UC San Diego MBA Students Collaborate with AviaGames on Solitaire Clash Research

The Rady Action Project will analyze market dynamics and player motivations to help expand the game's audience.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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AviaGames, a mobile gaming developer, has partnered with the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego for a strategic marketing research project focused on AviaGames' popular title, Solitaire Clash. Through March 2026, a team of Rady MBA students will conduct research on the casual and solitaire gaming market to explore how Solitaire Clash can expand its player base while continuing to support its strong existing audience.

Why it matters

The project aims to provide AviaGames with data-driven insights to inform the high-level audience strategy, messaging, and long-term growth for Solitaire Clash in the U.S. market. It also gives Rady MBA students a valuable real-world learning opportunity to apply executive-level thinking and communications to a business challenge.

The details

With over 60 million total downloads and 450 million monthly tournaments, Solitaire Clash has remained a top title in its genre on iOS and Galaxy Store. The Rady Action Project will analyze market dynamics, player motivations, and competitive positioning within the skill-based gaming space to help AviaGames develop Solitaire Clash into a premier mobile title.

  • The research project will run through March 2026.

The players

AviaGames

An award-winning mobile gaming developer and the publisher of Solitaire Clash, Bingo Tour, and other top casual gaming apps.

Rady School of Management

The business school at the University of California, San Diego, which is running the Rady Action Project that will conduct the research on Solitaire Clash.

Vickie Yanjuan Chen

The CEO and founder of AviaGames.

Sandy Kenny

The Executive Director of the MBA Rady Action Project at the Rady School of Management.

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What they’re saying

“At Avia, we are committed to the importance of academic research to better serve our player audience. We are excited to partner with UC San Diego's Rady School of Management to develop Solitaire Clash into a premier mobile title through new research and data-driven feedback.”

— Vickie Yanjuan Chen, CEO and Founder, AviaGames (Business Wire)

“The Rady Action Project allows our experienced MBA students to apply executive-level thinking and communications to real business challenges while delivering meaningful value to the corporations and our students.”

— Sandy Kenny, Executive Director of MBA Rady Action Project (Business Wire)

What’s next

The Rady MBA student team will continue their research on Solitaire Clash through March 2026, with the goal of providing AviaGames with data-driven insights to inform the game's audience strategy and long-term growth.

The takeaway

This collaboration between AviaGames and the Rady School of Management demonstrates the value of academic research and real-world partnerships in helping mobile gaming companies better understand their player base and develop successful strategies for growth and engagement.