UGC Games

The State of UGC Games (2025)

To explore working with Naavik on your UGC games consulting needs, please contact us here. We’d love to chat. The user-generated content (“UGC”) train showed no sign of slowing down in 2024, with engagement at all-time highs, launches of new tools powered by artificial intelligence further lowering the barrier of creation, and more brands and…

World Models

Hello, World Models!

This article was written in collaboration with our partners at Lightspeed who are part of Naavik’s Open Gaming Research Initiative. As an increasing share of our time is spent online and interacting with digital content, AI’s impact on gaming & interactive media has shaped not only Lightspeed’s investment approach (backing category-defining companies, including Inworld in…

Gaming Comms

The New Era of Gaming Comms

This deep dive was written in collaboration with our client, High Vibe PR — a boutique communications firm for companies and brands that define the future of gaming, entertainment, and culture. Historically, PR’s primary role has been to secure trusted third-party coverage, build credibility, and amplify a game’s narrative through key media channels. However, the gaming…

New Horizons in Habit-Building Gamification

New Horizons in Habit-Building Gamification

Gamification, in a nutshell, is taking gaming mechanics and applying them in a non-gaming context. The proper execution of gamification can help boost multiple metrics, from engagement to monetization. According to Duolingo’s former Chief Product Officer Jorge Mazal, leveraging gamification helped Duolingo 4.5x its DAU. In this deep dive, we look at the growing genre…

Revolutionizing Play: The Emerging Trends in Backend Game Services

Revolutionizing Play: The Emerging Trends in Backend Game Services

In the past, games were self-contained adventures, existing solely within the confines of a cartridge or CD. Whether it was a pixelated rescue mission or navigating barrels tossed by an enraged ape, the gaming experience was limited to the physical medium. Today, however, games have evolved into expansive, interconnected universes, constantly updated and simultaneously experienced…