Case Study: Hoppy Fox

Hoppy Fox was born during my time working at Digital Turbine, where I had the opportunity to create in-house mobile content for distribution across our vast device network. Anything I built had the potential to be preloaded on millions of devices, thanks to Digital Turbine’s direct-install tech.

I had no previous game dev experience and no team to help me.

Making the Game

I discovered a no-code game engine called Buildbox that offered templated mechanics and just enough flexibility to make a game my own, with the ability to export as an Android project. I got started on my platformer.

  • I created all visual assets in Sketch, including characters and sprites, enemies, backgrounds, UI, buttons, loading screens, and iconography.

  • I sourced and integrated all sound effects.

  • I exported the Buildbox project into Android Studio, implemented Firebase, Google Ads, and Google Analytics, configured monetization, and signed the .apk.

  • I also managed the full Google Play Store publishing process: metadata, screenshots, permissions, and compliance.

Process & Constraints

Using Buildbox made certain things fast, but it was also quite restricting. There were no real customization options for control layout or mechanics, and visual feedback options were limited.

Design-wise, the game includes three themed levels: forest, desert, and arctic. Though each has its own color palette and feel, I worked to make sure they felt distinct while maintaining visual cohesion.

Technically, I was learning Android dev and app publishing as I went. Every stage - gameplay, monetization, analytics, compatibility - required trial and error and some scrappy debugging.

Gameplay Philosophy

Hoppy Fox is a tap-to-jump platformer that doesn’t hold your hand. Some hazards (like falling icicles) appear with no warning the first time, so the player has to learn to anticipate them on the next run. And that’s intentional. It’s a pattern-learning game, not a casual idle tapper.

Players collect in-game cherries to unlock each additional stage, or spend them on optional new fox characters, each with small gameplay perks or a different aesthetic. I intentionally avoided real-money IAPs to keep things lightweight and self-contained.

Results and Reach

  • Preloaded on millions of Android devices via Digital Turbine’s unique tech

  • Over 57,000 organic downloads on Google Play

  • Averaged 3.3★ from 280+ public reviews

  • Over 29 million ad impressions

  • Generated $34,000 in ad revenue

    • Primarily from a single interstitial ad unit

    • Despite being shown mostly on low-tier devices and/or in developing markets, to users who didn’t choose to download the game

The bounce rate was high, and monetization per user was low—but the sheer scale of distribution made the project financially viable and provided valuable insights into our reach.

Reflections

If I revisited the project today, I’d:

  • Add in-app purchases to allow players to unlock new characters or remove ads

  • Build in a level update system so the game could grow post-launch

  • Add stronger in-game feedback cues to help first-time players orient faster

  • Use the experience to shape a more modular design system for rapid expansion

Hoppy Fox wasn’t built with huge aspirations to break any molds or win awards, it was an experiment. It was built to ship, reach people, and generate real revenue, all while staying visually strong and mechanically self-contained.