Report updated May 5, 2026

TL;DR:Nails Done! captures casual interest through a satisfying, haptic-driven nail simulation loop, but its reliance on aggressive ad-frequency and automated design tasks creates a hollow experience that risks long-term retention. Users feel Frustrated, praising satisfying core nail-care simulation loop provides a relaxing experience for casual players but frustrated by excessive ad frequency disrupts the gameplay flow after almost every single action. Nails Done! retains users through a satisfying core loop, but aggressive monetization and technical bugs threaten its long-term viability, so the PM must prioritize manual control features to differentiate from deeper competitors..|TL;DR:Nails Done! captures casual interest through a satisfying, haptic-driven nail simulation loop, but its reliance on aggressive ad-frequency and automated design tasks creates a hollow experience that risks long-term retention. Users feel Frustrated, praising satisfying core nail-care simulation loop provides a relaxing experience for casual players but frustrated by excessive ad frequency disrupts the gameplay flow after almost every single action. Nails Done! retains users through a satisfying core loop, but aggressive monetization and technical bugs threaten its long-term viability, so the PM must prioritize manual control features to differentiate from deeper competitors..
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Nails Done! is a challenged games app that is completely free. With a 4.4/5 rating from 14.8K reviews, it faces significant user friction. Users particularly appreciate satisfying core nail-care simulation loop provides a relaxing experience for casual players, though excessive ad frequency disrupts the gameplay flow after almost every single action remains a common concern.

What is Nails Done!?

Nails Done! is a hyper-casual simulation game for iOS where users perform nail-care tasks like clipping and painting.

Users hire this app for quick, low-stakes creative satisfaction, but the current design fails to provide enough agency to sustain long-term engagement.

Current Momentum

v4.5 · 68mo ago

Zombie

The app has been silent for over 68 months, with the last release occurring in September 2020.

AI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.

Active Nemesis

Acrylic Nails!

Acrylic Nails!

By Crazy Labs

Other Rivals

Nail Stack!
Hello Kitty Nail Salon
Project Makeover
Tie Dye

7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸

Games

No ranking data

Rating Pulse 🇺🇸

Recent User MoodAI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.

What makes this app unique?

What Does It Look Like?

How Is The App's Momentum Right Now?

Loading...

What Are The Key Features?

Nail Clipping PrecisionStandard

Interactive clipping mechanic requires users to trim nails to a specific length without exceeding boundaries.

Stencil Design PaintingStandard

Drawing mechanic allows users to fill in stencil patterns on fingernails.

Haptic FeedbackDifferentiator

Tactile vibration patterns simulate the physical sensation of polishing nails.

How much does it cost?

Free
  • Free-to-play with ad-supported progression

Monetization relies on ad-supported gameplay loops typical of hyper-casual simulation titles.

Who Built It?

Lion Studios app icon 1
Lion Studios app icon 2
Lion Studios app icon 3
Lion Studios app icon 4

Lion Studios

(5.3M)

Scaling mobile games through data-driven publishing and vertical integration with the AppLovin ad-tech ecosystem.

Portfolio

13

Apps

Free 12
Games92%

Who is Lion Studios?

Lion Studios functions as a vertically integrated publishing arm for AppLovin, providing a direct pipeline for developers to access high-scale UA and monetization infrastructure. Their primary moat is the proprietary data loop between game performance and ad-network optimization, which allows for rapid scaling of hyper-casual titles. The key strategic signal is their continued dominance in high-volume ad-monetized categories while the broader market shifts toward more complex hybrid-casual retention models.

Who is Lion Studios for?

  • Casual mobile gamers seeking short
  • Physics-based
  • Or simulation-style entertainment with low barrier to entry
Active

Portfolio momentum

Released 97 updates or new titles in the last 6 months with 81 apps currently active in the portfolio.

Last release · 11d agoActive apps · 81Abandoned · 58

What do users think recently?

High confidence · 49 reviews analyzed

How did the latest release land?

Overall
4.4/ 5
(14.8K)
Current version
4.4/ 5
0.0 vs overall
(14.8K)
Main signal post-update: satisfying core nail-care simulation loop provides a relaxing experience for casual players.

What is the recent mood?

Frustrated

Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate satisfying core nail-care simulation loop provides a relaxing experience for casual players, but report excessive ad frequency disrupts the gameplay flow after almost every single action and lack of meaningful player agency makes the game feel automated and boring.

Limited review volume (49 reviews). Sentiment analysis will deepen as more data lands.

What is the competitive landscape for Nails Done!?

How's The Games Market?

How does it evolve in the Games market?

ChartRankChange
iOSFree#54NEW
iOSFree#92NEW

The rivals identified

The Nemesis

Head to Head

The target app should double down on its 'quick-fix' satisfaction loop to differentiate from the feature-heavy Acrylic Nails!, which is increasingly moving toward a complex meta-game. Focus on refining the core clipping/polishing physics to match the high-fidelity feel of the nemesis.

What sets Nails Done! apart

  • Lower barrier to entry with a more focused, less cluttered UI for quick sessions

  • Direct, no-nonsense simulation loop that avoids the complex meta-progression of larger titles

What's Acrylic Nails!'s Edge

  • Superior tactile feedback and physics-based mechanics for filing and shaping

  • Extensive library of jewelry and accessory assets that drive long-term retention

Contenders

Combines nail growth mechanics with obstacle-based runner gameplay

Focuses on extreme nail length as a core progression metric

Strong brand recognition with pre-defined character-themed stencils

Includes a 'Free Style' mode that encourages more open-ended creativity

Peers

Narrative-driven progression with character backstories

Combines fashion, makeup, and interior design alongside nail care

Focuses on fabric physics and color bleeding rather than precision clipping

Utilizes a similar stencil-based progression system

The outtake for Nails Done!

Strengths to defend, gaps to attack

Core Strengths

  • Haptic feedback integration provides a tactile differentiator in the hyper-casual simulation space

Critical Frictions

  • Excessive ad-to-gameplay ratio drives high churn
  • Technical instability forces progress loss

Growth Levers

  • Implementing manual design controls would address the primary agency complaint

Market Threats

  • Competitor content-update cadence outpaces current maintenance-only release cycles

What are the next best moves?

highInvest

Ship manual painting controls because lack of agency is a top-3 complaint → increase session depth

Sentiment analysis identifies lack of agency as a primary driver of boredom.

Trade-off: Push the new stencil-asset library to Q3 to prioritize core-loop agency.

highPivot

Audit ad-frequency logic because ad-disruption is the #1 churn driver → improve day-1 retention

High-frequency ad complaints appear in the majority of negative sentiment feedback.

Trade-off: Accept potential short-term ad-revenue dip to stabilize long-term LTV.

mediumMaintain

Fix level-reset bugs because technical instability is a primary negative sentiment driver → stabilize rating baseline

Users report progress loss as a critical friction point in the latest version.

Trade-off: No major lever displaced; capacity available in current maintenance sprint.

A counter-intuitive read

The game's reliance on automation is not a failure of design but a failed attempt to simplify the 'satisfying' loop, which ironically removes the very precision that makes competitors like Acrylic Nails! successful.

Feature Gaps vs Competitors

  • Advanced acrylic shaping (available in Acrylic Nails!)
  • Jewelry and accessory customization (available in Acrylic Nails!)

Key Takeaways

Nails Done! retains users through a satisfying core loop, but aggressive monetization and technical bugs threaten its long-term viability, so the PM must prioritize manual control features to differentiate from deeper competitors.

Where Is It Heading?

Declining

The hyper-casual simulation market is consolidating around titles that offer higher fidelity and deeper customization, leaving Nails Done! exposed. Without a shift toward manual design agency and reduced ad friction, the app will continue to lose share to competitors with more active content-update cadences.

Technical instability and progress-reset bugs in the latest version erode user trust, leading to increased churn pressure.

Aggressive ad frequency disrupts the core simulation loop, which suppresses session length and limits long-term player retention.

Disclosure

Independent intel to help builders create better apps.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. See methodology.

Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nails Done!, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

Hope this helps & keep building! · Found an error?

What's new in this report

The app remains in a zombie state, but sentiment has declined due to newly reported technical instability and persistent frustration over lack of player agency.

declined

Sentiment Score Drop

shifted

Agency-Focused Narrative

added

Technical Instability Weakness

declined

Feature Repositioning

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “Nails Done! Intelligence Report.” Updated May 5, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/games/nails-done

Agent Markdown (.md)·

Data licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0