Gossip Harbour is a massively-successful game making the leap to alternative app stores, but why?

Gossip Harbour: A Mobile Game's Unexpected Move to Alternative App Stores

You've likely seen the ads, even if you don't play it. Gossip Harbour, a merge and story puzzle game, is a sleeper hit that's generated over $10 million for developer Microfun on Google Play alone. However, its success story takes an interesting turn. Instead of focusing on further Google Play promotion, Microfun, in partnership with publisher Flexion, is venturing into "alternative app stores."

For those unfamiliar, alternative app stores are any app marketplaces besides Google Play and the iOS App Store. Even seemingly significant platforms like the Samsung Store are dwarfed in comparison to these two giants.

The Allure of Alternative App Stores

The move to alternative app stores is driven by increased profitability and the burgeoning potential of this market segment. Recent legal challenges against Google and Apple are forcing a reevaluation of alternative app stores, leading to increased acceptance and even promotional efforts by some, such as Huawei's AppGallery. Established titles like Candy Crush Saga have already made the transition.

Microfun and Flexion are betting on the future growth of alternative app stores, hoping to capitalize on this emerging trend. Whether this strategy will prove successful remains to be seen.

While we don't comment on game quality, if you're searching for excellent puzzle games, check out our curated list of the top 25 best puzzle games for iOS and Android!