Zombie Fortress: Data Analysis Perfects Player Experience

In November 2025, SayGames unveiled a strategic partnership with Korean studio NLABSOFT, announcing that the two companies were already collaborating on two titles: the already‑released Tiny Warriors Rush and the then‑testing Zombie Fortress. By December of the same year, both games had successfully launched worldwide, with Zombie Fortress quickly amassing over 10,000 reviews and an average rating of 4.3.

Since its initial reveal in December 2025, Zombie Fortress has continued to grow through live service updates and ongoing development, thanks to a close partnership between NLABSOFT’s creative team and SayGames’ data‑driven approach. The game’s evolution offers a fascinating behind‑the‑scenes look at how collaboration can sustain momentum in a competitive mobile market.

At the core of Zombie Fortress lies a clear vision: to deliver a mobile tower‑defense experience that feels effortless yet delivers exhilarating, high‑impact gameplay. CEO Joo Hyeon‑yeon emphasized that the title faithfully realizes the original prototype concept, “Zombie Crusher,” while pushing the genre beyond conventional tower placement. By centering gameplay around traps rather than static towers, players can obliterate waves of zombies through crushing, shredding, and explosive tactics.

Balancing intuitive accessibility with depth was a pivotal design challenge. “We invested countless hours refining the sweet spot between simplicity and impact,” Joo said, expressing satisfaction with the final product. The team also sought emotional resonance, drawing inspiration from The Last of Us to feature a young female protagonist navigating a post‑apocalyptic world, thereby adding subtle narrative weight.

Data analytics became the backbone of decision‑making. By February 2026, the team had implemented over 100 new analytical events, enabling continuous observation and refinement of the player journey. SayGames’ producer Danila Katalev highlighted the importance of shared data‑centric thinking, noting that regular, evidence‑based discussions replaced guesswork with hypothesis testing.

Both studios approached the partnership as a collaborative partnership rather than a simple reporting relationship. SayGames’ executives actively played the game, providing practical feedback on design and balance, while NLABSOFT’s small but seasoned team leveraged a flexible, problem‑solving culture that values rapid prototyping and iterative testing.

NLABSOFT’s “Art Camp” methodology mirrors songwriting workshops, bringing internal and external artists together to explore contrasting visual concepts—such as “Primitive vs. Dinosaur” or “Farmer vs. Plant”—and test them for cost‑per‑install impact. This data‑driven artistic validation ensures that the final visual direction resonates with players beyond intuition alone.

For NLABSOFT, Zombie Fortress is not a finished product but an ongoing project that thrives on iteration, trust, and swift execution. The partnership with SayGames has not only propelled the current title forward but also laid a solid foundation for future collaborations, reinforcing the studio’s reputation for rapid, data‑informed development in the mobile gaming arena.