From China to Global: Aidian Network's Approach to Sustainable Game Publishing

As global game development becomes increasingly interconnected, understanding how to navigate different regional markets has never been more important. Nowhere is that more evident than in China, where platform ecosystems, regulatory requirements, and player expectations create a uniquely complex environment for developers.

AIDIAN NETWORK has positioned itself at the intersection of these worlds, working to bridge Eastern and Western publishing strategies while adapting games for long-term success across markets. Drawing from deep experience in China’s fast-moving and highly competitive ecosystem, the company focuses on combining performance marketing, rapid iteration, and culturally aware design.

In this interview, Pavel Melman, Business Development Manager at Aidian Network, discusses the realities of scaling games globally, from rising user acquisition costs and the importance of lifetime value to the role of mini-game platforms and social ecosystems in shaping the future of publishing.

The conversation also explores practical strategies for developers entering China, including localization, regulatory navigation, and building sustainable partnerships in one of the world’s most demanding markets.

Can you share the origin story of AIDIAN NETWORK? How and why was the company founded, and how has its mission evolved?

Pavel Melman, Business Development Manager at Aidian Network: Aidian Network was born from deep experience within China’s dynamic game development ecosystem, where competition and rapid innovation shaped our approach to publishing. Early on, we recognized the opportunity to take lessons learned in scale, creativity, and resilience beyond the domestic market. With that vision, Aidian Network was established to bring proven strategies to global audiences, while adapting to diverse cultural contexts. Over time, our mission has evolved from being a regional publisher to becoming a true bridge between East and West – championing authentic gameplay experiences and fostering sustainable growth across borders.

How would you describe Aidian Network’s core philosophy when it comes to selecting and supporting the games you publish?

Pavel Melman: Aidian Network’s publishing philosophy is built on two complementary pillars: resilience in the domestic market and originality in the global arena. In China, we focus on mature projects with proven global success – games that have demonstrated sustained growth and retained momentum over time. Implementation quality is critical; in a market where hyper- and hybrid-casual titles are quickly imitated, we prioritize legacy games that continue to thrive internationally, such as EverMerge and Klondike Adventures.

Globally, our approach shifts toward nurturing unique ideas and collaborating with developers across borders. We see strong potential in bringing innovative concepts from China to international audiences, while also partnering with studios worldwide. Our team specializes in casual and midcore genres – RPGs, tower defense, and strategy – where games naturally enjoy longer life cycles and deeper player engagement. By focusing on these genres, we aim to build enduring partnerships, supporting developers not only at launch but throughout the game’s evolution, ensuring creative integrity and long-term commercial success.

What differentiates your approach to publishing from that of other Chinese publishers?

Pavel Melman: Aidian Network stands out through our dual strengths in performance marketing and product development. Unlike many Chinese publishers who simply distribute overseas titles, our product team actively enhances them – introducing thoughtful adjustments that extend player engagement without overwhelming audiences. For example, with games like EverMerge and Klondike Adventures, we’ve been able to sustain long-term retention by balancing fresh content with accessible pacing.

In China’s current landscape – where user acquisition costs are rising, local traffic sources are shrinking, and organic installs on Mini-Games platforms are nearly nonexistent – maximizing lifetime value (LTV) is critical. Our team thrives in this environment by iterating rapidly: launching unique events every three weeks, testing aggressively, and making swift decisions. If results don’t meet expectations, we pivot immediately to the next idea. This culture of fast iteration and disciplined experimentation allows us to consistently unlock new value, ensuring our games remain competitive and profitable in a challenging market.

What have been some of your biggest early wins as a publisher, and what lessons did those successes teach you?

Pavel Melman: One of our biggest early wins in the Chinese market was Master Chef (餐厅养成记), a Merge-2 game developed by our in-house studio and launched in August 2023. We identified an opportunity to adapt the Merge-2 genre to the Chinese yard-setting, and the game quickly gained traction on WeChat Mini-Games. Remarkably, it has remained stable and successful for over two years, generating several million dollars in revenue during peak months.

This success taught us two important lessons. First, casual games can thrive in China when they are localized thoughtfully and tailored to player preferences, even in a market traditionally dominated by midcore and hardcore titles. Second, platforms like WeChat Mini-Games can provide a powerful distribution channel when paired with a strong product-market fit. These insights reinforced our belief in combining genre innovation with cultural adaptation, and they continue to guide how we evaluate and support new projects today.

Conversely, what are the largest challenges you’ve faced in building and scaling a publishing business, and how have you addressed them?

Pavel Melman: One of the largest challenges in the post-Covid Chinese publishing market has been the sharp rise in user acquisition (UA) costs. For example, CPIs in the casual genre have climbed to levels comparable with midcore categories such as RPGs and 4X strategy, making profit margins increasingly shallow. To address this, we’ve focused on boosting lifetime value (LTV) by enriching gameplay with layered events, meta mechanics, and engagement features. In Master Chef, for instance, players encounter a variety of interactive elements designed to keep them engaged and monetized without overwhelming them.

Another strategy we launched in 2025 is cross-promotion across our female-oriented casual titles. This approach has delivered excellent results – reducing UA costs while keeping players within our ecosystem. Thanks to the nature of the WeChat Mini-Games platform, players can seamlessly jump between titles without downloads or app-switching, which strengthens retention and maximizes overall portfolio value. These strategies have taught us that agility and ecosystem thinking are essential to scaling sustainably in a market where traditional UA models are under pressure.

The Chinese games market has unique characteristics. What key factors should international developers understand to be successful there?

Pavel Melman: The Chinese mobile games market is indeed unique and operates by its own rules. International developers should approach it with humility – less with the ambition to “conquer China” and more with the mindset of a fresh graduate entering their first job: theory may suggest one path, but in practice, even successful titles play out very differently here.

The first priority is regulatory reality: international companies cannot directly publish in China, so finding the right local partner is essential. That partner should share your values and align with your genre focus – for example, a publisher specializing in midcore or hardcore titles may not be the right fit for an idle tycoon game. Their user acquisition strategy should also complement your global approach, ensuring consistency across markets.

Equally important is trust and communication. Some local publishers may not proactively update partners, so developers must insist on regular reporting – weekly or monthly – and maintain open dialogue on challenges, solutions, and version plans. Both sides’ product teams should stay aligned to avoid missteps.

Finally, resource allocation is critical. Supporting localized content and fast iterations requires dedicated bandwidth. If your internal team cannot sustain both global and Chinese operations simultaneously, it is often more effective to let your publisher’s product team handle localization and live ops, even if that means sharing source code access. Fast iteration cycles are essential in China, and trying to chase both global and Chinese markets with the same limited team risks underperforming in both.

In short, success in China requires humility, the right partner, trust, and operational agility. Developers who embrace these principles are far more likely to build sustainable success in this highly competitive market.

What practical strategies do you recommend for navigating regulatory, cultural, and platform differences when entering or operating in the Chinese market?

Pavel Melman: The first and most critical regulatory step for monetizing through in-app purchases is obtaining the ISBN license. This process involves multiple levels of government review, and developers must ensure their games contain no politically sensitive, vulgar, or excessively violent content. In practice, this often requires redrawing, covering, or removing certain elements before submission. Some requirements may feel unreasonable, but success depends on setting aside ego and following instructions carefully. Once the ISBN license is secured, local platforms typically impose fewer restrictions, allowing developers to restore content where appropriate.

Beyond regulation, localization is essential. Games built entirely around Western characters and settings often fail to resonate with Chinese players, who will quickly point out the lack of cultural relevance. Developers should incorporate localized features such as limited-time NPCs, themed events, or culturally inspired environments. For example, in EverMerge, we introduced a special island decorated with pagodas, bamboo, and pandas, available for one month, and created an Album Collection system tied to China’s Flag Day upon its first appearance to players, featuring iconic attractions, dishes, and animals from eight provinces. These efforts were well-received and demonstrated the importance of cultural adaptation.

Finally, platform-specific strategies are crucial, particularly for WeChat Mini-Games. Success in this ecosystem depends less on featuring and more on virality. Developers should integrate social mechanics – friend invitations, visits, leaderboards with real players, and sharing achievements on WeChat Moments. These features encourage organic engagement and help offset high user acquisition costs by leveraging the platform’s social fabric.

In short, success in China requires three pillars: regulatory compliance through ISBN licensing, cultural resonance via thoughtful localization, and platform-native design that maximizes social engagement. Developers who embrace these strategies are far better positioned to thrive in this unique market.

How do you see the role of community, influencers, and local distribution platforms in driving visibility and monetization for games in China?

Pavel Melman: Community and influencer engagement play a central role in the Chinese mobile games market. Players here are highly demanding when it comes to customer support, community interaction, and fresh content around their favorite titles. Success depends not only on the quality of the game but also on how well you cultivate and sustain that relationship.

Equally important is choosing the right platform to reach your audience. For example, EverMerge – a female-oriented title – found its core engagement channel through RED (Xiaohongshu), whose audience is predominantly women born after 1990. On RED, we interact daily with players, posting content, updates, and weekly leaderboard highlights to drive engagement. For midcore genres, platforms such as Bilibili, Youku, and Douyin are more effective, especially when partnering with gaming KOLs who can authentically promote titles to their communities. Of course, all content must be adapted to local tastes and remain compliant with Chinese content regulations.

Pavel Melman, Business Development Manager at Aidian Network

Interview Conducted by 80 Level Editorial Team

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