The Challenge
A fast-growing hyper-casual game studio had developed a promising puzzle game but struggled with user acquisition at scale. Their internal UA efforts resulted in CPIs of $0.80+ with poor retention metrics, making it difficult to achieve positive ROAS.
Key challenges included:
- High CPIs limiting scale and profitability
- Poor quality traffic with low D1 retention (25%)
- Difficulty identifying high-LTV user segments
- Limited creative testing infrastructure
Our Approach
ClicksFlyer implemented a comprehensive UA strategy focused on finding quality users at scale:
Strategy Pillars:
- Creative Optimization: Developed 50+ video creative variants, testing gameplay hooks, color schemes, and CTAs
- Geo Targeting: Identified T2/T3 markets with high engagement potential at lower CPIs
- Source Diversification: Expanded beyond typical networks to rewarded video and playable ad inventory
- Cohort Analysis: Used predictive D1-D3 data to optimize toward D7 ROAS goals
The Results
Within 90 days, the campaign achieved remarkable scale while maintaining profitability:
- 5.2M installs acquired across 40+ countries
- CPI reduced by 56% from $0.80 to $0.35
- D1 retention improved to 45% (up from 25%)
- 180% D7 ROAS achieved consistently
- Game reached Top 50 in 15 countries
Key Learnings
This campaign demonstrated several important UA principles for hyper-casual games:
- Creative testing velocity is the #1 driver of performance improvement
- Geo diversification enables scale without sacrificing quality
- Early retention signals (D1-D3) are strong predictors of long-term value
- Playable ads outperformed video by 40% for this game genre