User Acquisition Animation: Merge Mansion Hopeberry Juice Spike

Who doesn’t love a good user acquisition animation? In our latest project for Merge Mansion, love isn’t just in the air – it’s in the juice.

User Acquisition Animation: PROJECT OVERVIEW

Emotions are running high in Merge Mansion… and so is the Hopeberry Juice!

We teamed up once again with Metacore Games to produce a brand-new 3D animation for Merge Mansion, this time featuring an unusual twist on refreshment. Maddie and Roddy are hard at work on some light renovations when a mysterious hand sneaks in a few drops of unknown liquid into their juice.

What follows? A dreamy, heart-eyed spiral of emotion, mop-kissing, and a not-so-subtle hint that maybe, just maybe, something more than hydration was at play.

We handled the storyboards and full animation production for this one, bringing the client’s quirky concept and characters to life with all the fizzy charm the Hopeberry Juice deserves.

Client

Metacore Games

DESIGN PROCESS: USER ACQUISITION ANIMATION

Fortunately, our design process kicked off with solid ground. The client provided a detailed script along with character and background assets. While many elements were ready to go, our task was to build new props, storyboard the scenes, and create additional visuals to bring the idea to life.

Working from the script, we designed missing elements like props and supplemental backgrounds. These additions helped reinforce the storytelling while keeping everything visually consistent with the Merge Mansion universe.

ANIMATICS IN USER ACQUISITION ANIMATION

Animatics are a fast and flexible way to test pacing and structure. Built from the storyboard images, this tool allows both the client and production team to preview the narrative, flow, and transitions early on.

Importantly, one common pitfall we always avoid is timing animatics too tightly. While simple drawings are easy to read quickly, final 3D renders contain much more detail. That’s why slightly slower pacing in the animatic helps ensure the final animation reads comfortably.

COLOR KEYFRAMES

Color keyframes serve as a visual tone map. In this case, since love and mystery are at the heart of the concept, we opted for a warm, dreamy palette accented with vivid pops—especially around the magical Hopeberry Juice. This guided the overall mood while supporting the story’s emotional arc.

ANIMATION LAYOUT IN USER ACQUISITION ANIMATION

With the animatic approved, we transitioned into layout. At this point, we brought all 3D elements together – characters, props, and environments – and placed them in virtual space.

We adjusted cinematography details: camera angles, focal lengths, and staging to match the narrative. This process ensures that each shot flows smoothly and maintains clarity, even as the emotions and actions intensify.

CHARACTER ANIMATION

Now for the heart of any great user acquisition animation: the character animation. With rigged characters ready, our team carefully animated Maddie and Roddy’s actions, expressions, and emotional beats.

This phase, also called previz, is where the storytelling shines. Beyond motion, we fine-tuned staging and interaction—like ensuring there’s enough room on the table for a helmet to land naturally or exaggerating gestures for comedic timing. It’s subtle details like these that elevate character animation from functional to unforgettable.

EFFECTS ANIMATION

Special effects give animations their magic. In this project, we added charming FX moments like a heart-shaped puff of love potion steam floating from the juice cup—a subtle but powerful visual cue hinting at what’s to come.

SIMULATIONS IN USER ACQUISITION ANIMATION

Sometimes, only physics can do the job. One key scene involved Roddy giving a mop an overly passionate kiss. To make this both ridiculous and believable, we used simulation tools to handle the interaction between characters and props. It was weird. It was wonderful.

STYLEFRAMES AND LOOK DEVELOPMENT

Before locking in full renders, we created styleframes—detailed mockups showing the animation’s lighting, shading, and overall style. These are essential for visual alignment and help speed up the review process.

Once the client approved the styleframes, we progressed to the rendering stage with confidence that the tone, colors, and quality hit the mark.

COMPOSITING USER ACQUISITION ANIMATION

During compositing, we assembled and refined every element—foregrounds, backgrounds, lighting effects, and camera depth. This stage gives the animation its final cinematic feel.

Techniques like fog, glow, and visual enhancements were applied to ensure that every frame looked polished and engaging. The result: a visually rich experience that sells the humor and romance of the story.

FINAL ANIMATION - STILL FRAMES

Here’s a selection of stills from the final user acquisition animation. Every frame captures the warm, ridiculous, and heartfelt emotions sparked by the Fortified Hopeberry Juice.

CONCLUSION

Emotional storytelling, expressive characters, and playful visual effects are the secret sauce of effective user acquisition animation. With Hopeberry Juice Spike, we embraced the weird and ran with it—and we couldn’t be happier with the result.

Big thanks to Metacore for this joyfully bizarre collaboration! If you want more, be sure to check out our other user acquisition animations for Merge Mansion, Small Town Murders, and Merge Gardens. Curious about 3D rendered game assets? Have a look at our work for Supercell’s mo.co.