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Meta’s Ad ROAS – 101 Guide for UA Managers

Meta’s advertising platform has introduced a new campaign optimization method called Ad ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) that specifically uses in-app ad revenue as the optimization signal. In other words, instead of optimizing for purchases or installs alone, advertisers can now optimize for the ad monetization value that users generate. This is a significant development for app marketers, especially those in the mobile game and app publishing industry, whose revenue comes largely from ads. Meta’s solution allows these advertisers to find and bid for users who will generate the highest ad revenue in their apps, thereby maximizing ROAS. This feature was rolled out in late 2024 for Android app campaigns and represents a major shift in how we approach user acquisition for ad-monetized apps. Why it matters: In the past, if your app monetized via in-app advertisements (IAA) rather than […]

Matej Lancaric May 1

Journal

Royal Kingdom: Search Rank Defensibility

🕵️‍♂️ So, I had a hunch… Part of me wondered if 𝘙𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 was launched (at least in part) as a search defense strategy — a way for Dream Games to own both the #1 and #2 slots in App Store results for “Royal Match” –adjacent keywords.Did some digging and looks like the answer is no...But it's worth sharing why!According to Apptweak data, ranking #2 nets just 6.6% of the installs that the #1 result gets.(Conversion drops from 27% to just 1.8% 😬)So even if 𝘙𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 and 𝘙𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 are effectively “flanking” each other in search… #1 and #2 for each other's title keywords, the value of owning those #2 slots looks pretty modest.So, scratch that theory...Still, it's 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 #1 for as many relevant keywords as possible.Rank 1: 27% CVRank 2: 1.8%Rank 3: 1.13% […]

Matthew Emery May 1

Highlights

Singular ROI Index 2025: Incentivized Edition – Top 5 Takeaways

Singular just dropped its ROI Index for 2025. Although it doesn’t provide as much detail as the Appsflyer Performance Index, it does provide helpful insights into the significance of the rewarded gaming UA space within the larger mobile marketing landscape. Here are my 5 top takeaways from the report:Rewarded UA is mainstream. Of the top 14 partners mentioned in the “Scaled Ad Partners” for gaming UA on Android, four (Almedia, Exmox, Kashkick and Prodege) are listed, and a sign that rewarded channels are now competing head-to-head with the largest non-incent partners in mobile UA.Singular lists fourteen rewarded networks throughout its ROI Index 2025 article, highlighting the growth of the segment.Mistplay is missing- and that’s telling: Once a pioneer in Play and Earn, Mistplay doesn’t rank amongst the top 15 Scaled Ad Partners. While its absence from iOS-focused rankings is expected due to the […]

Paul Bowen May 1

Journal

ABI Game Studio’s Dreamy Room scaled to $100K a Day

ABI Game Studio's Dreamy Room already scaled to $100K 🤑 a day revenue, mainly through ads. This is a super unique deterministic puzzler that we haven't seen before or have we 😎? This is actually another case of translating a popular Steam game with 30K positive reviews, in this case, "Unpacking" by Witch Beam, into a mobile hit. (Thanks for pointing out Mathieu 👍) In this case, the Steam game was released in 2021, so it's not a recent hit follow up, but rather a careful iteration, as except for the proven core gameplay, a lot of mechanics needed to be adjusted to convert a premium game into a F2P viral hit. We will be doing a regular Steam segment soon, that will focus on predicting these trends so stay tuned 😁. The game itself works on levels as rooms, […]

Jakub Remiar May 1

Journal

Reusing Meta-Game Mechanics in Mobile Games

In mobile game development, innovation often gets all the spotlight. But the reality behind many long-lasting hits is actually smart reuse of proven meta systems. Today, major publishers know: Once you find a meta structure that drives retention, monetization, and progression, you don’t reinvent the wheel — you copy the pattern and layer it onto new core gameplays. And it works. Let’s explore how an intelligent approach to reusing meta-game features can build sustainable pipelines of successful games. Why Meta Systems Are Core-Independent Your core gameplay can vary dramatically — match-3, merge-2, arcade runners, word puzzles, roguelike shooters — but the meta layer often follows a familiar, proven blueprint. Think about it: Players expect progression beyond the core loop.Players enjoy collection and upgrading.Players respond well to limited-time challenges.Players feel motivated by events, ladders, seasons. That’s why publishers increasingly treat meta-systems […]

Michael Khripin May 1

Journal

Hidden Data Patterns in Games

Why does data driven decisions scale the games? 12 most under valued game design patterns product managers often oversee. I have shipped many games, but,Publishing games wont teach you well.Twisting things based on data given will...Bad Pricing: Store visits ≠ purchases. 🛒Negative ROAS Loop: UA costs > LTV. 💀Early Churn: Tutorial done? Day 1 quits. 😤Snackable Gameplay: Many tiny sessions = 🍪Player Stickiness: Long play = loyal players. ⏳Monetization Peak: DAU up, revenue stuck . 📊Low Replay Value: Levels beat, game deleted. 🎮Social Stickiness: Social features = RET boost. 🤝Fatigue Loop: Long sessions, but players vanish.❌Overmonetization: Too many ads, retention dies. 📉Monetization Imbalance: Good IAPs, weak ARPU. 💸Poor Gameplay Loop: Fast progress, 0 stickiness. 🏃

Gökhan Üzmez May 1

Journal

How to Quickly Ruin Your Ad Monetization?

How to Quickly Ruin Your Ad Monetization? Want to tank your game’s revenue and drive players insane?Follow these pro tips 👇🎯 Show an ad the moment the player opens the app.Before they even know what the app is. First impressions = profit, right?🎯 Force a 30-second unskippable ad after every button click.Inventory over experience, that’s the motto.🎯 Interrupt the tutorial with an ad.Learning is for quitters. Monetize those confused eyeballs ASAP.🎯 Randomly trigger ads mid-battle, mid-sentence, mid-anything.Bonus points if it causes the player to misclick and lose progress.🎯 Never, ever track ad placement performance.Optimization is for cowards. Trust your gut (and your CPM anxiety).🎯 Don’t cap the ad frequency.If they didn’t buy after the first ad, surely they’ll love the 15th one in a row.🎯 Ignore user segments.Show rewarded ads to whales, interstitials to newbies, and banners to literally everyone […]

Michael Khripin May 1

Journal

Hyper/Hybrid-Casual Puzzle had a banner Q1

Hyper/Hybrid-Casual Puzzle had a banner Q1. 🍾𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗝𝗮𝗺 (Rollic) and 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗜𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗲 (Homa) have gone Super-Saiyan. From Feb to March, • Color Block Jam 2x'd IAP Rev • All In Hole grew by 50%This drove Hyper-Casual category IAP up 35% MoM. 😮𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻, and what can we take away?• AppMagic's latest blog post is worth a read; digs into how the top Hyper/Hybrid-Casual games exploded in Q1 and some of their product-side strategies.• According Appmagic’s Ad Intelligence, it looks like both games hyper-scaled their UA creative pipelines via AI tools.If folks are interested, I'll do a deeper analysis on these two games' Q1 growth. 👋 Reply with "𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘑𝘢𝘮" or "𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘐𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘦" if interested.Meanwhile, May the odds be ever in your favor. ✌️

Matthew Emery May 1

Highlights

The Power of Partnership: Mobile Gaming Collaborations

Welcome back to The Power of Partnership, where we explore the boldest and most imaginative collaborations in mobile gaming. In this edition, we’re spotlighting IP crossovers that range from viral meme madness and anime legends to sustainability-driven challenges that plant real trees. Whether it’s the world of Naruto arriving in Mobile Legends or Skibidi Toiletsinvading Stumble Guys, one thing’s clear—brand partnerships are getting bigger, bolder, and more meaningful than ever. Let’s dive into the latest round of collabs that are shaping how players engage with their favorite games and franchises. MONOPOLY GO! x Star Wars From May 1 to July 2, MONOPOLY GO! takes a leap to a galaxy far, far away in an epic collaboration with Star Wars. This limited-time event transforms the familiar MONOPOLY GO! universe into a sci-fi playground filled with iconic characters, cosmic challenges, and nostalgic […]

Michael Kopelovich May 1

Highlights

Epic Games Achieves Mobile Webstore Liberation!

𝗘𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗬: 𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗖 𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗠𝗢𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗕𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 Developers: you should ship updates to your in-app webstore UX TODAY: side-by-side pricing, knocking down scare screens, and an all-out webstore offensive the likes of which Stash and Xsolla have never seen. Tim Sweeney’s vendetta and suit against Apple’s alleged antitrust violations have dragged on for four years. After the 2021 ruling and failed appeals, the issue was largely closed: Epic lost on most accounts but won in reducing anti-steering provisions, specifically Apple’s refusal to allow developers to link to any URL containing a non-IAP payment method. These bystentine regulations forced experiences like Formula 1 to split into a standard app, which occasionally links to web content, and a TV app where users may IAP to buy a season subscription, and no web links. The issue, of course, is that the F1 website […]

Phillip Black May 1

Highlights

In Search of the Casual Habby & Meta SDK

𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗛𝗔𝗕𝗕𝗬 & 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗔 𝗦𝗗𝗞 Habby (Happy + Hobby) rewrote mobile's growth playbook when Archero exploded in 2019, and the studio has remained a case study in scaling hybridcasual hits ever since. The game coined "hybridcasual," surpassed $500M in revenue, and, more importantly, created a meta sturdy enough to be recycled in every project that followed. Despite a surge in hypercasual puzzle games over the last two years, casual developers have yet to adopt the Habby Meta. The "Hobby Core" layers roguelike ability drafting, evo‑fusion gear, elemental Roshambo, and a try‑fail‑progress saga over whatever moment‑to‑moment gameplay is compelling. Capybara Go and Archero 2 are now scaling the same meta to nearly $200m+ a year games, when Android China and ad revenue kick in. Habby is poised to break into the global top‑twenty publishers on the strength of a single, […]

Phillip Black May 1

Journal

Fantastic Live Ops 4

These 3 Games are not ordinary games, they are FANTASTIC live ops chosen by 3 FANTASTIC professionals. Live Ops is an art form itself.Experience meets creativity and data.Passion drives growth, Opportunities follow.Take a deeper look at these 3 mobile games,They show a great potential meets its rewards.Jakub Remiar John Wright Carlos PereiraCheers!

Gökhan Üzmez May 1

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