Highlights
- The KRAFTON and Neptune partnership launches the Flick global game dev challenge with $5M support.
- The initiative expands KRAFTON's support for indie developers through CPI testing and publishing deals.
- The Flick global game dev challenge creates a global pathway for hybrid casual titles.
KRAFTON and South Korean developer Neptune have introduced the Flick x KRAFTON Casual Game Challenge (Season 1), a global initiative to identify hybrid and hypercasual mobile games. It is structured as a publishing pathway designed to scale selected titles. The program is open to developers worldwide, including India, and offers a support pool of up to $5 million USD.
The announcement also marks the debut of ‘Flick,’ Neptune’s hybrid casual publishing label designed to create a long-term pipeline of mobile-first titles with global appeal.
KRAFTON and Neptune Partnership Anchors Data-Driven Publishing Pathway
Selected teams will receive seed marketing budgets for cost-per-install (CPI) testing, enabling early validation with real market data. Top-performing titles may secure publishing deals with minimum guarantees of up to $200K for hybrid casual games. Meanwhile, hyper casual games may receive minimum guarantees of up to $100K.
A pre-publishing track is also included to support early-stage concepts before full launch.
Unlike traditional competitions, the initiative operates as an end-to-end publishing pathway. Developers must submit playable builds for evaluation against metrics such as early playtime, CPI, and user retention.
KRAFTON
Seunghyun Kwon, Head of Game Business Division at Neptune, said the goal is “to move beyond conventional publishing models and create a scalable, data-driven ecosystem for discovering global hits.” He added that real-market validation and early-stage support are intended to help developers build and iterate with clarity.
Flick Global Game Dev Challenge Targets Global Hybrid Casual Growth
The program reflects growing emphasis on analytics-driven publishing in mobile gaming, where performance metrics increasingly shape investment decisions. Through the partnership, KRAFTON contributes publishing expertise and operational support aimed at scaling promising projects globally.
The initiative comes as hybrid casual gaming expands, blending accessibility with deeper engagement and monetization. Examples include Survivor.io, Archero, and Matchington Mansion, which pair simple gameplay with progression systems and in-app monetization.
For Indian developers, the challenge offers access to global distribution, early-stage funding, infrastructure, and publishing support. This creates a pathway for regional studios to reach international markets.
