Redefining the Mobile Gaming Industry

In recent years, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has seen a surge of popular gaming apps, with TopTop standing out as a key player in the market.

Unlike mainstream mobile games like PUBG or AFK Journey, TopTop has taken a unique approach by offering users simpler, more accessible mini-games, such as Ludo, Domino, and Okey. The platform also integrates voice chat rooms, creating a social space for users to interact and connect.

Alongside its mini-game focus, TopTop has been highly strategic in its market choices. Since launching in 2018, the app has concentrated on the MENA region, tailoring the user experience with culturally relevant design elements — such as lions and falafel as in-app gifts — to resonate with local preferences.

At first glance, TopTop may appear to be underwhelming, but it has gained impressive traction in its target markets.

This app demonstrates that being an industry leader isn’t the only path to success. By focusing on a niche market and encouraging users to spend at least an hour a day on the platform, a product can also achieve strong commercial results.

By a stroke of luck, I had the opportunity to speak with Ziwen and Ray, the product designers behind TopTop. In this blog, I’ll share valuable insights for gaming industry professionals, exploring how an ‘unassuming’ gaming app charted its own path and became a ‘hidden champion’.

Get On the Right Track

In the past two to three years, TopTop has gained increasing popularity in countries like Turkey, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. However, few people realize that the app has actually been around for six years.

In 2018, the global mobile gaming industry experienced unprecedented growth, with total revenues reaching $54.7 billion. Major players like Mihoyo, Lilith, and FunPlus emerged, launching their flagship games to a global audience.

Seizing the opportunity of this ‘Blue Ocean’ market, TopTop launched its version 1.0. However, the team quickly realized that not everyone finds immediate success. Ray, one of the early team members, recalls how TopTop went through a ‘long period of uncertainty’ before establishing its footing.

Combining gaming and social elements proved to be a massive challenge for the young team. Initially, there was no clear direction or commercialization strategy. TopTop’s functionality was basic, and it was just another ‘innovation project’ within the company’s broader portfolio.

The turning point came in 2021 when Ziwen assumed the role of product lead. With extensive experience from a prominent Chinese internet company, Ziwen brought a broader perspective and key leadership skills that proved vital to TopTop’s success.

Ray emphasized how much he learned from Ziwen, particularly about building trust across departments: ‘You first need to prove that you’re professional, capable of handling challenging tasks, and able to bring value to others.’

Under Ziwen’s leadership, the team made significant improvements. They fixed long-overlooked bugs, built a monetization system from scratch, and hired Arabic-speaking customer service agents to address user feedback in a timely manner.

After several months of adjustments, TopTop became more engaging. Users could now form four-person squads to play mini-games, chat in voice rooms, and exchange virtual gifts. The app experience was significantly enhanced with the establishment of a dual ‘gaming + voice chat’ system.

Be Friends with Users

For a platform like TopTop, staying connected with users is essential, especially in a broad and diverse market. Ziwen and his team recognized that offering a smooth experience was only the first step. To truly succeed in the MENA market, they needed to master the local culture and deeply understand the subtle psychological needs of their users.

‘Building friendships with users’ became the team’s guiding principle, centered on listening to user feedback and taking action. During this phase, TopTop attracted talent from various countries, enriching the team with diverse perspectives. Ray and his colleagues also made frequent trips to the Middle East to gain a deeper understanding of local users.

These trips were particularly eye-opening for Ray, as they exposed him to the region’s ‘clash between tradition and modernity’. As a social product manager, Ray closely observed how MENA residents socialize and entertain themselves.

In one instance, Ray observed a group of locals in Jordan sitting quietly, sipping water as they watched tourists dance. This scene brought to his mind an image of ‘users playing music without speaking, simply exchanging virtual gifts and enjoying a quiet sense of companionship’.

Many of the insights and experiences gained in the Middle East and North Africa were later translated into product features. For example, after observing the region’s strong family values, TopTop introduced ‘family badges’ to help users foster a sense of belonging. The operations team also rolled out group activities designed to strengthen family bonds.

These localized features significantly boosted user engagement. Ray and his team were pleasantly surprised to see TopTop evolving into a thriving online community, with users actively exploring new ways to play. The team’s role gradually shifted from developers to ‘discoverers’, as users themselves began creating new playstyles.

Ray believes that TopTop has entered a new phase — one where the app truly belongs to its users.

Build a Better Future

By 2024, TopTop entered a period of rapid growth. Published reports indicate that TopTop’s total revenue grew by over 100% year-on-year in the first half of 2024. In addition, the platform was featured by the Apple App Store in May, highlighting its appeal and innovation. These achievements have provided significant encouragement and recognition for the TopTop development team.

Buoyed by this newfound confidence, the team aimed for greater visibility. In July and August, TopTop released an official theme song in Turkey, collaborating with a popular local singer to promote the app. The music video has since garnered over 700,000 views on YouTube.

However, it’s not just the product that’s evolving—the team members are growing too. Ray, who started as a rookie product designer with limited knowledge of the MENA market, is now one of the youngest leaders on the team. He’s learning to think like a CEO, tackling questions about the limitations of the ‘two-pronged system’ and how to estimate the market scale.

Gabriel, a young employee from Yemen, is another success story. He joined TopTop as a customer service representative, and through hard work and passion, has grown into a skilled product operations manager.

Ray acknowledges the increasing competition, saying, ‘Companies from the U.S., China, and beyond are launching similar products, and the “gaming + social” niche is becoming more crowded.’

He also mentioned that a core belief within TopTop is to resist the urge for rapid expansion. Many apps have aimed to become ‘world number one’ by spending heavily on ads, only to attract low-value users.

TopTop advocates a more pragmatic philosophy, focusing on building a highly engaged DAU (Daily Active User) base, even if the number is relatively small. The team believes that as long as these users have strong trust in the product, TopTop will thrive in the long term.

TopTop’s story is still unfolding, and its understated competitive strategy may be the key to its enduring success.

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