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)

Crash Games

Bet on Games launches horror-themed crash title Zombie Rush

Published

3 days ago

April 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

bet-on-games-launches-horror-themed-crash-title-zombie-rush

Bet on Games, the instant and crash games vertical within the Betcore ecosystem, has launched a new horror-themed crash game called Zombie Rush. The title is now available for global integration via Betcore’s single API, alongside content from TVBET and ElCasino.

Zombie Rush wraps the crash mechanic in a graveyard “survival run” theme. Players decide when to cash out as the multiplier rises, with the round ending when the “crash” triggers.

Bet on Games said the game runs on an “Optimized Math Model” with 97.5% RTP and a “dynamically accelerating multiplier curve.” The release also highlights “Visceral Horror Aesthetics,” linking the crash moment to a “grisly, memorable animation.”

On the feature set, Zombie Rush includes Autoplay and Auto Cash-out. It also adds “Strategic Dual-Betting,” which allows play across two parallel rounds simultaneously.

Betcore is directing partnership and integration inquiries to [email protected]. A gameplay video is available here.

The post Bet on Games launches horror-themed crash title Zombie Rush appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Baccarat

ICONIC21 launches Squeeze Baccarat RNG game with player-controlled reveal

Published

4 days ago

April 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

iconic21-launches-squeeze-baccarat-rng-game-with-player-controlled-reveal

ICONIC21 has launched Squeeze Baccarat, a new RNG baccarat title designed around the “squeeze” reveal mechanic more commonly associated with live-table play.

In the game, the player controls the reveal pace, using actions such as peeling back an edge to uncover each card, rather than watching a standard automated animation sequence.

ICONIC21 said the title is fully customisable, including interface and card design, positioning it for operator branding and lobby integration.

Edvardas Sadovskis, Chief Product Officer at ICONIC21, said: “The squeeze is one of those moments every baccarat player is excited about. That slow, deliberate reveal before the big win is what makes it tense. The problem? That feeling almost never survives the jump to RNG. It gets replaced by an animation and the magic is gone.

“We refused to let that happen. Getting the squeeze right in a digital environment is genuinely hard but we successfully managed, and honestly, we’re pretty excited about what came out. Instead of watching it happen, the player controls the reveal themselves.

“Add full brand customisation on top of that, and what you have is something operators can truly call their own. We can’t wait to see what our partners do with it.”

The post ICONIC21 launches Squeeze Baccarat RNG game with player-controlled reveal appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Bichara e Motta Advogados

The iGaming Industry’s New Challenges in 2026

Published

5 days ago

April 21, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

the-igaming-industry’s-new-challenges-in-2026

In an exclusive article for Gaming Americas, Udo Seckelmann, partner in the Gambling & Crypto department at Bichara e Motta Advogados, examines how the Brazilian iGaming market has entered a new phase of maturity following BiS SiGMA South America 2026.

Moving beyond regulatory expectations, the industry now faces real operational, political, and economic pressures, raising critical questions about sustainability, enforcement, and the balance between growth and consumer protection in one of the world’s most dynamic betting markets.

BIS SIGMA 2026 made it clear that the conversation around Brazil’s betting sector has fundamentally changed. The industry is no longer being discussed as a future opportunity shaped by regulatory expectations, but as a functioning ecosystem already subject to real-world pressures. With the framework in force and operators active, the focus has shifted to how the market actually behaves under regulation — and where that framework is being put to the test.

This shift was evident both in the quality of the discussions and in the profile of participants. In past editions, much of the debate focused on the ideal regulatory framework, taxation, and market entry strategies. In 2026, the focus moved toward more sophisticated — and, in many ways, more challenging — topics: regulatory implementation, enforcement, and the balance between growth and consumer protection.

An additional element that permeated many discussions was the recent hardening of political discourse toward the sector. Statements from the President suggesting the potential elimination of the regulated betting market, as well as initiatives in Congress aimed at broadly restricting betting advertising, reveal legitimate concerns about negative externalities but also a concrete risk of public policy being shaped in a way that is disconnected from the newly established regulatory reality.

The criticism here is not directed at the concern for consumer protection — which is undoubtedly essential — but rather at how this debate has been conducted. Prohibitive or overly restrictive measures, particularly in the field of advertising, tend to produce adverse effects already observed in other jurisdictions: reduced channeling capacity toward the regulated market, the strengthening of illegal operators, and a weakening of consumer protection mechanisms themselves.

In this context, advertising should not be viewed solely as a risk factor, but also as a public policy tool. It is through advertising that licensed operators can differentiate themselves from unregulated entities, communicate responsible gambling practices, and operate within auditable parameters. Disproportionate restrictions, in practice, reduce the visibility of those subject to regulation while simultaneously expanding the space for those operating outside it.

Moreover, the instability of political discourse — especially when it flirts with prohibition scenarios after years of efforts to structure a regulated market — creates significant legal uncertainty. Investments made based on a recent regulatory framework are reassessed, compliance costs increase, and the appetite of new entrants tends to decline. Ultimately, this undermines not only the development of the sector but also government revenue and the original regulatory objectives pursued by the Government.

Another key topic discussed during the event was the impact of increased taxation — particularly following the rise in the Gaming Tax — on the competitiveness of the regulated market. There is a legitimate concern that an overly burdensome environment, combined with severe advertising restrictions, may create an economically unviable scenario for licensed operators, once again encouraging migration to the unregulated market.

Another highlight of the event was the debate surrounding the role of technological intermediaries — including market makers in emerging segments such as prediction markets. The expansion of these models raises important regulatory questions: to what extent are existing frameworks sufficient to accommodate these innovations? And when will it be necessary to move toward specific regulatory regimes, potentially under the oversight of authorities such as the securities regulator?

A comparison with previous BIS SIGMA editions clearly demonstrates the sector’s growing maturity. If Brazil was once seen as a major promise, it is now a complex reality that requires fine-tuning and institutional coordination. The agenda has shifted from market opening to governance — now under much more intense political and social scrutiny.

Finally, one aspect that deserves particular attention is the increasing professionalization of all stakeholders involved. Operators, regulators, service providers, and even the broader public debate have evolved significantly. There is now a clearer understanding that the success of the Brazilian market depends on its credibility and long-term sustainability.

Udo Seckelmann
Partner in the Gambling & Crypto department at Bichara e Motta Advogados

The post The iGaming Industry’s New Challenges in 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.