In this solo episode, Matej breaks down the new rules of user acquisition for mobile games in 2025, backed by real survey data from 20,000+ newsletter subs and hundreds of UA managers.

Full report: https://lancaric.substack.com/p/q1-2025-brutally-honest-ua-report

From channel splits and rewarded UA to the creative volume arms race, fraud, AI hacks, and why your next UA hire needs to be a creative prompt engineer, nothing is off the table. This is the data-driven, brutally honest update the industry needs.

What’s inside:

UA Channel Reality: Most studios still pump 80 percent of spend into Facebook and Google, even when running across nine channels and doing seven million a year. Some are forced to pause Facebook or shift heavy budgets to Applovin—yet diversification is still rare and risky.

Rewarded UA Surge: Rewarded UA channels are exploding, with more vendors than ever. The scale is better, but fraud and LTV prediction remain massive headaches. Retention falls off after D7, so you need tougher targets, multi-step offers, and real post-install engagement to make the math work.

Creative Arms Race: The volume of creatives needed has never been higher. The best ad-monetized games now pump out 2,000+ creatives a quarter—more shots on goal, more winners, and more chance to beat your “stuck” top creative. Iteration and refresh speed is everything.

AI Eats Creative: AI-generated creatives, AI UGC, and meta-style hooks are not a trend—they’re the new default. The best teams use AI to pump out, localize, and iterate hooks, voiceovers, and even UGC cameos faster than ever.

Creative Testing & Skills: Most teams test new creatives by launching them straight into BAU (business as usual) campaigns, rather than in separate tests. TikTok and Apple, not just Facebook, are where new winners show up. If your UA manager can’t write a killer AI prompt, you’re already behind.

Key Takeaway:

2025 is not about more channels or smarter spend—it’s about creative firepower, AI leverage, and hiring UA pros who are part prompt engineer, part analyst, part storyteller. Copy the benchmarks, scale the winners, and never stop refreshing.

Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop

---------------------------------------

Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.

https://www.vibe.co/

---------------------------------------

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej Lancaric⁠

Youtube: https://youtu.be/8tC8hnnDbiw

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the State of User Acquisition

04:19 Key Findings from the UA Survey

07:12 Current Trends in User Acquisition Channels

10:09 Challenges in Rewarded User Acquisition

13:19 Creative Strategies for Effective User Acquisition

16:12 The Role of AI in Creative Production

19:22 Testing and Iterating Creatives

22:22 Future Skills for User Acquisition Managers

25:05 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

---------------------------------------

Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar

---------------------------------------

Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!

Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!

Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Inside Bending Spoons: the $2.5 billion app juggernaut behind Evernote, Remini, Splice, and more.

Special guest Darius reveals the hacks behind viral UA, review scores, creative iteration, and the brutal playbook that’s rewriting consumer SaaS.

You’ll learn:

The secrets behind Bending Spoons’ $500 million annual revenue

Why TikTok, Shorts, and Reels are more powerful than any ad network for app growth

The playbook for cutting costs, boosting review scores, and scaling faster than competitors

Why retention is all about renewals, not DAU or D30

Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop

--------------------------------------

PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.

Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/

They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.

- Scale fast

- Keep your shares

- Drawdown only as needed

- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you

+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors

---------------------------------------

Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.

https://www.vibe.co/

---------------------------------------

For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.

Our sponsor FastSpring:

Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years

They power top mobile publishers around the world

Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.

---------------------------------------

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠

Special guest: Darius Mora

Youtube channel: ⁨@DariusMora⁩

https://www.linkedin.com/in/moravcik/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/xP3AziedKW0

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Bending Spoons and Guests

02:49 Bending Spoons' Unique Business Model

08:21 Hiring Practices and Company Culture

11:19 Acquisitions and Market Strategy

18:17 Transitioning from Gaming to App Development

24:15 The Impact of Viral Trends on App Success

29:37 User Acquisition and Marketing Techniques

34:14 Subscription Models and User Retention Strategies

37:31 Key Metrics for Success

39:23 Understanding Retention and Monetization in Gaming

41:11 Creative User Acquisition Strategies

42:09 Manipulating Reviews for Better App Ratings

44:07 Leveraging TikTok for User Acquisition

50:19 Navigating Paid User Acquisition Challenges

53:28 The Importance of Creative Testing

55:39 The Power of Authentic Content in Marketing

---------------------------------------

Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar

---------------------------------------

Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!

Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!

Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

---------------------------------------

If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej Lancaric

In this live session, the hosts discuss various aspects of game design, gameplay mechanics, monetization strategies, and the future of game development. They provide insights into the gameplay of a specific game, analyze its mechanics, and compare it with other games in the market. The conversation also touches on audience engagement and upcoming events in the gaming industry.

takeaways

The live session format allows for real-time audience interaction.

Gameplay mechanics can often be misleading in marketing.

Deterministic level design enhances player experience and engagement.

Monetization strategies are crucial for game sustainability.

Comparative analysis helps understand market positioning.

Future trends in gaming focus on user engagement and innovative mechanics.

Audience interaction can provide valuable feedback for developers.

Events like Gamescom and ChinaJoy are important for networking.

Game performance metrics are essential for assessing success.

The gaming industry is evolving with new monetization models.

titles

Exploring Game Design in a Live Session

Gameplay Mechanics Unveiled

Sound Bites

"We are live!"

"This is a game changer!"

"We need to have a soundboard!"

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Live Session

03:07 Gameplay Overview and Mechanics

07:15 Game Design and Difficulty Progression

10:01 Monetization Strategies and User Engagement

12:52 Comparative Analysis of Game Performance

18:37 Future of Puzzle Games and Market Trends

28:10 The Scale of Game Revenue

30:16 The Evolution of User Acquisition Strategies

32:56 Insights on Game Development and Monetization

39:21 Analyzing Game Performance and Revenue Projections

45:41 The Future of Game Development Strategies

---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricLatest article - https://open.substack.com/pub/lancaric/p/stay-ahead-in-ua-for-2024-my-top?r=7qqaf&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_medium=web&showWelcome=trueDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

Jakub Remiar dives into Uma Musume Pretty Derby’s “Spark” and legacy mechanics—one of the most advanced progression and inheritance systems in any mobile RPG. See why this game’s depth is pulling 100,000 downloads a day and racking up 450,000 dollars daily revenue even outside Japan. From Genshin-style stat RNG to community-driven parent borrowing, you’ll learn why this system is built for both theorycrafters and casuals, and why it’s suddenly trending in the West.

You’ll learn:

How legacy and spark inheritance work, and why this is deeper than anything in Western gacha

Why are there sixty-page guides and two hundred-page translations just to optimize your team

The power of borrowing “whale” parents and building the perfect run

How no-level, stat-based progression makes Uma Musume endlessly replayable

What makes this system so viral on YouTube, Shorts, and Steam right now

Why every risk-reward decision and endless RNG roll keeps the meta alive

Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop

--------------------------------------

PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.

Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/

They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.

- Scale fast

- Keep your shares

- Drawdown only as needed

- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you

+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors

---------------------------------------

Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.

https://www.vibe.co/

---------------------------------------

For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.

Our sponsor FastSpring:

Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years

They power top mobile publishers around the world

Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.

---------------------------------------

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠

Youtube: https://youtu.be/jk7CmPs4JRY

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Umo Musume Pretty Derby

04:54 The Roguelite System Explained

08:12 The Legacy System and Its Importance

11:05 Understanding the Spark System

13:59 Social Mechanics and Community Impact

16:53 Replayability and Randomness in Gameplay

20:13 Future Potential and Game Design Insights

---------------------------------------

Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar

---------------------------------------

Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!

Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!

Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

---------------------------------------

If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej Lancaric

Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

This episode is a tour through the wildest creative trends dominating mobile games in June 2025.

We break down why two- and three-minute video ads are everywhere, how AI hooks and long-form ASMR are pre-qualifying high-value users, and why the best-performing creatives this month are often stitched together from hits of the past.

What’s inside:

Long-Form Video Surge

Copy-Paste Mania

ASMR and Satisfying Loops

AI-Driven Innovation

Clone Wars and IP Theft

Real Life and UGC

Key Takeaway:

If you are not testing long-form videos, iterating ASMR or AI hooks, and watching what your competitors are copying, you are missing out. Quality and innovation are moving at warp speed, and copy-paste is the new default.

Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop

--------------------------------------

PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.

Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/

They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.

- Scale fast

- Keep your shares

- Drawdown only as needed

- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you

+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors

---------------------------------------

Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.

https://www.vibe.co/

---------------------------------------

For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.

Our sponsor FastSpring:

Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years

They power top mobile publishers around the world

Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.

---------------------------------------

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠

Youtube:

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Creative Trends in Mobile Gaming

04:24 Analyzing Recent Creative Campaigns

07:32 The Impact of Video Length on User Engagement

10:27 Innovations in Game Advertising

13:23 Exploring AI in Game Marketing

16:25 Case Studies: Successful Game Creatives

19:16 Conclusion and Future Trends

20:26 Understanding Player Perception

22:34 Innovative Ad Strategies

26:15 Analyzing Game Trends

30:08 Marketing Strategies for Game Growth

35:22 Emerging Trends in ASMR and Casual Gaming

37:32 Innovations in Game Development and User Engagement

39:22 The Role of User-Generated Content in Gaming

41:07 The Impact of AI on Game Creatives

44:46 AI Developments and Their Influence on Game Marketing

53:08 Conclusion and Future Insights in Gaming

---------------------------------------

Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar

---------------------------------------

Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!

Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!

Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

---------------------------------------

If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej Lancaric

We unpack KnitOut by Rollic, a surprising hit blending simple, relaxing puzzle mechanics with clever monetization and UA execution. Underneath the soothing yarn is a sophisticated, scalable system that echoes the Turkish studio’s proven blueprint.

KnitOut is already generating $ 60,000 daily revenue and 20,000 downloads a day, with the US accounting for sixty percent of revenue and CPIs exceeding $10.

What’s inside:

Core Gameplay: Addictive bench mechanic, yarn “block jam” puzzle core, and highly satisfying ASMR touches.

Monetization: Interstitials start after level sixteen or eighteen. First rewarded ad comes with an upsell to “remove ads” IAP. No banners.

Creative Strategy

Blueprint for Hits: Rollic’s process is all about finding a sticky core, tuning every curve, scaling hard, and only adding events or meta once retention and monetization benchmarks are proven. Hundreds of prototypes feed the pipeline, but only a handful get to scale.

Key Takeaway:

KnitOut looks simple, but it is a masterclass in “build core first, polish to perfection, then scale with data.” The Turkish blueprint continues to win, even as clones flood the market.

Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop

--------------------------------------

PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.

Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/

They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.

- Scale fast

- Keep your shares

- Drawdown only as needed

- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you

+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors

---------------------------------------

Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.

https://www.vibe.co/

---------------------------------------

For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.

Our sponsor, FastSpring:

Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 years

They power top mobile publishers around the world

Launch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.

---------------------------------------

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠

Youtube: https://youtu.be/o22Ky7sGWqs

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Game Overview

04:27 Gameplay Mechanics and Strategy

07:25 Game Difficulty and Progression

10:27 Monetization Strategies and User Engagement

13:23 Comparative Analysis with Other Games

16:33 Development Insights and Future Prospects

21:45 Understanding Game Monetization Strategies

25:30 Analyzing Game Performance Metrics

29:25 The Shift in Ad Revenue Dynamics

33:46 Creative Strategies in Game Marketing

38:06 The Importance of Creative Length in Ads

---------------------------------------

Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar

---------------------------------------

Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!

Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!

Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

In this solo episode, Felix Braberg walks through the six most effective ad placements he’s tested and rolled out across top ad-monetized mobile games and client portfolios in 2024 and 2025.

Drawing from live examples in games like Woodoku, Happy Color, Screwmaster 3D, Subway Surfers, and more, Felix details exactly how to engineer ad placements that boost ARPDAU, drive first purchases, and turn non-payers into rewarded ad whales.

What’s inside:

Step Offer Chains: Build offers as a chain of steps—first offering free items, then a rewarded ad, then paid, and finally more free, creating a mental ladder that nudges first-time purchases and ad engagement. Use notification buttons to highlight available rewarded ads.

Recency Effect Monetization: Use mediation hacks to always serve the highest eCPM ad unit. Supersonic’s tactic: on app open, cache both rewarded and interstitial ads, then dynamically check which one pays more at every impression. Serve interstitials in rewarded slots if they outpay, but never the reverse.

Convert-or-Die Placements: At every natural gameplay break, offer a rewarded ad first—if skipped, immediately serve an interstitial. Users quickly learn there is always an ad coming and will shift to rewarded for better value.

Store Exit Rewarded Ads: Instead of putting rewarded ads inside the store, show them as a standalone pop-up only if a user leaves the store without buying. This boosts conversion among non-payers and is now rolling out across portfolios at scale.

Unlockable Skins and Paint Jobs: Rewarded ads are used to unlock new skins, paint jobs, or game modes—sometimes requiring up to five ads for a single unlock. Use first cached ad eCPM to decide if a rewarded placement should show, especially for likely non-payers.

Meta Rewards for Ad Whales: Give users bonus rewards for hitting high ad-watch thresholds (ten ads a day unlocks a speed buff, for example). This turns high-volume ad viewers into meta progression junkies, boosting both ad ARPDAU and retention.

Key Takeaway:

Test these placements, track them against the best ad-monetized games in the market, and always iterate. Small changes in placement, sequence, and creative lead to big jumps in revenue—especially for non-payers and ad whales.

Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop

Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.

https://www.vibe.co/

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg

Youtube: https://youtu.be/blw0JNMcfh8

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Ad Placements

04:09 Exploring Effective Ad Strategies

10:20 Innovative Ad Placement Techniques

15:06 Meta Rewards and Long-Term Engagement

Felix Braberg

Ad monetization consultant

⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com

---------------------------------------

Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!

Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!

Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

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We go deep on Uma Musume Pretty Derby, Japan’s gacha horse girl sensation, and a masterclass in roguelite meta complexity. With real horse DNA, multi-layered training runs, six gacha layers, and a live ops cadence that powers up to 72 million dollars per launch month, Uma Musume is a unicorn in the global market—an RPG sim that’s too Japanese for most of the West, but a billion-dollar franchise at home.

What’s inside:

Japan-First, World-Second: Ninety-five percent of all revenue still comes from Japan.

Insane Revenue Per Download

True Roguelite Progression: Training runs carry over legacy stats, traits, and inspiration from previous “parents.” Every decision in a run matters. Social features like friend-run inheritance and deep support card gacha fuel endless replay.

Authentic Horse Girl DNA

Too Complex for the West: The English launch saw a brief spike (three hundred thousand dollars in a day) but quickly dropped. Complexity, visual style, and waifu focus make it a core product for otaku and hardcore sim fans.

Key Takeaway:

Uma Musume Pretty Derby is proof that deep, highly local games with real social and meta layers can still print billions, if you own your niche and deliver unmatched complexity.

Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop

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This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.

Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej Lancaric⁠

Youtube: https://youtu.be/HmKZaCWlDBI

Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipg

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Uma Musume Pretty Derby

06:02 Understanding the Game's Popularity and Mechanics

09:11 The Unique Design and Gameplay of Uma Musume

12:02 The Evolution of Horse Racing Games

15:10 Rogue-lite Mechanics in Uma Musume

17:58 Character Selection and Training Strategies

21:06 The Role of Support Cards and Skills

27:03 Final Thoughts on Gameplay and Complexity

37:19 Racing Mechanics and Strategies

42:13 Game Progression and Challenges

55:22 Monetization and Gacha Mechanics

01:01:24 Marketing Strategies and Community Engagement

Matej Lancaric

User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant

⁠https://lancaric.me

Jakub Remiar

Game design consultant

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar

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Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me