Gossip Harbour's Leap to Alternative App Stores: Why the Success?

If you've spent enough time on YouTube, or even consider yourself a die-hard mobile gaming enthusiast, you've likely come across some less-than-stellar ads. One game that might have caught your eye is Gossip Harbour, a merge and story-based puzzler. Despite its unassuming nature, Gossip Harbour has been a surprising success, generating over $10 million for developer Microfun on Google Play alone.

However, the intriguing part isn't just its earnings but Microfun's strategic move to partner with a publisher named Flexion. This partnership isn't aimed at further promoting Gossip Harbour on Google Play, but rather at expanding its reach into what are known as "alternative app stores."

If you're unfamiliar with the term, an alternative app store is essentially any platform that isn't Google Play or the iOS App Store. Even major players like the Samsung Store, which comes preinstalled on many devices, don't hold a candle to these giants.

Why Go Alternative?

So, why is Gossip Harbour venturing into alternative app stores? The primary reason is profitability. Moreover, with the recent legal challenges faced by Google and Apple, there's increasing pressure to normalize the use of alternative app stores on their devices. Platforms like the Huawei AppGallery are already capitalizing on this shift with sales and promotions. High-profile games like Candy Crush Saga have also made the move to these alternative platforms.

Flexion and Microfun are betting that alternative app stores will become the next big trend in mobile gaming. Whether this strategy will draw in a significant user base remains to be seen.

We're not here to judge the quality of games, but if you're on the hunt for top-tier puzzlers, check out our curated list of the top 25 best puzzle games for iOS and Android. You might discover your next favorite game!