When PuzzleQuest Studio approached ClicksFlyer, they had a common problem: their hyper-casual puzzle game was generating strong organic growth, but they couldn't scale their paid user acquisition profitably. Their ROAS was stuck at 1.5x, making it impossible to justify increased marketing spend.
Six months later, they achieved a consistent 10x ROAS while scaling their monthly spend by 400%. Here's how we did it.
The Challenge
PuzzleQuest faced several obstacles common to mobile gaming studios:
- High CPIs: $2.50 average CPI was eating into margins
- Poor retention: D7 retention was just 12%
- Attribution gaps: Post-ATT tracking was unreliable
- Creative fatigue: Same ad formats weren't scaling
The Strategy
Phase 1: Audience Discovery
We started by leveraging ClicksFlyer's AI-powered audience analysis to identify high-value user segments. The data revealed that users aged 35-54 had 3x higher LTV than younger demographics—a counterintuitive finding for a casual game.
🎯 Key Insight
Don't assume you know your best customers. Data-driven audience discovery often reveals unexpected high-value segments.
Phase 2: Creative Diversification
Instead of relying solely on gameplay footage, we tested multiple creative approaches:
- Playable ads showing actual puzzle mechanics
- User-generated content style testimonials
- Problem/solution narrative formats
- Satisfying completion videos
The playable ads outperformed all other formats, achieving 2.5x higher conversion rates and significantly lower CPI.
Phase 3: Predictive LTV Optimization
Using ClicksFlyer's predictive models, we shifted from optimizing for installs to optimizing for predicted D30 LTV. This meant paying more for users who showed early signals of becoming paying customers.
"The shift to LTV-based bidding was a game-changer. Yes, our CPI went up initially, but ROAS improved by 300% because we were acquiring the right users."
— Head of UA, PuzzleQuest Studio
Phase 4: Geo Expansion
Rather than competing in saturated tier-1 markets, we identified high-performing secondary markets where CPIs were 70% lower but LTV remained strong:
- Brazil and Mexico for LATAM expansion
- Poland and Czech Republic in Europe
- Thailand and Philippines in APAC
The Results
After six months of optimization:
- ROAS: From 1.5x to 10x
- CPI: Reduced from $2.50 to $0.85
- D7 Retention: Improved from 12% to 28%
- Monthly Installs: Scaled from 50K to 300K
- Revenue: 500% increase in ad and IAP revenue
Key Takeaways
- Data beats assumptions: Let the data guide your targeting, not preconceptions
- Creative is king: Diversify formats and iterate constantly
- Optimize for value, not volume: Better users are worth paying more for
- Think global: Emerging markets can offer excellent value
Ready to achieve similar results? Contact ClicksFlyer to discuss how we can scale your mobile app growth profitably.