Midcore Game User Acquisition: Strategy Guide

We were 47 days into our soft launch when reality hit. Our CPI was $8.50. Our D7 ROAS was 12%. And our CFO was asking when we'd start seeing returns.

"You don't understand midcore," I told her. "The payback window is 180 days, sometimes longer." She looked at me like I'd suggested we burn money for warmth.

That conversation forced me to get serious about midcore economics. What I learned over the next two years completely transformed how we approach UA for strategy and RPG games. The rules are different here—and the marketers who don't understand that bleed money until they run out.

Understanding Midcore Economics

Key Differences from Casual

• CPI range: $5-50+ (vs $0.20-2 casual)
• LTV timeline: 90-365 days to materialize
• Revenue source: 80%+ from IAP
• Whale dependency: Top 1% = 50%+ revenue

Targeting High-Value Players

Whale Identification Signals

• Device type (iPhone Pro, high-end Android)
• Previous game spending behavior
• Engagement patterns in similar titles
• Response to premium content previews

Value-Based Lookalikes

• Seed with payers, not just installers
• Create tiered seeds by spend level
• Refresh seeds monthly with recent data
• Test top 1% vs top 5% vs top 10% seeds

Creative Strategies

What Works for Midcore

• Character showcases: Premium character designs
• Progression fantasy: Show end-game power
• Social proof: Community, guilds, competitive
• Story hooks: Narrative-driven engagement

"Midcore creatives should sell the fantasy of mastery. Players want to see the powerful character they could become, not the grind to get there."

Event-Driven UA

Scaling Around Events

• Launch campaigns 1-2 days before major events
• Create event-specific creatives
• Increase budgets 30-50% during events
• Use event urgency in messaging

Event Types to Leverage

• Anniversary celebrations
• New character/content releases
• Seasonal events
• Collaboration events

Channel Strategy

Platform Mix

• Meta (40-50%): Best for lookalike targeting
• Google (20-30%): YouTube for visual-heavy games
• Unity/ironSource (15-25%): Cross-promotion
• TikTok (10-15%): Growing for younger audiences

LTV Prediction

Predictive Signals

• D1-D3 engagement depth
• Early progression milestones
• First purchase timing
• Social feature usage

Retention Integration

• Coordinate UA with LiveOps calendar
• Re-engage lapsed users before new UA
• Use CRM data to inform acquisition targeting
• Build lookalikes from retained, not just acquired users

Midcore UA is a long game. Build robust LTV models, focus on quality over quantity, and align acquisition with retention strategies for sustainable growth.