What Makes a Publisher–Studio Partnership Last? Five Years of Building Tower War

Katya Sabirova

Five years is a long time in mobile games. Games change, markets change, teams grow — and the challenges a studio faces after reaching tens of millions of players are very different from those it faced while building its first prototype. The same should be true of the relationship between a developer and its publisher.

Pavetra Games and SayGames started working together in 2020, when Pavetra was a young studio exploring different ideas in a mobile market still dominated by hypercasual games. Today, Tower War has surpassed 140 million downloads, Pavetra has grown into an experienced product team, and the relationship between the two companies looks very different.

The early days of the partnership

Pavetra was founded in 2020, at the height of the hypercasual boom. The original idea was to build games for that market, but the team quickly realized they wanted to create something deeper. “We wanted to build games that we ourselves would genuinely enjoy playing,” says Pavel Toiberman, Game Producer at Pavetra Games.

The studio was introduced to SayGames through friends in the industry. What Pavel remembers most about those first conversations was how little formality and bureaucracy there was: “There was very little unnecessary corporate process — we could simply talk about the game and make decisions together.”

From SayGames' perspective, the attraction wasn't just a single prototype — the team itself and especially their mindset showed a lot of promise. “When we first started working with Pavetra, they were still exploring different ideas and game concepts,” says Denis Vaihanski, COO at SayGames. “What stood out was how disciplined, organized, and consistent the team was. They were eager to learn, open to collaboration, and committed to making every iteration better.”

At that stage, SayGames stayed much closer to the product, bringing its experience and data into discussions around visuals, gameplay mechanics, balancing, UI, and other areas.

As the studio matures, the publisher's role becomes more strategic

As Pavetra gained experience, the way the two companies worked together evolved. The team adopted SayGames' product approaches, learned to use its internal tools, and became increasingly independent.

What didn't change was the division of roles. Even when SayGames was more deeply involved in product discussions, Pavetra always retained ownership of the game and the final say on product decisions.

“We don't want to manage development,” Denis says. “We want to give studios the tools, expertise, and ways of working that help them grow. We see ourselves more as coaches. As a team matures, our involvement shifts away from day-to-day decisions toward bigger strategic questions.”

Over time, SayGames' role increasingly expanded toward areas where a publisher can create value at scale: user acquisition, marketing, ASO, creative production, analytics, technology, infrastructure, HR & recruitment, business processes and broader strategic opportunities.

“We've never felt that commercial decisions were being made above our heads,” Pavel says. “Product decisions have always remained with the studio. At the same time, we actively rely on SayGames where they have the strongest expertise: marketing, user acquisition, and analytics.”

Creating opportunities beyond the product

For a mature studio, some of the biggest opportunities may sit outside the development team's traditional capabilities: global marketing infrastructure, technology, licensing, strategic partnerships, or access to major entertainment IP. The Tower War × Terminator 2: Judgment Day collaboration with STUDIOCANAL is one example.

SayGames initiated the licensing process and worked with the rights holder, while Pavetra integrated the franchise into the game. Both teams first had to agree that Terminator 2 wasn't simply a recognizable name — it made sense for Tower War and for the direction in which the product was already evolving.

“We see IP partnerships like this as much more than marketing opportunities,” Denis says. “They're a powerful way to expand LiveOps, introduce fresh content, and give players new reasons to come back to a game they've already invested hundreds of hours in.” 

More than 2.5 million players participated in the event. During the collaboration, in-app revenue increased by around 40%, while daily downloads grew by as much as 45%.

140 million downloads — and still evolving

Tower War itself has evolved just as much as the partnership behind it. When Pavetra started developing the game in 2021, only two people were working on it: a programmer and a game producer, who was simultaneously acting as game designer, level designer, and occasionally programmer.

“I've always loved games that are easy to pick up but have enough depth to reward strategy and long-term progression,” Pavel says. “One day I came to the team and said, ‘I like this — let's build it.’”

Tower War initially relied almost entirely on advertising. Over the following years, Pavetra introduced IAP monetization, expanded the metagame and progression systems, invested in LiveOps, and added a stronger social layer through features including clans and clan wars.

“We've never treated it as a finished game,” Pavel says.

Core gameplay monetization remains one of the biggest areas for growth. Perhaps surprisingly, with every new release we continue to see key monetization metrics improve — a strong indication that there is still plenty of room to unlock more value directly from the gameplay experience.

“Tower War is fundamentally a skill-based experience built around strategy, tactical decision-making, and player mastery. Games like that have traditionally been much harder to monetize without compromising what makes them enjoyable in the first place. We haven't solved that challenge, but that's exactly why it's exciting,” — Denis says.

What to look for in a publishing partner, according to Pavetra Games

After five years together, Pavel points to several things he considers particularly important when choosing a publishing partner.

The first is relevant expertise. “Every publisher has genres where they've developed deep product knowledge,” he says. “Even if their portfolio is expanding, it's worth looking at what they've actually shipped successfully. If your game doesn't match their strengths, the partnership is unlikely to be as effective as it could be.”

The second is product philosophy. “In my experience, there are two common approaches,” Pavel says. “Some publishers run a large number of rapid tests with relatively small budgets, hoping one project will become an instant hit. Others identify promising games early and invest in improving them over time. I'm not saying one model is objectively better. But as a developer, I strongly prefer the second. It gives a game the time and support it needs to reveal its full potential — and I think Tower War is proof that this approach can work”.

But expertise and philosophy are only part of what makes a partnership last. “At SayGames, we met people who are passionate about games, know exactly what they're doing, and communicate in a very straightforward way,” Pavel says. “That openness has never changed. Like any long-term partnership, we've faced challenges along the way, but we've always been able to discuss them openly and find solutions together. I think that's one of the reasons we've never seriously considered working with multiple publishers.”

From the publisher's perspective, Denis sees the same principle from a different angle.

“Every game has its own strengths, audience, and growth trajectory,” he says. “Great publishing means understanding what makes each game unique and helping it realize its full potential.”