https://ift.tt/bPUSoI0 Merge games are a big deal on mobile. They’re one of the fastest growing genres on the platform, and for good reason ...
Merge games are a big deal on mobile. They’re one of the fastest growing genres on the platform, and for good reason – they’re easy to pick up and very hard to put down.
But with any growing genre standing out can be very tough indeed. We took the time to talk to Fiene Ziegler, InnoGames Expert Community Management Specialist, about her team’s latest title Cozy Coast – and how it’s looking to make waves in the merge games space.
Hi! Please tell us a bit more about yourself and how the idea for Cozy Coast came about.
I’ve worked in the gaming industry for over 10 years, and for about 8 of these years, I was responsible for the community strategy for our city-builder flagship, Forge of Empires. Moving to Cozy Coast has been a really exciting new adventure for me, and it’s the same for our players!
We’ve always admired the merge genre for its incredibly satisfying and relaxing gameplay. We saw an opportunity to apply our knowledge of creating engaging worlds – in the case of Cozy Coast, the exploration aspect – and combine it with the core merge mechanic. From there, the idea grew to include two friends, a beautiful island, and a mystery. After much brainstorming and testing, we decided that ‘Cozy Coast’ was the perfect name for the relaxing and heartwarming beach adventure we wanted to create. It’s been an incredible journey, and we were thrilled to finally launch globally in December 2025 and share the game with everyone.
What were your original aims when you started developing the game – and did they change at all now that the title is launched?
The game has evolved quite a bit! Initially, it was known internally as ‘Mia’s Merge Adventure’ and focused solely on her. The idea of adding Elara as a co-protagonist and building the story around their friendship emerged later in the development process, greatly enriching the world of Calista.
It’s been fascinating to witness the evolution of the game, driven by the invaluable feedback of our players! Initially, we imagined Cozy Coast as a solo experience. However, just before the global launch, we decided to add some friendly competitions like the Race Events and the Summit Challenge. These are optional, fun ways for players to compete with other community members. We also prioritised creating new Exploration Adventures and other activities, so there’s always something new to discover on Calista.
Overall, our core goal of creating a story-driven merge title with strong exploration elements has stayed the same, but we’ve enjoyed – and are still enjoying – evolving the game based on what our players love most.
What makes Cozy Coast a different experience to the other merge games on the market?
Ultimately, I think it comes down to the sense of adventure that we’ve woven into the game. Although merging and renovating are at the heart of Cozy Coast, we also wanted to give players a whole world to explore beyond that. You can step off the merge board and journey through these beautiful, handcrafted maps while following the main story and discovering the secrets and little surprises that our team loves to hide.
We’ve even brought that feeling to our weekly Exploration Adventures. Each week, there’s a brand-new, self-contained story to solve, with its own unique map to explore. The feedback on these has been incredible! It tells us that players love having a deeper world to get lost in, and that’s something we’re really passionate about continuing to develop.
How important is the plot in Cozy Coast? As it seems a lot more involved than most puzzle titles in the same space.
The plot is incredibly important; it fills the entire game world with life. Our team did an amazing job with the interlocking narrative. The story introduces new characters, drives the renovation of the island, and guides players through the exploration maps. Without the overarching mystery that Mia and Elara need to solve, I believe those stages wouldn’t be nearly as fun. It makes you want to find out what happens next. That’s why we receive so much positive feedback about the story in the reviews. It really stands out to players.
Are you looking to target a certain audience with Cozy Coast, or are you just trying to reach as large a group of people as possible?
Yes, absolutely. We designed Cozy Coast to predominantly appeal to women, an audience we felt was looking for this kind of relaxing, story-rich experience. We knew from the beginning that we wanted to create a game that fits into different lifestyles. Whether you’re someone looking for a quick, comforting break between classes, a busy mom who wants a few minutes of relaxing ‘me-time’ during a hectic day, or someone who loves to settle in for a longer, more strategic session in the evening, we wanted Cozy Coast to feel welcoming. This understanding influences everything we do. We design our features and events to be enjoyable whether you have five minutes or an hour to play.
What are you personally the most proud of in Cozy Coast?
Cozy Coast was the first game in my career that I had the honor to support through all the different launch phases, which included setting up all the community channels from scratch. It’s been fascinating to see how different Cozy Coast players are from, for example, the Forge of Empires community I was responsible for before. It’s just great to see all the preparation and hard work our team put into the game now coming to life in the form of this new, vibrant community.
The game is free to play, what is the ad/in-app purchase set up like in the title?
Our ads are entirely optional and rewarded, players can choose to watch them for small bonuses, but they are never intrusive or required to progress. For in-app purchases, our strategy is to offer players suitable and valuable offers throughout their game journey. These are designed to enhance their experience or help them speed up progress if they choose. We’re continuously monitoring, testing, and adjusting these offers to make sure they feel right for the game and for our players.
What are your future plans for Cozy Coast heading into 2026? What can players look forward to?
The game’s global launch on December 15 was a huge milestone, and now we’re focused on creating new content for our higher-level players, progressing into the next season of the story, and introducing new event types. One of the big things we’re working on is continuing to expand and improve our exploration adventures to make them even more fun and engaging. And, of course, we’ll be keeping a close eye on how the global community engages with the game and will continue to make adjustments to ensure Cozy Coast is always on the right track.
Thanks to Fiene for taking the time to answer our questions! You can check out Cozy Coast on Google Play right here.
The post Interview: InnoGames on How Cozy Coast Stands Out in the Merge Games Genre appeared first on Gamezebo.
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