series of performance upgrades for players.

Crash has built a global following thanks to a simple but high-intensity format – players track a rising multiplier and decide when to cash out before it suddenly drops. As one of the most recognisable titles in the Stake Originals portfolio, it sits at the heart of the platform’s in-house gaming identity, and this latest release sharpens both the look and the feel of every round.

The update introduces a refreshed look with a new graph crack animation that gives every round a more defined visual moment as the multiplier ends. The multiplier curve has been upgraded with dynamic colour gradients that evolve in real time – shifting from blue in the early stages, through green and purple, and into yellow as higher values are reached. A new player count display also shows how many participants are still active in each round, adding a stronger sense of shared, real-time gameplay.

Cashout responsiveness has been improved for faster, more consistent interactions during key multiplier moments allowing for a smoother performance. The update also enables uninterrupted gameplay during deployments, meaning Crash continues running smoothly while improvements are being rolled out in the background. Game payload optimisation and enhanced gameplay processing systems further reduce loading times and improve stability, particularly during high-activity periods, for a more reliable experience across all devices.

“Crash is one of those games that defines what a Stake Original feels like – quick, social, and full of tension in the best way. This update is about giving players a sharper, more responsive version of a game they already love, without ever losing what made it so appealing in the first place.” – Stake’s Chief Marketing Officer, Akhil Sarin.

Crash is one of Stake Casino‘s most-played games, and the goal of this update is simple: keep what players love about it, and make everything around it feel sharper.

About Stake

Stake is the world’s largest online casino and sportsbook, attracting over 100 million monthly visits across its global domains – more than any other iGaming platform on earth. Founded in 2017, Stake attracts over 80 million monthly visits and processes more than 100 billion bets per year. Stake is renowned for its innovation in crypto wagering and its growing expansion into regulated local-currency gaming markets, including Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. The brand boasts an extensive global sponsorship portfolio including Drake, X Games, Everton Football Club, and the UFC.

Contact

Stake

[email protected]

The post Stake Upgrades Flagship Crash Game With Sharper Visuals and Smoother Gameplay appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

casino

Stake Upgrades Flagship Crash Game With Sharper Visuals and Smoother Gameplay

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

Crash is one of Stake Casino‘s most-played games, and the goal of this update is simple: keep what players love about it, and make everything around it feel sharper.

About Stake

Contact

Stake

[email protected]

The post Stake Upgrades Flagship Crash Game With Sharper Visuals and Smoother Gameplay appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

ARK Games

Flexion Enters into Partnership with ARK Games

Published

3 days ago

May 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

flexion-enters-into-partnership-with-ark-games

Flexion has signed a partnership with ARK Games to bring Fishing Travel to its growing portfolio of titles on the alternative app stores. The game will launch on the Amazon Appstore, Samsung Galaxy Store, Samsung Instant Play, Xiaomi GetApps, Epic Games Store and ONE store during during Q2 2026.

Fishing Travel is currently a Top 30 Grossing Casual game in the US alone. It has over 1 million downloads on Google Play and a 4.5-star user rating.

Flexion handles the technical work of bringing a game to alternative channels. This approach relies on 20 years of expertise and a deep bench of alternative market experts. On average, Flexion adds more than 10% in incremental revenue to the titles it represents. Its current portfolio includes 37 top-grossing games, including four titles that have reached the Top 10 grossing charts on Google Play.

As part of this agreement, Flexion will use its Exprexion Markets service to manage the technical requirements and platform relations for ARK Games.

“The old playbook for mobile growth is broken. For too long, developers have been forced to rent their audiences from a duopoly that takes a 30% cut of every dollar earned. We are providing the independence studios need to expand. By using Exprexion Markets, we help partners like ARK Games reclaim their margins and reach global audiences on their own terms,” said Jens Lauritzson, CEO of Flexion.

The mobile market is shifting towards alternative distribution as a strategic necessity. High store taxes and rising acquisition costs have made the traditional model difficult for many studios to sustain. Flexion acts as a partner in scaling revenue and securing earned margins without the typical upfront costs.

“We built Fishing Travel to be a high-quality simulation, and we want to reach the widest possible audience of enthusiasts,” said Xie Xiaoran, BD Director, ARK Games.

Fishing Travel is an exploratory fishing game where players choose from a variety of settings—lakes, rivers and the open ocean. Each location hosts unique species that require specific skills to catch.

The post Flexion Enters into Partnership with ARK Games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.