Social game app : 📈 114 videos, 11.6M likes, 250K+ MRR

Remember the high school game Assassin, played with water and Nerf guns? This is the story of how a high school teacher seized an opportunity within this space and launched an app that generates over $250K MRR and averages 5,000 downloads a day, all while using TikTok to drive growth.

Background 📓

The idea for Splashin came to be when Josh Dunning noticed a bunch of kids spraying each other with water guns right outside his high school. Intrigued, he approached one of the kids to learn how the game worked and asked how they kept track of the score. To his surprise, they mentioned they used pen and paper. Josh knew this game was already going viral among high school students, giving it inherent virality. All he had to do was launch a tool to go with it, and marketing would take care of itself.

Here are some of their most successful videos and how they did it 👇:

🎬 I faked an interview: 13.9M Views, 1.7M Likes, 50K Saves

Hook: “I faked an interview to eliminate my target after his game”

Format: Interview with text overlay

Why this video worked:.

• Natural app setting = school field

• Text on screen = captivating hook

• Tending sound used for dramatic videos

• Dramatic cut at end: frozen frame + saturated colors + zoom in

🎬 How did he hide that sleeping?: 11.4M Views, 650K Likes, 22.5K Saves

Hook: “How did he hide that sleeping 😭”

Format: Snapchat video with caption

Why this video worked:.

• Snapchat clips = organic feel

• Dramatic zoom in with sound effect during climax

• Million dollar baby = trending song

• Inspo for how to eliminate a target

🎬 Dumping water on target during grad photos: 265K Views, 7K Likes, 200 Shares

Hook: Shot of kid running with water

Format: Running POV + text overlay

Why this video worked:

• Worst nightmare scenario

• Controversial video. Was this right?

• Common high school event = relatable

• Creative way of eliminating target

Key takeaways from Splashin 💡

• Built around playground virality .

  This is the type of product where if a kid see’s other kids at school playing with this product, that kid is going to try and figure out what it is.

• Inpso for new ways for players to attack their friends.
  Not only is the content hilarious, but it’s inherently viral since it’s promoting new ways for players to elimate their target. It's bound to be shared and saved among friends.

• Using their customers to generate the content.

  This game long existed before the app came around. Kids were already filming and sharing these videos on social media.

• Sell the result, not the product.

  Never is the app name mentioned in any of the videos. If people are captivated enough they’ll do the work to figure it out.

What you can replicate from this format 💰

• Try to film content through Snapchat.

  This is a simple way of creating content that feels natural among the younger crowd. Just add the signature snapchat caption for credibility.

• Zoom into faces and use sound effects for dramatic videos.

  This format works for a specific use case but if you find yourself building a similar product, gen z will eat that shit up.

• Film your products value prop in its natural environment.

  What is the setting you would imagine your customers using your app? Film there.

Know a founder that could use some help creating content? Feel free to share!

That’s all I got for this one. If you have any other viral consumer products you want me to break down my DM’s are always open.

Cheers!

Nick 🤝