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“봉술사 키우기”, Maximizing Long-Term Retention with Time Quests

Client Spotlight

Code Dog is a mobile game company, known for popular titles like "유즈맵 디펜스 온라인" and "용구탄생의 비밀" With its unique RPG games, CodeDog continues to experience steady growth.

Introducing “봉술사 키우기”

Developed by CodeDog, "봉술사 키우기" is an idle RPG game where players enhance and nurture their characters' various skills, such as magic and buffs, using resources acquired through adventures. Introducing an unprecedented feature called the "Wizard Market," where users can buy and sell items to each other which further heightened user’s interest.

Goals and Challenges

Drive in-game purchases from Top-Tier users while fostering long-term engagement from new players.

Solution

To promote purchases from top-tier users, it's essential to encourage long-term gameplay from new users. Therefore, we devised strategies to foster long-term retention.

Time Quests for Retention Optimization

“봉술사 키우기”, Maximizing Long-Term Retention with Time Quests

Merge Camp, Securing High LTV users through Playio’s AI recommendation system

Client Overview

Highscore Games is making waves in the gaming industry with its innovative approach to hyper-casual game development, capturing the attention of gamers worldwide!

With hits like "Rocket Punch" (31M downloads), "Wall Crawler" (23M downloads), and "Webbi Boi" (20M downloads), Highscore Games has amassed a whopping 74 million downloads in 2023, captivating global users with its unique gameplay.

Introducing Merge Camp

Merge Camp is a merging genre game released by Highscore Games, depicting the story of cute characters on a tropical island. It has achieved a position among the top 10 grossing board genre games on the Google Play Store, receiving much love from its users.

Goals and Challenges

Reach users with a high likelihood of playing Merging Camp for ROAS optimization

Optimize retention for new users to be locked and hooked into the game

Innovative Solutions:

We teamed up with Highscore Games to develop campaigns tailored to meet marketing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The "Merge Camp" campaign aimed not only at acquiring new users but also prioritized securing high LTV users through optimized operations, thus improving performance.

AI recommendation system for high-value user acquisition

Merge Camp, Securing High LTV users through Playio’s AI recommendation system

How Office Cat Achieved 209% D30 ROAS with Hidden Quests and Engagement Strategies

Client Overview

TREEPLLA is a rising star in the casual gaming industry, well-known for its innovative cat-themed IPs like Cat Snack Bar, Office Cat, and Lumbercat. Their games are loved by users worldwide for their charming, easy-to-pick-up mechanics. By listening closely to player feedback and using data-driven insights, TREEPLLA constantly strives to deliver engaging, enjoyable experiences for all players.

Office Cat Introduction

Office Cat is a charming tycoon game where players take on the role of a cat boss, building an office empire from scratch. Players can expand business districts, create residential and commercial zones, and manage adorable cat employees. With its universal appeal, Office Cat is perfect for casual players of all ages.

The Challenge:

Boosting Retention and Achieving Strong ROAS

Campaign Solution:

TREEPLLA joined forces with Playio to craft a powerful campaign designed to boost both retention and revenue for Office Cat. At the heart of this strategy were two key mechanics: Time Quests and Hidden Quests, seamlessly working together to elevate user engagement and create lasting player loyalty.

Time Quests for Retention Optimization

Playio's Time Quests were all about creating daily gaming habits.. By encouraging users to engage with the "Office Cat" game for at least 30 minutes each day, these quests have effectively optimized daily playtime and improved retention rates. The goal was to get players hooked early and keep them coming back for more.

How Office Cat Achieved 209% D30 ROAS with Hidden Quests and Engagement Strategies

Client Overview

Hello Games, based in China, is a global gaming company that develops high-quality casual games and digital entertainment platforms. With a diverse portfolio that includes casual, simulation, and combat games, Hello Games has reached number one in game rankings across Asia, Europe, and the US, boasting over 50 million cumulative downloads.

Game Overview: "Hamtopia: Merge Dream Shopping Mall"

"Hamtopia: Merge Dream Shopping Mall" is a management simulation game featuring charming, cartoon-style illustrations and a lively rhythm-based puzzle format. Players run their own hamster shopping mall, expand their unique universe, and engage in merge games to earn points, providing a multifaceted gaming experience all within one title.

The Challenge:

KPI: Achieve 50% D7 ROAS

Strategy & Solutions

To drive player engagement and optimize ROAS, "Hamtopia: Merge Dream Shopping Mall" implemented a comprehensive marketing campaign that blended various tactics, including banner ads, app pushes, and community-driven events.

Targeted Banner Marketing and Time Quests

Leveraging the game's appeal to a female audience, targeted banner ads were utilized to boost user interest. To encourage playtime, daily rewards were offered through time quests, motivating users to log in and engage consistently. These time quests were continually showcased even after the initial D7 period to retain players.

Case Study: Hello Games Achieves 195% D30 ROAS for "Hamtopia: Merge Dream Shopping Mall" Through Targeted Marketing

Client Overview

Unico Studio, a company based in Turkey, was founded in 2018 and has since launched over 50 games, achieving 3 million DAU (Daily Active Users). With over 1 billion downloads, their portfolio includes popular brain-teasing puzzle games such as Brain Test All-Star: IQ Boost, Woody Sort: Ball Sort Puzzle, and 2248: Number Puzzle 2048, which have earned global acclaim for stimulating cognitive abilities and offering engaging puzzle-solving experiences.

About Brain Test: Challenging Puzzles

Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles is an addictive puzzle game designed to stimulate the mind with creative and engaging challenges. It appeals to players who enjoy IQ tests, problem-solving, and brain games. With its worldwide popularity, Brain Test has become one of the most recognized brain games, offering players a variety of tricky puzzles. When puzzles become too challenging, the game offers helpful hints, delivered in a fun and engaging way to encourage players to keep playing.

Objective & Challenge

The goal for this campaign was to achieve a D7 ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) of 100%. This meant not only attracting new users but also encouraging them to continue playing and engaging with the game over the long term.

Solution

Playio leveraged a combination of strategic in-game events to increase user engagement and maximize ROAS for Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles Two key strategies were used:

Hidden Quests: This in-game feature rewards players with bonuses when they complete certain tasks, leading to higher participation and retention rates.

Community Engagement with Certification Events: To keep users engaged, Playio facilitated certification events, such as the "Level 50 Achievement" contest, encouraging players to share their progress on the community board in exchange for rewards.

These efforts resulted in an impressive cumulative ROAS of 144.62%, far exceeding the original target.

Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles – How Playio Helped Achieve 144.62% Cumulative ROAS with Hidden Quests, Puzzle Events, and Community Engagement

Client Introduction

SuperPlanet develops and publishes its own games as well as promising titles for the global market, delivering exciting and fun experiences to gamers worldwide. The company has released various genres of mobile games, including casual, strategy, and simulation RPGs, achieving significant milestones such as the 2017 Mobile Game Star Awards Grand Prize, 2018 Google Play Best Game of the Year, 2018 Game Creation Audition Top 10, and 2019 Google Indie Games Program Top 4. Aiming to dominate the global gaming market with thrilling mobile games, SuperPlanet actively engages with global users through localization tailored to specific markets.

Playio CBT/FGT Overview

Before officially launching a game, Playio provides a unique advertising product that allows games to be tested by its user base. The key strengths of Playio's CBT (Closed Beta Test) and FGT (Focus Group Test) are precise user targeting and the flexibility to offer rewards based on needs. This approach ensures that users engage with specific gameplay areas for balance testing and participate in surveys, which helps gather in-depth feedback. Playio packages also include comprehensive reports post-CBT/FGT campaigns.

Enhancing Targeting and Securing High-Quality Users through Playio CBT

One of the significant advantages of Playio CBT is its ability to gather meaningful participant data even without offering additional rewards. Leveraging this, SuperPlanet focused on acquiring high-quality users. CBT campaigns were conducted for six games, including Boori’s Spooky Tales: Idle RPG, Boomerang RPG: Watch Out, Dude!, Battle Mage Idle, Delusion: Shadow Heroes, Hunter in Dungeon, and Level Up! before their domestic launch.

Given the predominance of idle games in their portfolio, SuperPlanet utilized Playio's platform to target suitable users and execute optimized campaigns. This approach helped selectively secure target users in the pre-launch phase.

Results

User Retention and Viral Performance

Recognizing the need to activate communities and enhance viral marketing before launch, SuperPlanet conducted Playio CBT with a focus on virality. During the testing period, hidden quests and timed quests were introduced to monitor user activity and engagement patterns at specific times.

This strategy confirmed strong retention rates among participants, indicating positive outcomes in terms of user engagement and playtime. The data collected served as a crucial metric for preparing the game’s official release.

SuperPlanet: Strengthening Targeting and User Retention through Playio CBT