two & a half gamers

From VR Meme to Mobile Empire 👑 How I Am Cat & I am Security Took Over TikTok AND App Stores


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What happens when a cat simulator, born as a VR meme on Meta Quest, lands on mobile with aggressive monetization and viral magic? You get a $300,000/day monster hits. I am Cat with I am Security = 300k/day ad revenue!


Today, we break down the bizarre and brilliant rise of I Am Cat and I Am Security — the mobile games that took over app stores in March 2025 with:


Over 2.6M DAU

$170K/day from I Am Cat

$120K/day from I Am Security

60s interstitial loops and mandatory rewarded ads

Origin story: a team call about cats turned into a Goat Simulator-style sandbox hit

From VR on MetaQuest to top-ranked free games on Android & iOS

Almost no IAP – ads are the economy

Insane virality via YouTube Shorts & TikTok (34M+ views!)


Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop

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PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.

Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/

They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.

- Scale fast

- Keep your shares

- Drawdown only as needed

- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you

+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors

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This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠

Youtube: https://youtu.be/zVjfrpqeKSw


Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg


Chapters


00:00 Introduction and Game Overview

04:24 The Rise of Astotti and Their Games

06:50 Exploring the Success of 'I'm Cat' and 'I'm Security'

10:24 The Transition from VR to Mobile Gaming

13:10 Ad Monetization Strategies in Mobile Games

16:30 User Engagement and Game Mechanics

19:31 Revenue Insights and Market Performance

20:19 The Rise of Simulation Games

23:37 Analyzing Game Revenue and User Engagement

24:51 Exploring IAM Security Game Mechanics

29:23 Revenue Insights and Market Sustainability

32:35 Future of Game Development and Marketing Strategies

36:28 Viral Marketing Strategies in Gaming

39:56 The Impact of Social Media on Game Popularity

43:40 Analyzing Game Monetization and Profitability

46:50 The Evolution of Game Concepts and Trends

52:06 Conclusion and Future of Gaming

---------------------------------------

Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar

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Takeaways

VR to mobile = untapped goldmine, especially for meme-ready content

Aggressive ad placement can work if player retention is fueled by curiosity + chaos

Low CPI + high engagement = ideal organic UA funnel

"I Am Cat" and "I Am Security" are a masterclass in viral design, zero-to-monetization speed, and how to turn meme energy into millions..

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Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!

Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!

Please share feedback and comments - [email protected]

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If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej Lancaric

Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

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