Analysis

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

Analysis

AI In Gaming Has Flopped

Two troubling signs for Gaming. First, Danielle Tran from Konvoy reports that AI accounts for only 10% of gaming investments, compared with 71% across all venture activity. Do VCs believe AI will transform every industry except gaming? AI is a growth mechanic, and the idea that gaming won’t benefit as much is a tough pill to swallow. But it’s not necessarily wrong, as our relationship to entertainment rather than tech may limit AI’s relative effectiveness in optimizing the supply chain. Second, the game from famed AI match‑3 studio Cosmic Lounge is in soft launch, getting another update this week, after its late December launch and first appearance. Pets & Puzzles looks like a standard match‑3, albeit with a super‑cute Nintendogs‑style meta. This is the first public AI gaming bet stepping up to the plate, and it looks like they’ll have […]

Phillip Black April 28

Analysis

How LiveOps Events Can Help Games Reach Wider Audiences

The gaming industry has long embraced the idea that games don't just compete with each other, but they compete with all forms of entertainment. But we may be crossing into an even more complex era. Entertainment is no longer just competition; it’s becoming collaboration. The success of the Minecraft movie, with its impressive box office debut and a viral TikTok trend of its own, is the latest proof that entertainment formats are increasingly blending. Just like how that single standout moment in the movie became more iconic than the movie itself, what we remember most about our favorite shows or films often isn’t the overarching plot. It’s the specific elements that resonated with us. For some, it’s a particular character. And not even always the lead one. Fandoms are often built around supporting roles that strike a chord with audiences; […]

Ahmetcan Demirel April 28

Analysis

Word Games are a massive part of the mobile gaming ecosystem.

Word Games are a massive part of the mobile gaming ecosystem. 1.09% of Google’s, 1.42% of Meta’s, and 2.61% of Applovin’s overall USA Impressions are served through Applovin’s Wordscapes. Words of Wonder by Fugo Games boasts a daily active user base of 3.1 million users. These two titles have been dominating the Word category since 2023. Their reign may be coming to an end, challenged by Word Search Explorer, by Playsimple Games. Word games tend to follow one of two monetization playbooks: the hybrid approach pursued by Wordscapes, which blends ads (IAA) and in-app purchases (IAPs). Or the ad-heavy model championed by Words of Wonder. Based on public data and estimated ad revenue, Wordscapes likely generates 55% of its $226,000 daily revenue from ads, while Words of Wonder relies almost entirely on ads, accounting for 90% of its approximately $100,000 […]

Felix Braberg April 25

Analysis

Solitaire BOOM! Candy Crush and Disney Solitaires

Old Genre, New Momentum Solitaire isn’t a new genre — in fact, it’s one of the oldest and most familiar in mobile gaming. But recently, the genre seems to be gaining new momentum. It’s not often that 2 major studios release Solitaire games almost back-to-back, but that’s exactly what happened with Candy Crush Solitaire and Disney Solitaire. Both come from strong brands. Both use the familiar Tri-Peaks formula. But once you dive in, the experiences feel very different. In this article, I’ll break down the Core Gameplay, standout Features, Live Ops, Monetization, and the subtle tricks that make each game tick. And yes - I’ve played and paid them both ... a lot ;) Let’s deconstruct. Core Game Loop Both Solitaire titles are built around the classic Tri-Peaks Core Mechanic — a proven formula that’s been successful for years. Naturally, […]

Olha Semykina April 23

Analysis

Midcore Made You Click (And Lied About It)

Let’s be honest: Midcore games didn’t just define the genre. They defined the art of misleading ads. Remember this? A hero climbing a deadly tower… (not in the game) Epic boss fights with 5-button combos… (not in the game) A full-on dungeon crawler? Nope. Just a turn-based RPG under the hood. And the wild part? It worked. For years. Because showing the actual game was either: 1. Too complex 2. Too boring 3. Or just too mid So they did what marketers do best: They sold the fantasy. Not the product. --- 🧠 The “Promise” Era The golden era of fake ads wasn’t about fraud. It was about emotion-first targeting. UA teams optimized for: curiosity frustration problem-solving instinct Not clarity. It was smart — until it broke. Now, everyone’s seen the traps. Everyone’s watched tower puzzles turn into turn-based […]

George Tsomaev April 23

Analysis

What’s Wrong with Gin Rummy Stars from BeachBum?

Want to know what’s wrong with Gin Rummy Stars from Beach Bum? I’ve been playing this game for a very long time, and I have two major things I don’t love about it. But first of all, I want to be clear — the game’s great. The LiveOps schedule is fully packed, all the features are in place, and the core mechanic is very engaging. But sometimes, it feels like they either don’t care, or just know nothing about me as a player. The game could definitely benefit from some personalized approach. So here are the two examples I want to discuss: 1. “No Ads” Purchase From the first session, they highlight everywhere that the first purchase will grant No Ads — so I won’t see those damn interstitials anymore. I love that. This is my top personal monetization driver in any […]

Michael Khripin April 21

Analysis

Royal Kingdom’s Hollywood Power Play: Last Hurrah or Royal Rebirth?

Launching a new Match-3 game in today’s mobile market is like trying to sell umbrellas in the Sahara as we discussed in a recent article. Saturation, soaring CPIs, and razor-thin differentiation margins make even the most technically sound games struggle to scale. When Dream Games soft launched Royal Kingdom two years ago, they entered this same storm, which quickly showed itself. The game was anything but static. It went through long stretches of silence (including a six-month update drought), only to emerge with radical changes, including a full hard reset over a year into its soft launch. But if the product evolution wasn’t enough of a rollercoaster, Dream just took things to a whole new altitude. In what may be the boldest marketing swing the mobile gaming industry has ever seen, Royal Kingdom has gone full celebrity mode. LeBron James, […]

Ahmetcan Demirel April 21

Analysis

Ad Monetization Trends Q1 2025

💰 Six Leading Ad Monetized Games from Q1 2025 💰- 🚀 Cookingdom by ABI Game Studio / Estimated Ad Revenue: $43k- 55k/day- 💸 Mergesticker by Lion Studios / Estimated Ad Revenue: $18k/day- 🐹 Hamster Escape by Sunday / Estimated Ad Revenue: $9-15k/day- 😦 R.E.P.O Mobile by Sandswept Studios / Estimated Ad Revenue: $23-30k/day- 🚀 Dreamy Room by ABI Game Studio / Estimated Ad Revenue: $72k/day-🤔 Word Search Explorer by PlaySimple Games (MTG) / Estimated Ad Revenue: $160k/day📈The first quarter of 2025 has already delivered some breakout hits in the underappreciated ad-driven mobile space. From quick-hit ultracasual puzzles to scaled-up Steam ports, some studios have racked up millions of daily active users and generated tens or hundreds of thousands in daily ad revenue.In this newsletter issue, I’m showcasing six standout games that are absolutely crushing it on the IAA side, along […]

Felix Braberg April 16

Analysis

Puzzle Genres Heatmap 2024

Puzzle Genres Heatmap 2024 Winners, losers, and a few wildcards.𝗪𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘇𝘇𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲? 🟢 Puzzle: $8.57B (+89.62%)🟢 Merge: $1.18B (+74.18%)🟢 Match-3D: $424M (+95.81%)🟢 Word Puzzle: $301M (+8.5%)🟢 Sort Puzzle: $142M (+459.8%)🟢 Screw Puzzle: $95M (+27070.26%)𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀 📈 • Travel Town: $226M (+195%) • Gossip Harbor: $190M (+235.3%) • Seaside Escape: $123M (+438.7%) • Happy Match Cafe: $35M (+157%) • NYT Games: $41M (+117%) • Match Factory!: $179M (+3840%) • Tile Family: $42.6M (+473.8%) • Hexa Sort: $29M (+59960%) • Wood Nuts & Bolts: $15M (+5273%) • Seat Away: $17.6M (+∞%) • Screw Jam: $34M (+∞%) • Screw Out: $10.6M (+∞%) 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 🟡 • Candy Crush Saga: $1B (+7.3%) • Words With Friends: $38M (+10.3%) • Zen Match: $27M (+4%) • Block Jam 3D: $21M (+80%) • LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum: $90M (+5%) 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗱? 🔴 • Gardenscapes: […]

Anton Slashcev April 15

Analysis

The Addictive and Wildly Profitable World of Solitaire Grand Harvest

How Solitaire Grand Harvest Turned a Simple Card Game into a $1 Billion Mobile Empire? If you told someone that a solitaire game could generate over $1 billion in revenue, they might raise an eyebrow and ask, "Is it made of gold cards?" But that's exactly what Solitaire Grand Harvest has done. From humble beginnings as a card game, Solitaire Grand Harvest has grown into one of the most successful and addictive mobile games of all time. With a brilliantly balanced blend of solitaire mechanics, farm-themed progression, and casino-inspired monetization, this game redefines what a casual title can achieve. Whether you're a casual gamer curious about why this game is so beloved, a game designer trying to dissect its secret sauce, or just someone who appreciates clever mobile design, this is one journey through the fields of innovation worth taking. And for me personally? This […]

Aylin YAZICI April 14

Analysis

Why Disturbing Mobile Ads Work & How to Succeed Without Them

Mobile game ads have a bit of a reputation problem lately. Just look at the 165,000-member Reddit community, r/shittymobilegameads, or the growing number of YouTube influencers gaining followers by roasting and critiquing “shitty” mobile game ads. But when does a mobile ad cross the line from grabbing attention to being offensive, low-quality, or outright inappropriate for younger viewers? I thought about this during a recent car ride with a friend and their 4-year-old daughter. Like most kids, she gets restless on long trips, so her parents give her their phone to play games. I couldn’t resist peeking at her screen. Her routine was simple: a few minutes of hyper-casual gameplay, followed by a 30-second ad, then back to the game. Whenever an ad popped up, she’d hand the phone to her mom to skip it—as she wasn’t old enough to read […]

Alexandra Pulinets April 14

Login to enjoy full advantages

Go Premium!

Enjoy the full advantage of the premium access.

Stop following

Cancel subscription