These games aren’t even original trailblazers. Gossip Harbor and Seaside Escape are follow-ups on previous chart-topping titles like Travel Town (launched in 2020), yet both have surpassed it.

Seaside Escape, a direct clone of Travel Town, now outperforms the original — even though it launched two years later.

So, what’s the secret sauce?

A smart mix of game design improvements and data-backed decisions powered by mobile game analytics.

It’s not just the production value…

Sure, Chinese companies now throw massive resources into production quality and superior live-ops — but that alone isn’t enough.

What really tipped the scales? User Acquisition (UA).

Let’s look at the numbers:

• Gossip Harbor: 120K downloads/day
• Travel Town: 70K downloads/day

In the long run, this results in drastically different DAU (Daily Active Users):

• Gossip Harbor: 6M
• Travel Town: 2.5M

That kind of scale? It’s a monetization game-changer.

Choosing the right monetization strategy ensures your game doesn’t just survive — it thrives.

🎯 Why is their UA crushing it?

Simple: Gossip Harbor and Seaside Escape are both leveraging “Freezing Families” ad creatives — a dramatic and emotionally triggering concept that lowers CPI and boosts install volume.

Meanwhile, Travel Town hasn’t hopped on that bandwagon.

When it comes to mobile game success, understanding your market is half the battle.
What works emotionally or visually in one region might tank in another.

This isn’t unique to Merge either. The same trend is killing it in 4X and Match3 genres. The first mover isn’t always the last one standing.

So, what are Microfun’s advantages?

Let’s break it down:

1. Better Market Understanding

Microfun knows what resonates with global players — and they’re running with it. That’s why understanding your market is half the battle when building or cloning a game.

2. Creative UA Strategies

Those “Freezing Families” ads? Unmatched in their performance.
👉 If your UA team isn’t experimenting with emotionally resonant storytelling, you’re leaving installs on the table.

👉 Creating an emotionally engaging onboarding also keeps players from churning after they click.

3. Smart Cloning (with Upgrades)

Seaside Escape cloned Travel Town, but improved on every element — live-ops, visual design, pacing.
👉 Remember, it’s not always about innovation. It’s about doing what works… better.