How Mobile Game Publisher HOMA Worked With TikTok to Create a Viral Hit Inspired by #CleanTok
Table of Contents
TikTok Ban Threatens Game Publishers’ booming Marketing strategy
Mobile game developer HOMA Games struck gold with “Clean It,” a casual game inspired by teh wildly popular #CleanTok trend on TikTok. The game’s success highlights TikTok’s growing influence in the gaming world and its strategic push to attract game publishers to its platform.
Launched in june 2024, “Clean It” quickly amassed over 2.5 million installs in its first six months, becoming a viral sensation. This wasn’t HOMA’s first foray into TikTok-inspired gaming. The developer, known for popular titles like “Merge Master” and “Aquarium Land,” has a knack for blending trending TikTok themes with engaging game mechanics.
“Trends like this occur naturally as TikTok is fundamentally fueled by community participation,” said Annie Arsane, TikTok’s head of business marketing, global gaming. “Gamers on TikTok aren’t a passive audience: they are engaged co-creators that drive notable impact and sustained attention for new title launches and IP like ‘Clean It.'”
“Clean It” cleverly merges the #CleanTok trend, which features videos of creators transforming messy spaces into sparkling clean havens, with the addictive “idle arcade” game genre. The result? A captivating mobile game that resonates with both TikTok users and casual gamers.
“We have very different curves of progression, in terms of numbers of installs, when a game is being launched,” said Olivier Le Bas, HOMA’s chief revenue officer.”Sometimes, it’s really exponential. In the case of ‘Clean It,’ it was really exponential, and it was one of our top successes for games coming from these tiktok trends.”
HOMA leveraged TikTok not only for inspiration but also as a powerful marketing tool. The developer actively promoted “Clean It” on the platform, creating engaging content and running targeted ads to reach #CleanTok enthusiasts.
while “clean It” wasn’t a direct business partnership between HOMA and TikTok, the short-form video giant provided invaluable support throughout the game’s growth. HOMA representatives met weekly with their TikTok account manager, receiving guidance on product management, marketing, and campaign optimization.
“We have a Slack channel where we exchange on a daily basis, on the campaign, optimization, investment and best practices,” Le Bas explained.
TikTok is touting “Clean It’s” success as a prime example of its commitment to collaborating with game publishers. The company even features the game as a case study on its website, highlighting the benefits of leveraging TikTok’s platform and engaged community.Though, a looming TikTok ban in the U.S.threatens to disrupt this burgeoning gaming ecosystem. If the ban goes into effect, game publishers like HOMA could lose access to a valuable marketing channel and a massive audience of potential players. The outcome of this situation remains uncertain, but it underscores the growing importance of TikTok in the gaming industry.
TikTok’s Gaming Gamble: Can It Survive a Potential Ban?
Game publishers are flocking to TikTok, but a looming ban threatens to derail this booming marketing strategy.
TikTok has become a surprising powerhouse in the gaming world. Game publishers are increasingly turning to the platform to reach a massive audience and build brand awareness, leveraging its unique algorithm and viral trends to connect with players. But a potential ban in the United States casts a shadow over this burgeoning trend.
“Part of the reason we would be very sad to lose TikTok as a platform is that I think TikTok, being a newer platform, has an algorithm that I’d consider to be more of a great equalizer,” said Linda Qin, product director of game publisher Pahdo Labs. Qin utilizes both her personal TikTok account and Pahdo’s official presence to market the company’s games.She believes TikTok’s algorithm offers a unique chance for smaller studios to compete with industry giants. “I’d say YouTube is a lot more aged at this point; Instagram is very much the same way as well, where TikTok is more of a Wild West, where unknown game studios can reach a very large audience likewise large game studios have been able to,” Qin explained.
Currently, game publishers primarily leverage TikTok for brand awareness rather than direct user acquisition. Tapping into trends like #CleanTok proves notably effective,as TikTok users naturally connect gaming properties like “Clean It” with the trends that inspire them.
TikTok’s Gaming Gambit: How “Clean It” Became a Viral Hit
Mobile game developer HOMA games struck gold with “Clean It,” a casual game inspired by the wildly popular #cleantok trend on TikTok. The game’s success demonstrates the power of aligning game concepts with existing trends on the platform.
“Clean It” allows players to virtually clean messy rooms,satisfying the desire for order and cleanliness often seen in #CleanTok videos. The game’s simple yet addictive gameplay,combined with its connection to a trending hashtag,propelled it to viral success.
Uncertainty on the Horizon
While TikTok declined to comment beyond its official statement on the Supreme Court case, game publishers remain optimistic. They believe the knowlege gained on TikTok can be applied to other short-form video platforms should the ban become a reality.
“We have seen things that are accomplished on TikTok also be successful on Instagram, so we are interested in pursuing a similar strategy,” Qin said. “I don’t think the Instagram algorithm is a one-to-one match — there’s certain content that Instagram likes more — but we do think that there is a lot of potential.”
The gaming industry watches with bated breath as the Supreme Court deliberates on TikTok’s fate. The outcome will undoubtedly shape the future of marketing for game publishers and potentially redefine the landscape of social media marketing.
Mobile game developer HOMA Games has struck gold with “Clean It,” a wildly popular mobile game that leverages the viral #CleanTok trend. launched in June 2024, the addictive “idle arcade” game has amassed over 2.5 million installs in its first six months, proving TikTok’s growing influence in the gaming world.
“Clean It” cleverly merges the satisfying world of #CleanTok, where creators transform messy spaces into sparkling clean havens, with the engaging gameplay of the “idle arcade” genre. Players tap and swipe to clean up virtual messes, earning rewards and unlocking new cleaning tools along the way.
This isn’t HOMA’s first foray into TikTok-inspired gaming.The developer, known for popular titles like “Merge Master” and “aquarium Land,” has a knack for blending trending tiktok themes with engaging game mechanics.
“Trends like this occur naturally as TikTok is fundamentally fueled by community participation,” said Annie Arsane, TikTok’s head of business marketing, global gaming. “Gamers on TikTok aren’t a passive audience: they are engaged co-creators that drive notable impact and sustained attention for new title launches and IP like ‘Clean It.'”
HOMA leveraged TikTok not only for inspiration but also as a powerful marketing tool. The developer actively promoted “Clean It” on the platform, creating engaging content and running targeted ads to reach #CleanTok enthusiasts.
“We have very different curves of progression, in terms of numbers of installs, when a game is being launched,” said Olivier le Bas, HOMA’s chief revenue officer. “sometimes, it’s really exponential. In the case of ‘Clean it,’ it was really exponential, and it was one of our top successes for games coming from these TikTok trends.”
While “clean It” wasn’t a direct business partnership between HOMA and TikTok,the short-form video giant provided invaluable support throughout the game’s growth. HOMA representatives met weekly with their TikTok account manager, receiving guidance on product management, marketing, and campaign optimization.
“We have a slack channel where we exchange on a daily basis on the campaign, optimization, investment and best practices,” Le Bas explained.
TikTok is touting “Clean It’s” success as a prime example of its commitment to collaborating with game publishers. The company even features the game as a case study on its website, highlighting the power of the platform for discovering and promoting new games.
TikTok’s Gaming Gambit: ‘Clean It’s Success and the Threat of a ban
Mobile game developer HOMA Games struck gold with “Clean It,” a casual game inspired by the wildly popular #CleanTok trend on TikTok. Launched in June 2024, “Clean It” quickly amassed over 2.5 million installs in its first six months, becoming a viral sensation. This success highlights TikTok’s growing influence in the gaming world and its strategic push to attract game publishers to its platform.
“Trends like this occur naturally as TikTok is fundamentally fueled by community participation,” said Annie Arsane, TikTok’s head of business marketing, global gaming. “Gamers on TikTok aren’t a passive audience: they are engaged co-creators that drive notable impact and sustained attention for new title launches and IP like ‘Clean It.'”
“Clean It” cleverly merges the #CleanTok trend, which features videos of creators transforming messy spaces into sparkling clean havens, with the addictive “idle arcade” game genre. HOMA leveraged TikTok not only for inspiration but also as a powerful marketing tool, creating engaging content and running targeted ads to reach #cleantok enthusiasts.
HOMA representatives engaged with TikTok regularly, receiving guidance on product management, marketing, and campaign optimization. Despite not being a direct partnership, TikTok provided invaluable support to “Clean It’s” growth.
TikTok’s gaming Gamble: Can It Survive a Potential ban?
While TikTok declined to comment beyond its official statement on the Supreme Court case, game publishers remain optimistic.
Game publishers are flocking to TikTok, but a looming ban in the United States threatens to derail this booming marketing strategy. TikTok has become a surprising powerhouse in the gaming world. game publishers are increasingly turning to the platform to reach a massive audience and build brand awareness, leveraging its unique algorithm and viral trends to connect with players.
Linda qin, product director of game publisher Pahdo Labs, believes TikTok’s algorithm offers a unique chance for smaller studios to compete with industry giants: “Part of the reason we woudl be very sad to lose TikTok as a platform is that I think TikTok, being a newer platform, has an algorithm that I’d consider to be more of a grate equalizer…I’d say YouTube is a lot more aged at this point; Instagram is very much the same way as well, were TikTok is more of a Wild West, where unknown game studios can reach a very large audience likewise large game studios have been able to,” Qin explained.
Currently, game publishers primarily leverage TikTok for brand awareness rather than direct user acquisition. tapping into trends like #CleanTok proves notably effective, as TikTok users naturally connect gaming properties like “Clean It” with the trends that inspire them.
Uncertainty Looms
The outcome of the potential ban remains uncertain.However, it underscores the growing importance of TikTok in the gaming industry and the potential disruption a ban could cause to both game publishers and the platform’s gaming community.