食べないと死ぬ デラックス - Survival choices & hunger

We appreciate your insights regarding the anticipated sequel!

The upcoming installment of "die if you don't eat it" featuring live video includes exciting new elements!

How enjoyable will you find it?

If you refrain from eating, your character will perish!

■ Gameplay Instructions

You have just two choices for survival: “eat” or “don’t eat”!

Is there something non-food that might satisfy your hunger…?

Keep yourself alive while listening to your instincts!

At times, you may face threats that compel you to “eat”…!?

The game concludes when your “Health” hits zero.

A unique persona known as “Talpa” resides within the protagonist’s mind.

It appears that Talpa's abilities have changed…?

You must make one of two critical decisions regarding your future!

■ Ideal for the following players

・ Those who enjoy casual gameplay during their downtime

・ Individuals who have a passion for food

・ Adventurous eaters

・ Fans of unhealthy snacks

・ Enthusiasts of survival games

BGM: Karugamo Marching Station

With almost 10 years of experience in casual game production, as a company that continues to focus on casual game production, we accepted the interview this time.

During the interview, we answered questions about acquiring users, improving monetization, future market changes, etc.

Interview with Cybergate: A Casual Game Developer on User Acquisition, Monetization Strategies and Market Trends

Cybergate Technology Limited is a casual game developer and operator with nearly a decade of experience, specializing in female-oriented and pixel-style titles. This interview features Emi Shimoyama, Japan Marketing Director of Cybergate, discussing user acquisition, monetization optimization, and future market trends in casual gaming.

Q&A on Development and Game Creation

Q: Could you briefly introduce Cybergate's history, founding story, and key achievements in recent years? A: Cybergate is a Hong Kong-based company dedicated to providing casual games for global markets. Our main apps support Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Japanese, and English. We’ve been developing casual games for about a decade and actively expanded into mainland China’s market five years ago. Our portfolio focuses on pixel-style idle games and female-oriented puzzle titles, typical of casual gaming. Monetization relies on ads and in-app purchases (IAP), with revenue shares fluctuating monthly—roughly 70% from ads and 30% from IAP.

Q: Cybergate focuses on casual games, covering genres like story-driven RPGs, simulations, otome games, action, and puzzles. Why choose casual gaming as your core? What data metrics or criteria do you use to judge market potential before launching a game? A: When we entered the market about 10 years ago, casual gaming was booming. Casual games allowed small teams to develop products with minimal operational costs initially—this low-risk approach was our primary motivation. Additionally, casual games enable quick iteration (PDCA cycles) and adaptability to trends, which proved wise. While we conduct trend research and competitor analysis before launches, these often fall short—many "unpromising" games succeed, and vice versa. The key lies in rapid post-launch optimization.

Q: In a previous interview, Cybergate mentioned that 'the core of casual games is to help users kill time, achieved mainly by improving overall game quality.' Which elements (gameplay, design, storyline, etc.) do you prioritize when optimizing quality? How do you measure whether these adjustments are accepted by players? A: Level design is our top priority, but it’s not just about adjusting difficulty. If a level’s clearance rate is low, we revisit the entire user experience (UX) to check for inadequate guidance. We judge effectiveness by metrics like user retention rate and in-app interaction frequency.

Q&A on User Acquisition

**Q: Regarding user acquisition, what strategies does Cybergate use for casual games like Merchant Saga: "I Was Told to Open a Shop in the Demon King's Castle"? Which strategy is most effective?** A: The most effective strategy is rewarded video ads. Users who watch videos to understand gameplay tend to be more active afterward. Additionally, users acquired through rewarded videos watch more in-app ads—they likely have higher acceptance of video ads, aligning well with our ad-driven monetization model. Recently, cost-per-engagement (CPE) ads have also performed strongly.

Q: What recent market trends have you observed in user acquisition? How has the collaboration with Mintegral worked out? A: Compared to the past, the market now demands fresher ad creatives. In-house creative production has limitations, so Mintegral’s creative support is crucial. After the iOS 14.5 update, precise targeting has become harder, leading to greater fluctuations in acquisition volume and cost-per-install (CPI)—areas we’ll continue monitoring. Notably, user acquisition through Mintegral has remained stable without significant drops.

Q: We’ve noticed Cybergate uses playable ads for user acquisition and has customized playable materials through our creative studio, Mindworks. How effective were these materials? Are you satisfied? Do you plan to continue using them? A: Mindworks’ playable ads were extremely effective! They provided multiple video concepts in a short time, mastered the art of grabbing attention within the first 3 seconds, generated innovative ideas we hadn’t considered, and iterated creatives at high speed. We plan to apply these learnings internally. Currently, playable ads drive strong user acquisition; we’re collaborating with agencies to adjust target CPI and audience demographics. In the future, we’ll increase global creative customization needs beyond China.