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#WeArePlay: Meet the people making apps & games to improve your health

Posted by Robbie McLachlan - Developer Marketing In our latest #WeArePlay stories, we meet the founders building apps and games that are making health and wellness fun and easy for everyone on Google Play. From getting heavy sleepers jumping into their mornings, to turning mental wellness into an immersive adventure game. Here are a few of our favorites: Jay, founder of Delightroom  Seoul, South Korea  With over 90 million downloads, Jay‘s app Alarmy helps heavy sleepers to get moving with smart, challenge-based alarms. While studying computer science, Jay’s biggest challenge wasn’t debugging code, it was waking up for his morning classes. This struggle sparked an idea: what if there were an app that could help anyone get out of bed? Jay built a basic version and showcased it at a tech event, where it quickly drew attention. That prototype evolved into Alarmy , an app that uses creative missions, like solving math problems, doing squats, or snapping a photo, to get people moving so they fully wake up. Now available in over 30 languages and 170+ countries, Jay and his team are expanding beyond alarms, adding sleep tracking and wellness features to help even more people start their day right. Ellie and Hazel , co-founders of Mind Monsters Games   Cambridge, UK Ellie and Hazel’s game, Betwixt, makes mental wellness more fun by using an interactive story to reduce anxiety. While working in London’s tech scene and later writing about psychology, Ellie noticed a pattern: many people turned to video games to ease stress but struggled to engage with traditional meditation. That’s when she came up with the idea to combine the two. While curating a book on mental health, she met Hazel—a therapist, former world champion boxer, and game lover and together they created Betwixt , an interactive fantasy adventure that guides players on a journey of self-discovery. By blending storytelling with evidence-based techniques, the game helps reduce anxiety and promote well-being. Now, with three new projects in development, Ellie and Hazel strive to turn play into a mental health tool. Kevin and Robin, co-founders of MapMyFitness   Boulder (CO), U.S.  Kevin and Robin’s app, MapMyFitness, helps a global community of runners and cyclists map their routes and track their training. Growing up across the Middle East, the Philippines, and Africa, Kevin developed a fascination with maps. In San Diego, while training for his second marathon, he built a simple MapMyRun website to map his routes. When other runners joined, former professional cyclist Robin reached out with a vision to also help cyclists discover and share maps. Together they founded MapMyFitness in 2007 and launched MapMyRide soon after, blending Kevin’s technical expertise and Robin's athletic know-how. Today, the MapMy suite powers millions of walkers, runners, and riders with adaptive training plans, guided workouts, live safety tracking, and community challenges—all in support of their mission to “get everybody outside". Discover more #WeArePlay stories from founders across the globe.

Cyprus: Gaming's Quiet Superpower

One pretend Swede is moving to Cyprus, and it's not for the beaches. This small Mediterranean island is becoming Europe's unlikeliest game development powerhouse, with major studios like Wargaming and Owlcat Games leading the charge.

The Man Who Walked Away from OpenAI and Raised $134 Million Instead

Game development is evolving from logic to life. Through world models, Pim De Witte is building a future where virtual worlds learn, react, and feel alive.

New tools and programs to accelerate your success on Google Play

Posted by Paul Feng, VP of Product Management, Google Play Last month, we shared new updates showcasing our evolving vision for Google Play : a place where people can discover the content and experiences they love and where you can build and grow sustainable businesses. Our commitment to your success is at the heart of our continued investments. Today, we're excited to introduce a new bundle of tools and programs designed to enhance your productivity and accelerate your growth. From simplifying technical integration and localization, to offering deeper insights and creating powerful new ways to engage your audience these features will help streamline your development lifecycle. Watch our latest updates in The Android Show segment below or continue reading. You can also catch up on our latest Android developments by watching the full show . Streamline your development and operations with new tools We're launching new tools to remove friction from your tedious development tasks by helping you validate deep links and scale to new markets with Gemini-powered AI. Simplify deep link validation with a built-in emulator Troubleshooting deep links can be complex and time-consuming so we’re excited to launch a new, streamlined experience that allows you to instantly validate your deep links directly within Play Console . This means you can use a built-in emulator to test a deep link and immediately see the expected user experience on the spot, just as if someone clicked the URL on a real device. Instantly validate your deep links using the new built-in emulator Reach a global audience with Gemini-powered localization We’re making it easier to bring your app or game to a global audience by simplifying localization. With our latest translation service, we've integrated the power of Gemini into Play Console to offer high-quality translations for your app strings, at no cost. This service automatically translates new app bundles into your selected languages, accelerating your title to new markets. Most importantly, you always remain in full control with the ability to preview the translated app with a built-in emulator and easily edit or disable translations. Drive growth and engagement with AI-powered insights and You tab We're launching new ways to help you reach and retain users, Including AI-powered insights and the new You tab for re-engagement. Get faster insights with automated chart summaries To help you spend less time interpreting data and more time acting on key insights, a new Gemini-powered feature on the Statistics page automatically generates descriptions of your charts. These summaries help you quickly understand key trends and events that might be affecting your metrics. For developers who use a screen reader, this feature also provides access to reporting in a way you haven't had before. Get faster insights with new Gemini-powered chart summaries Access objective-related metrics and actionable advice for audience growth Earlier this year, we launched objective-based overview pages in Play Console to consolidate your key metrics, app performance, and actionable steps across essential workflows. With dedicated pages for Test & Release, Monitor & Improve, and Monetize with Play already live, we're excited to announce the full completion of this toolkit. The new Grow users overview page is now available, giving you a comprehensive, tailored view to help you acquire new users and expand your reach. Track your key audience growth metrics on the new "Grow users" overview page Boost re-engagement with the You tab Last month, we launched You tab, a brand new, personalized destination on the Play Store. This is where users can discover and re-engage with content from their favorite apps and games with curated rewards, subscriptions, recommendations, and updates all in one place. App developers can take advantage of this personalized destination by integrating with Engage SDK . This integration allows you to help people pick up right where they left off—like resuming a movie or playlist— or get personalized recommendations, all while seamlessly guiding them back into your app. Game developers can use this surface to showcase timely in-game events, content updates, and special offers, making it easy for players to jump right back into the action. Promotional content, YouTube video listings, and Play Points coupons are now open to all game developers for creating a rich presence on the You tab. The availability of these powerful re-engagement tools is part of our broader commitment to game quality through the new Google Play Games Level Up program. Learn more about the program's guidelines here . Showcase in-game events and offers on the new You tab Optimize your monetization strategy and track performance We're launching powerful new ways to configure your one-time products and track the full impact of your Play Points promotions with a new, consolidated reporting page. Simplify catalog management for one-time products Earlier this year, we introduced more flexible ways to configure one-time purchases . You can now offer your in-app products as limited-time rentals, and sign up for our early access program to get started with pre-orders. We've also launched a new taxonomy, building on our existing subscription model, to help you manage your catalog more efficiently. This new model unlocks significant flexibility to help you reach a wider audience and cater to different user preferences by letting you offer the same item in multiple ways. For example, you can sell an item in one country and rent it in another—helping Play better surface relevant offerings to users. Explore these new capabilities today in Play Console . Manage your catalog more efficiently with new ways to configure one-time products Understand the impact and performance of Play Points promotions With Play Points recently opened to all eligible titles, you can now better understand the impact of your promotions. The new Play Points page in Play Console lets you see the total revenue, buyers and acquisitions that all Play Points promotions have generated. This reporting covers both your developer-created offers, as well as new reporting for Google-funded Play Points promotions, which includes direct and post-promotion performance metrics .     New reporting for Play Points promotions The features announced today are more than just updates; they are the building blocks of a powerful growth engine for your business. We hope you start exploring these new capabilities today and continue sharing feedback so we can build the tools you need to build a thriving, sustainable business on Google Play.

Ex-Take-Two CEO on the Future of Games and the Intersection of AI and Creativity

Former Take-Two CEO Ben Feder explores how AI is redefining creativity in gaming and why his new fund, Tirta Ventures, is investing in the next wave of intelligent game studios.

Grow your app with the Google Play Apps Accelerator - apply now

Posted by Robbie McLachlan - Developer Marketing At Google Play, we’re committed to helping businesses of all sizes reach their full potential. That’s why we’re excited to open submissions for our new Google Play Apps Accelerator . If you’re an early-stage app company ready to scale, this program is designed for you. Selected companies from over 60+ eligible countries will join a 12-week accelerator starting in March 2026. The program combines 1-1 mentorship from Google and industry experts with a curriculum focused on growing your app business on Google Play.  Sessions will cover: Build: We'll cover the journey from a prototype to a scalable, high-quality app - focusing on the tools and best practices for longevity. Grow: So you've launched. Now what? Waiting for users to show up isn't the best strategy. We'll dive into what really works for growth. You'll get the playbook on go-to-market strategy, user acquisition, and LiveOps that turns downloads into a user community. Earn: Want to build a smart monetization strategy? We'll focus on revenue models that build value and drive sustainable growth for your business. Lead: You've mastered your product, but what about your people? Your role as a founder is evolving. We’ll give you leadership insights to hire the right people, grow their skills, and build a thriving culture. You’ll also get the chance to meet and connect with other founders from around the world who are looking to take their apps to the next level. All submissions must be completed by January 7, 2026, @ 11:59 PM GMT. Check out our terms and conditions for more information.  Apply now to supercharge your growth on Google Play.

Firebase Phone Number Verification developer preview

8 Trends That Will Redefine Gaming in Asia (and Beyond)

From China’s regulation reset to SEA’s new payment ecosystems, Asia is setting the rules for the next era of gaming.

Understanding hybrid inference: the role of Firebase AI Logic

Smart photo organization through privacy-first, on-device AI

Supercell vs. EU: How Europe Risks Killing Its Golden Goose

Supercell’s Ilkka Paananen calls out EU regulators over the Digital Fairness Act, warning that new laws could cripple Europe’s $27B gaming industry. Is Brussels protecting consumers or killing its own innovation engine?