How to Have Success in Hyper Casual Games | Joyce Xu

Summary

The speaker shares insights on achieving success in hyper-casual games, using their game 'We're Hero' as a case study. Key strategies include balancing user experience with ad monetization through rewarded videos and surprise elements like chest openings. Regular game updates helped improve retention, while creative user acquisition through playable ads boosted download rates. The company also developed its own mediation platform to optimize ad revenue, particularly in China. Ultimately, success in hyper-casual games relies on strong user engagement, continuous optimization, and effective user acquisition strategies, despite lower lifetime value (LTV) of users.

Takeaways

• 😀 Hyper-casual game success is defined by multiple factors: high download numbers, good retention, and solid revenue through ads and in-app purchases.
• 😀 A major indicator of success for hyper-casual games is achieving millions of downloads (e.g., 30M-50M downloads).
• 😀 High retention rates, especially Day-1 retention, are a critical measure of success in hyper-casual games, with the ideal rate often over 50%.
• 😀 A game like 'We're Hero' achieved 50 million downloads and generated significant revenue through user-initiated ads, such as rewarded videos and revive features.
• 😀 In-game rewards, such as surprise chests, can drive user engagement, increasing ad impressions and boosting retention rates (e.g., +40% in ad impressions per user).
• 😀 Retention can be significantly improved by adding new content and updates regularly, with 'We're Hero' improving its Day-1 retention rate from 35% to 55%.
• 😀 Playable ads are a powerful tool for user acquisition, with 'We're Hero' achieving a 3x higher click-through rate (CTR) compared to traditional ads.
• 😀 Testing a variety of ad formats and strategies, including creative video ads and festival-themed ads, is essential to attract and retain users.
• 😀 Monetization should be balanced with user experience. Ads should feel like a natural part of the game, with rewarded video ads offering incentives like in-game boosts.
• 😀 Custom ad mediation platforms, especially those tailored to specific regional markets like China, can maximize ad revenue by integrating local ad networks and inventory.
• 😀 Hyper-casual games often have low LTV (lifetime value), so game developers need to focus on acquiring large user bases and optimizing short-term engagement and monetization strategies.

Q & A

What defines success in hyper-casual games according to the speaker?

Success in hyper-casual games is not only about achieving high download numbers (e.g., 30 million+ downloads) but also includes key metrics like retention rate and revenue generation. The speaker emphasizes that retaining users and generating consistent revenue are also critical for success.

How does the speaker define success in terms of download numbers?

The speaker suggests that a game achieving 30 million or 50 million downloads can be considered a success, particularly when it maintains its ranking in top charts in multiple countries.

What are the key strategies for monetization in hyper-casual games mentioned in the script?

The primary monetization strategy is using user-friendly ad formats such as rewarded video ads. These ads provide players with rewards, enhancing their experience while generating ad revenue. Other strategies include using in-game features like chest openings and game revival options tied to ads.

What role do in-game features like chests play in improving user engagement?

In-game features like chests, where players can unlock surprises by completing tasks, are designed to enhance user engagement. These features encourage users to keep playing the game to unlock rewards, which increases ad impressions and retention.

How did the game's retention rate improve over time, and what methods contributed to this improvement?

The game's day-1 retention rate improved from 35% to 55%. This improvement was driven by frequent updates with new content, adding new features, and maintaining regular player engagement through in-game rewards and tasks.

What is the significance of 'playable ads' in the context of this hyper-casual game?

Playable ads are interactive ads that allow users to experience part of the game before downloading it. These ads were highly effective for this game, with a CTR three times higher than traditional ads. Users who installed the game through playable ads also had better retention rates.

Why does the speaker emphasize the use of their own mediation platform for monetization?

The speaker highlights the use of their own mediation platform because it allows them to effectively monetize in China and other local markets. Many international mediation platforms couldn't effectively handle their inventory in these regions, so building their own solution was necessary.

What was the revenue target for 'We're Here Oh!' and how was it achieved?

'We're Here Oh!' achieved a revenue of $10 million per month. This target was considered realistic and achievable by balancing ad monetization and user experience. The game also utilized a tailored approach for different regions, such as using a proprietary platform for China.

How does the speaker balance user experience with ad monetization?

The speaker focuses on user experience by ensuring that ad formats, such as rewarded videos and in-game rewards, do not disrupt gameplay. The key is to offer rewards that enhance the gaming experience, making it a win-win for both users and developers.

What challenges did the speaker face with international ad mediation platforms, and how did they overcome them?

International ad mediation platforms were ineffective for monetization in certain markets like China. To address this, the speaker’s company developed its own ad mediation platform, which integrated with local networks and provided better monetization results in these regions.