¶ $100k Mobile Hit Game Competition
We’re excited to announce a brand-new monthly hit games competition on HypeHype with $100,000 USD prize pool for 2025!
We’re also searching for the first game to hit magical 10% D7 retention for a bigger bounty.
¶ How it Works?
¶ Monthly Awards
Each month (starting now, in February), we’ll reward three top games - one in each category - with $1,000 USD each:
Most viral game (based on unique shares and referrals)
Best monetization (based on purchases and buyer conversion)
¶ $50,000 USD Bounty
We’re also offering a $50k USD bounty for the 1st game to hit 10% D7 retention with at least 25,000 players - a tough but exciting target to reach!
¶ When & where?
-
Start Date: February 1, 2025 (1st monthly cycle).
-
Duration: The new monthly competitions run every month until end of 2025. The $50,000 USD D7 retention bounty remains open until it’s claimed or until the end of 2025.
-
Eligibility: Any new or updated game published that month with at least 10,000 new players is eligible for the monthly awards. The winners will be announced mid-month next month, after we have verified last months metrics.
-
Details & FAQ: Check out more info and FAQ from HypeHype.com and stay tuned in-app, on Discord, and on our social channels.The rules and details are subject to change based on creator feedback.
¶ Why the change?
Over the past year, we ran a $100,000 Retention Bounty Challenge, but no game reached the initial D3 retention thresholds. We’ve learned a lot from your feedback and want to reward great games more consistently this year.
We’re redefining the old challenge and awarding 10 outstanding games from last year (with $1,000 USD each), and launching a new monthly format to give creators a fair shot at prizes every month while keeping a larger achievement award in place.
Congrats to the winners, and thank you to everyone who participated!
- 1+ Jump Every Second by Kosaky.
- Punch Club by Mewton Games.
- Merge Cubes 2048 by GodOfHype.
- Money Tycoon Idle by Enour.
- FAT HOLE - Eat Everything by kiwip.
- Balloon Simulator by CodeBee.
- Sprunki (Modded) by KAIJUU.
- Just Run by Enour.
- Hot Wheels Trials by Reward Forge.
- Build a Boat for Treasure by GodOfHype.
We’re looking forward to celebrating more creators every single month—and can’t wait to see what you create next!
¶ Ready to compete?
Publish or update your game in immediately, and aim for the top in February. Thank you for helping us grow the HypeHype community - we can’t wait to see and award your awesome games!
Note: The details above are subject to change based on feedback and if needed. We’ll always communicate any rule changes openly and in advance.
Let’s build and have fun together - good luck!
¶ Frequently Asked Questions
¶ How does the new monthly competition work?
Each month, we look for the top performers in three (3) categories:
- Best D7 retention.
- Most viral game (based on shares/referrals).
- Best monetization (based on in-game purchases).
Winners in each category receive $1,000 USD. Games must be newly published or updated during that month to be eligible.
¶ What is the $50,000 USD Bounty?
Separate from the monthly prizes, we also offer $50,000 USD to the first game that reaches 10% D7 retention with at least 25,000 new players. This is to inspire creators to aim for a truly breakout hit game.
Once a game officially meets these requirements (verified by our analytics), it earns the bounty immediately.
¶ How do I enter?
Just publish or update your game on HypeHype during the monthly competition window, and you’re automatically in.
We measure all eligible games’ data after the end of the month (for D7 retention, we look 7 days into the following month).
¶ When will winners be announced?
We’ll verify the monthly data right after each month ends. D7 retention data is collected about a week into the next month, and we aim to announce winners around the 15th (mid-month). We’ll share the results in-app, on our Discord, and across social channels.
¶ What’s the minimum number of players needed to qualify?
To ensure fair comparisons and prevent small-sample spikes, each category may have different minimums:
- D7 retention: Minimum of 10,000 players within that month.
- Most Viral: At least 500 unique sharers.
- Monetisation: At least 500 unique buyers.
- $50k USD Bounty: 25,000 players and 10% D7 retention during last 30 days (this is not part of monthly competition).
¶ Can a single game win multiple categories?
Yes, but a single game can only win once per category (retention, virality, monetisation).
¶ Will these rules stay the same all year?
We start with these new rules, categories and criteria in February 2025. However, we may iterate based on your feedback and what works best for our creator community. Any changes will be announced publicly before taking effect in the next monthly cycle. Please continue giving feedback to us!
¶ What if I already have a game from last year?
Feel free to update it or remix it to qualify under “new/updated” status for the relevant month.
¶ Where can I see my game’s stats?
In-app Top Charts and analytics let you track D7 retention, shares (appeal), and monetisation stats. We’ll share top games and highlights with the community every month for recognition and transparency.
¶ What else do I need to know?
- Collaborative creations: If you work in a team, prize money is paid to the main account holder, and it’s up to owner to split it.
- Payment: Winners must comply with HypeHype’s payment guidelines, provide necessary payment details, and follow our terms of service.
- Stay updated: For the latest changes or clarifications, keep an eye on our Discord, in-app announcements, Telegram and social media.
¶ What happened to the original $100,000 USD Retention Bounty Challenge?
We introduced the Retention Bounty Challenge in 2024, aiming for Day 3 retention targets starting with 10% D3 retention. No game reached those thresholds, and many creators felt the rules were unclear or too steep. We’re now ending that challenge, awarding 10 outstanding games from last year ($1,000 each), and launching this new monthly format to give creators a fair shot at prizes every month.
¶ How do I make and publish a game on HypeHype?
The HypeHype app comes with the fastest game engine on mobile and a powerful mobile game editor. Just download the HypeHype app, go the Create tab and start making games from a template, tutorial, from scratch or by remixing an existing game. You can use a mobile phone, tablet, desktop, Windows or Mac to make games.
¶ If I win, will I get paid in real money?
Yes! All challenge and competition award payments will be made in HypeCash to your account and you can cash them out in real money.
You can also earn more money through engagement-based payouts and in-game purchases. More info here.
¶ How is prize money awarded?
To qualify to win D7 retention bounty, your game needs to get over 10% of players to return to play 7 days after they first start playing your game (return to play the game at least once on day 7 from the day they first played it).
The new bounty offers 1 retention target to aim for, with the potential to win up to $50,000 USD. You now need to reach one of the 10% Day 7 (D3) retention - 2,500 out of 25,000 new players must still be playing by Day 7.
Only the first game to reach the retention target will win the bounty. To ensure the performance, the Day 7 retention will be checked with at least 25,000 players in the last 30 days, meaning you will need at least 2,500 players on Day 7 to win. Once a game reaches the retention threshold, HypeHype will verify the data, and the prize money will be paid out.
The prize pool is still $100,000 USD, but the rules have been adjusted to allow more opportunities to win. The $50,000 USD Retention Bounty Challenge will continue until a game or more games meet the retention targets.
You can also create your game(s) together in collaboration with other people. In this case, the possible award money will be paid to the main account owner and the sharing of the prize money between the members of your team is up to you.
¶ How can I track my game performance?
Once you create your first game, you’ll see game performance on the game stats dashboard, and this is where you can track your game’s engagement along with key metrics, data points and insights and even playtesting videos to help improve your game.
Earning is based on fair and transparent game performance.
Creators can also see game stats and rewards from other games on the platform. This can be a fantastic way to learn and improve their own games to potentially increase earnings.
¶ What’s game retention & how to improve retention?
Retention is the percentage of new users who come back to your game after playing it for the first time. To improve this metric, focus on your game’s core loop, first-time user experience, and performance.
For example, for the Day 7 (D7) retention bounty of 10%, 2,500 out of 25,000 new players must still be playing the game by D7. If 25,000 new players start playing your game on Monday, 2,500 of those players still need to be playing your game on Sunday to reach D7 retention of 10%.
¶ How can I get more players to my game?
If your game is good and performs well, it will start to get more feed and Top Chart visibility and players. You will also start earning the platform currency HypeX from players who are playing your game.
You should of course share your game with your friends and family. And online and social medias! Just use the unique URL link found in your game, by pressing Share.
You can also Fast Track the visibility of your game on HypeHype with HypeX. This way, you will be able to kickstart your game’s visibility and get more players.
¶ What happens if no game reaches the new 10% D7 retention target?
The $50,000 USD Bounty challenge will continue until retention target has been achieved and prizes awarded, or until the end of 2025.
We believe strongly in the HypeHype creators’ abilities to reach this target. We encourage all creators to keep improving their games and aiming for the win. In the meantime, there are other ways to earn money through Monthly Creator Awards, engagement-based payouts and in-game purchases, game jams, so it’s always beneficial to continue creating and sharing your games!
¶ Are there other ways to earn from my games on HypeHype?
Definitely!
We launched HypeHype creator monetisation in May 2024 through engagement based payouts and support for in-game purchases.
It means that you can earn from any game you create when players play them.
¶ Can I still earn money if my game doesn’t win the Bounty?
Yes!
Even if your game doesn’t reach the new retentio target for the prize, you can still earn money through Monthly Creator Awards, engagement-based payouts and in-game purchases, and game jams.
All games published on HypeHype are eligible for these payouts (some rules apply for game jams).
We have shared over $208,000 USD with the creators via Creator Monetisation launched in May, 2024.
¶ Who won the $100,000 USD prize in 2024 challenge?
Over the past year, we ran a $100,000 Retention Bounty Challenge, but no game reached the initial D3 retention thresholds.
We’ve learned a lot from your feedback and want to reward great games more consistently - so we’re retiring the old challenge and awarding 10 standout games from last year with $1,000 USD each. Thank you to everyone who participated!
- 1+ Jump Every Second by Kosaky.
- Punch Club by Mewton Games.
- Merge Cubes 2048 by GodOfHype.
- Money Tycoon Idle by Enour.
- FAT HOLE - Eat Everything by kiwip.
- Balloon Simulator by CodeBee.
- Sprunki (Modded) by KAIJUU.
- Just Run by Enour.
- Hot Wheels Trials by Reward Forge.
- Build a Boat for Treasure by GodOfHype.
¶ Can HypeHype employees participate in the Monthly Awards or Bounty?
No, HypeHype employees are not eligible to participate in the challenges or claim any of the prize money. This ensures fairness and transparency for all creators taking part in the challenge. You can identify HypeHype employees with a small HypeHype icon next to their username.
¶ General Conditions
In order to receive prize money, you must agree to our Terms of Service and meet the simple requirements set out in those Terms, some of which are as follows:
- 18 years of age or older. (If you are younger, it is possible to request the payment to be done eg. to your parents’ account with their consent).
- Having complied with HypeHype Community Guidelines.
To avoid abuse (e.g., by bots), we reserve the right to remove suspected bot user accounts from the retention calculations.
If there is substantial doubt of bot accounts altering the key performance indicators of the winning games, HypeHype reserves the right to inspect the issue and make its own judgment based on the inspection.
¶ Explore HypeHype Sections & Features
Find tutorials, projects, and courses for every skill level.
Editor Overview Art and Assets Working with Logic Game Design Monetisation Understanding Game Stats Tools and Features Logic Nodes