Stay Informed
Get Industry News In Your Inbox…
Sign Up Today
Chinese developer Lilith Games has achieved a remarkable feat in the mobile gaming industry by creating multiple billion-dollar global hits across various genres. From the successful 4X strategy game Rise of Kingdoms to the popular idle RPG AFK Arena, Lilith Games has solidified its presence on the global stage.
Even though not every release has reached billion-dollar status, titles like Warpath, Art of Conquest: Airships, and Call of Dragons have still managed to generate substantial revenue for the company. However, not every game has hit the mark; titles like Farlight 84 and RPG Dislyte, while successful, have not reached the same financial heights as some of their other releases.
One of their latest releases, the Idle RPG AFK Journey, has had a strong start but faces a decline in revenue, which is expected to change once it launches in key Asian markets such as Japan, South Korea, and China.
Despite not always hitting the billion-dollar mark, Lilith consistently releases flagship games that many other studios would consider highly successful.
To understand how Lilith strives to create global blockbusters, we spoke with Vincent Ou, the company’s head of strategy and investment, who shared insights into their company culture, development process, live ops strategy, and more.
Culture and Development
Lilith, headquartered in China, has around 2,300 employees spread across its offices in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Seoul, and Singapore, with a recent venture into North America. Ou emphasizes their long-term approach to game development, which stems from the founders’ background as game developers themselves.
“Several of our founders were game developers, so we fully understand the importance of continuous accumulation of knowledge in a specific field.”
Vincent Ou
Ou points out that Lilith values employee incentives and fair treatment, as demonstrated through their ‘Aladdin Plan’ where employees hold a stake in the profits of their game projects. The company also fosters an environment of dignity, equality, and encourages talent mobility without restrictive non-compete agreements.
Lilith provides extensive resources and support for talent development, including a comprehensive knowledge repository and various recreational facilities within the workplace.
Striving for Success
While Lilith has excelled in strategy titles, the company has diversified into other genres to reach a broader audience and enhance gameplay experiences. Ou emphasizes the importance of player feedback in refining their games and offering a better user experience.
Lilith adopts both top-down and bottom-up game development approaches to generate new ideas and ensure that every project is planned for global release from the outset. The company is committed to continuous refinement and optimization throughout the development process.
“Our gameplay design is far from perfect, and the team highly values players’ critical feedback and suggestions.”
Vincent Ou
The company’s project strategy focuses on meticulous testing and iteration to ensure that all games are well-received by players before full-scale launch.
Post-Launch Strategy
During the post-launch phase, Lilith shifts its focus to meet player content demands and sustain player engagement over the long term. The company introduces additional development processes aimed at consistently delivering new content and optimizing player experiences based on feedback.
Expanding Horizons
Recognizing the trend of cross-platform gaming, Lilith is exploring opportunities in PC development and cross-platform projects to reach a broader audience and leverage promotional activities through various channels. The company aims to provide seamless gameplay experiences across multiple platforms, catering to the evolving preferences of players.
“The cost of exploring gameplay on PC is relatively lower compared to mobile, as there is less need to consider performance optimisation issues.”
Vincent Ou
Lilith’s strategic direction includes new cross-platform and PC projects that benefit from lower costs of innovation and appeal to a wider range of core players. The company’s commitment to player-driven innovation and user-friendly design extends to its plans for expanding into new platforms and genres, all with the goal of delivering high-quality experiences to players worldwide.
Lilith Games is a finalist for two categories at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2024 in association with Gamelight – including Best Developer and Game of the Year. Voting is open to anyone in the industry – and you can vote for who who think should win the awards in these and other categories right here. You can attend the ceremony, where the winners will be announced, in person in Cologne, Germany on August 20th.
Want to get more insights like this? Be sure to sign up to our newsletter. You can also register for Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki on October 1st and 2nd to meet developers in person and gain insights on how they make their mobile games a success – and the lessons they’ve learned from failure.
