Wondering how to get more users for an adventure game? Put simply, you need an effective adventure mobile game marketing strategy.
In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about how to make your adventure game a success.
You’ll learn:
- Marketing tips and tricks for acquiring more users
- Which adventure mobile games and publishers are most successful
- How to create winning ads (with video ad examples from top adventure games)
- Important adventure mobile game statistics (user retention, average session length, stickiness, ARPPU, ARPDAU, conversions, and CPIs by country)
Ready?
Top 10 Adventure Games
Google Play
Here are the top-grossing free adventure games on Google Play. (SensorTower, free data)
- Roblox (Roblox Corporation)
- Pokemon Go (Niantic)
- Genshin Impact (miHoYo)
- June’s Journey (Wooga)
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Jam City)
- Jurassic World Alive (Ludia)
- Manor Matters (Playrix)
- Seekers Note: Hidden Mystery (Mytona)
- Animation Throwdown (Kongregate)
- Grand Hotel Mania (DeusCraft)
Apple App Store
This is a list of top-grossing free adventure games on the Apple App Store. (SensorTower, free data)
- Roblox (Roblox Corporation)
- Garena Free Fire (Garena International)
- Coin Master (Moon Active)
- Genshin Impact (miHoYo)
- Township (Playrix)
- Hero Wars – Fantasy World (Nexters)
- Marvel Contest of Champions (Kabam Games)
- Family Island (Melsoft)
- Garena Free Fire MAX (Garena International)
- Klondike Adventures (Vizor Apps)
Adventure Mobile Game Marketing: Best User Acquisition Strategies for 2022
If you have an adventure game, you’re probably wondering how to get more users and become a powerhouse in this genre.
The secret behind the success of top adventure games is a top-notch user acquisition strategy. Granted, your game needs to be good, but you would be surprised by what you can achieve with smart adventure mobile game marketing.
Here are some great tips that will help you get more users for your adventure game.
1. Do Creative Testing During Soft Launch
Soft launch is crucial for the success of any mobile game. Don’t think successful mobile game studios simply publish their game and then try to figure out what kind of user acquisition strategy works best.
Everything goes through extensive testing during soft launch in order to make sure everything is in place for the worldwide launch. That’s how you create a winning adventure mobile game marketing strategy.
Here’s what you should test during soft launch:
- Creatives and assets
- Monetization strategies
- Campaign setup
- Visuals like icons and game trailers
- Game design
- User interface
- App store optimization
- LTV models
During soft launch, you also need to work on identifying audiences and slowly increasing audience sizes.
2. Find the Right Formula for Video Ads
Video ads are one of the most important aspects of a good user acquisition strategy for adventure mobile games. That’s why you should focus on testing different video ads during soft launch, as well as post-launch.
But here’s the thing.
If you think that making one or two videos is enough – you’re wrong.
The key to effective adventure mobile game marketing is to come up with a winning formula you can use over and over again. The only way to do that is to create many different video ad variations and test them until you find out what works and what doesn’t.
Here are the main components of video ads that you need to test and play with:
- Composition
- Different video elements
- Music
- Colors
- Video captions
- Intro and outro cards
- CTA’s
- Ad copy
Once you figure out what types of video ads get the most users at the lowest price, simply repeat the whole process over and over again and watch your user base grow.
If you have no idea where to start with video ads, evaluate what your competitors are doing. Facebook Ad Library is perfect for that because it allows you to see your competitor’s ads.
3. Optimize Google and Facebook Ad Campaigns
Just a couple of years ago, the strategy for Google and Facebook Ad Campaigns was volume. That meant creating hundreds of campaigns and ad sets in order to test different ad variations.
It wasn’t ideal.
However, over the years, the algorithms evolved and Google launched Universal App Campaigns. It made everything a lot easier since you could just upload different assets and the algorithm would test different ad variations. The top-performing ads are then shown more often.
On Facebook, dynamic creative ads work in a similar way – it’s a step toward fully automated media buying.
Since there are a lot of changes and updates, it’s crucial that you keep track of what’s going on and optimize campaigns accordingly. It’s the only path to successful adventure mobile game marketing.
Here are some tips for optimizing Google and Facebook campaigns:
- You don’t need thousands of ad sets – reduce the numbers and make it simple
- Create assets for different placements (images, text, video, HTML5)
- Optimize for the right event – installs, in-app purchases, etc.
- Use Campaign Budget Optimization
- Choose the right bid strategy
4. Don’t Forget About Other Ad Networks
To start, you should definitely advertise on the main ad networks. Those are Google, Facebook, and Instagram. Each of those platforms has a very large user base which makes them essential for adventure mobile game marketing.
However, those are not the only ad networks.
When it comes to social media platforms, there’s also Snapchat and TikTok. You can acquire a lot of users on both.
A lot of new users are joining TikTok which makes it the perfect network for adventure mobile game marketing.To learn more about creating ads on TikTok, check out our TikTok advertising guide.
If you want to take it to the next level, there are even more ad networks for acquiring users. For example, there’s Unity Ads, AppLovin, Apple Search Ads, AdColony, etc. For the full list of ad networks for acquiring gamers, click here.
5. Trust the Data
Most importantly, adventure mobile game marketing is all about the data. You may think you have created the most perfect ad ever, but if the numbers say otherwise, you need to trust the data.
The same goes for all mobile game metrics. You need to track and analyze them, then make the necessary changes.
Adventure Mobile Game Marketing: Best Ad Examples from Top Games
Ready to find out what goes into creating the perfect video ad for an adventure mobile game?
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is a roleplaying adventure game that was launched in 2018. Considering that Harry Potter books and movies have millions of fans all over the world, the release of this mobile game was met with a lot of excitement.
Regardless of the draw Harry Potter has, Jam City, the publisher of this mobile game, still had to invest a lot in advertising. Especially because of the competition from Niantic’s game.
Here’s an example of a Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery video ad. Let’s see what makes it so effective.
Harry Potter Video Ad Breakdown
Duration: 00:45
Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network
This video ad is quite long compared to others (45 seconds). However, it tells a story, which is crucial for adventure mobile game marketing.
The video ad begins by Hedwig announcing you have been accepted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you’re into Harry Potter, that’s a pretty big deal.
Who wouldn’t want to be a part of it – it’s exciting!
The video ad then proceeds to give you a taste of all the exciting and magical adventures that await you in this mobile game. For Harry Potter fans, all of this is quite familiar – the Hogwarts school, famous characters, wizardry, magic, potions, quidditch, etc.
This is the key thing for adventure mobile game marketing – the ads need to showcase all the exciting game features, stories, and characters.
Users play adventure mobile games because they’re all about exploring new worlds, immersive plots, and fun puzzles. That’s what you should highlight in the ads.
Another important aspect of the Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery mobile game is customization. There’s an ad dedicated solely to this particular game feature. It gives users a taste of different customization options that are available in the game.
This is also a key thing for retaining users once they install the game. When players have the option to customize their character and make it unique, they feel more connected to it and are more likely to continue playing.
Harry Potter Ad Copy Analysis
Here are a couple of different examples of the Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery ad copy:
- Riddle number one. “In this room, you will grasp…” Only a game entry will tell you if you’re right. #MagicalMischief
- Master spells and earn points for your house!
- Customise your character’s clothing and appearance. Be the witch or wizard you always wanted to be!
- Your choices will define your Hogwarts experience!
- Which house will you belong to? The Sorting Hat awaits!
The first ad copy is pretty interesting – it is a part of an ad that’s a riddle, which is a unique approach. First of all, people love riddles. They also like to be challenged.
But here’s the thing.
Even though there’s no classic CTA in this ad copy, it’s very clear that you need to play the game to find out if you’ve solved the riddle. There’s also a unique hashtag (#MagicalMischief) which encourages sharing and builds a community around the game.
Other copies focus on different game features. As it was mentioned before, customization is a big thing and it creates a unique user experience.
For a full analysis of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, go here.
Murder in the Alps
Murder in the Alps is a hidden object mystery game that takes you on an adventure set in the 1930s.
The key features of this game are an engaging storyline, unique locations, intriguing characters, challenging puzzles, and mini-games.
Let’s see how this adventure mobile game is advertised.
Murder in the Alps Video Ad Breakdown
Duration: 00:15
Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Audience Network
The main focus of this mobile game are fun puzzles, and that’s reflected in this video ad. There’s no better way to advertise an adventure game than by showing the actual gameplay.
Remember that users want to see how the game looks and how it works before they install it. That’s why it’s crucial to pique their interest by creating ads that showcase the adventure that awaits them.
It’s the basic strategy for adventure mobile game marketing.
This video ad is very short and to the point which shows there’s no need for extra-long ads. If they’re done right, short video ads can be very effective and attention-grabbing.
Murder in the Alps Ad Copy Analysis
At this moment, Nordcurrent is running more than 40 ads for Murder in the Alps.
However, they use one ad copy for all the ads, which is quite unusual.
- Interactive crime adventure 😱 Thrilling Hidden Object game 🔍 Set back in the 1930s 🧐
Generally speaking, it’s recommended that you try out many different ad descriptions. Granted, through testing, you’ll find that some work better than others – those are the ones you should focus on.
Even though Murder in the Alps’ ad copy does a good job of describing the main game features – it lacks a CTA.
Pokémon Go
Although Pokémon Go isn’t as popular as it was when it just came out, a lot of users are still playing it.
Niantic is still running a lot of ads in order to acquire new users and get more in-app purchases.
Here are some examples.
Pokémon Go Video Ad Examples
Duration: 00:15
Platforms: Facebook, Instagram
What’s great about this video ad is that it shows an actual person playing the game on their phone. It gives the users a very good representation of the user experience and what it’s like to play Pokémon Go.
Since it’s shot from the first person, i.e. it’s a point-of-view shot, you can almost imagine it’s you playing the game. This is not so hard to shoot, but it’s very effective for gaming video ads.
This ad also emphasizes the most exciting and unique Pokémon Go feature – augmented reality. AR is the game’s unique selling point and something that draws users in.
For adventure mobile game marketing, it’s essential that you identify what makes your game stand out and showcase that in all ads.
This Pokémon Go video ad features the Battle League which allows users to battle other trainers online.
The fights are exciting and the multiplayer aspect makes it even more fun.
There are many different versions of this ad currently running on Facebook and Instagram. This brings us back to one of the most important lessons of adventure mobile game marketing – creating ads for different placements and locations, and testing them to find the winning formula.
Pokémon Go Ad Copy Analysis
Here are some ad copy examples from Pokémon Go:
- There are over 400 Pokémon for you to encounter in Pokémon GO! Which Pokémon will you discover?
- Pokémon first discovered in the Unova region have started appearing in Pokémon GO!
- Now you can battle other Pokémon GO trainers online! Try the GO Battle League today.
- Play together, trade together! Friends have even more to discover in Pokémon GO.
- Fulfill your dream of becoming a Trainer and catching Pokémon in the real world with Pokémon GO!
A good ad copy is short, to the point, and evokes an emotional reaction that gets you to do something.
The key is to excite users and make them want to download your game right now!
If you look at Pokémon Go ad copy examples, each of them focuses on different game aspects – catching Pokémons in the real world, battling other players online, playing with friends, etc.
You should do the same – identify the best and most exciting features of your game and write an ad copy for each one. Don’t forget to include a CTA in your ad copy – it’s what prompts an immediate response.
Also, test as many different ad copies as you can in order to identify the one that converts the most users.
Adventure Mobile Game Marketing Statistics You Need to Know in 2022
In order to successfully market an adventure game, you need to be in on all the current mobile gaming statistics. Not just for the adventure genre, but for all other game categories.
For example, you can’t know if your user retention is good if you don’t know what’s the average for other games. It’s important to know where you stand and what to aim for.
In the following section, you’ll learn important statistics for these mobile game metrics:
- User retention (day 1, 7, and 28)
- Average session length
- Mobile game stickiness
- The average revenue per paying user (ARPPU)
- The average revenue per daily active user (ARPDAU)
- Mobile game conversions
- Adventure mobile game CPIs in tier 1 countries
Adventure Mobile Game User Retention Statistics
Granted, getting a large number of users to install your game is important. However, acquiring loyal users is crucial for its success.
Without users who keep playing your game, you won’t be able to monetize it, which is the end goal for all developers.
Since user retention is usually measured for days 1, 7, and 28, we’ll focus on these statistics.
You’ll find out what is the average user retention for all mobile game genres, including adventure games.
Day 1 User Retention Statistics for Adventure Mobile Games
The mobile game market is saturated. There are hundreds of new games released each day. Because of that many users install a game, play it once and then move on to the next one.
That’s why it’s crucial to know how many players return after the first day of playing. Furthermore, day 1 user retention is an early KPI that shows the potential of your game.
If a large percentage of users keep playing it – good news – it means you’re on the right track.
On the other hand, if almost all players abandoned the game – you might want to rethink your strategy or even kill the game.
The top 2% of adventure games had excellent day 1 retention, which is expected. It was in the 46%/47% range in 2020. That’s almost a half of all players, which is excellent. However, not all adventure games were as successful at retaining players.
The top 25% of adventure games had day 1 retention rates from 28.33% (July, August, and November) to 29.53% (March). That’s still pretty good for day 1 retention.
For the median 50% of adventure games, day 1 retention was between 18.16% and 20.03%. It was higher in the first half than the second half of 2020.
For the bottom 25% of adventure games, it ranged from 11.01% to 12.70%.
Day 7 User Retention Statistics for Adventure Mobile Games
As you might expect, day 7 retention is lower than day 1. Furthermore, user retention seems to drop every year during the holidays, so that’s something you should expect. Overall, it has been quite steady over the years, dropping only slightly in Q2 2019.
Once again, classic mobile games have the best retention (up to 18%).
For the top 2% of games, day 7 retention rates in 2020 were between 16.25% (October) and 18.40% (January).
After 7 days, the top 25% of adventure games retained between 5.35% and 5.92% of players.
For the median 50% of games, day 7 retention was much lower – from 2.33% to 2.66%.
For the bottom 25% of adventure games, it was even lower, ranging from 0.91% to 1.10%.
Day 28 User Retention Statistics for Adventure Mobile Games
If you consider how many great mobile games are out there, it’s understandable that day 28 user retention is pretty low for all genres.
Users who keep playing your game after 28 days are truly loyal and if there’s a lot of them, it means you’re doing something right.
Since day 28 user retention is quite tricky, 4% is the average for most genres. However, classic games like board, card, casino, trivia, and word games retain double that amount of users after 28 days.
Day 28 retention was naturally lower, for all adventure games. For the top 2%, it was between 7.57% and 8.97%.
For the top 25% of adventure games, it was between 1.53% and 1.74%.
Day 28 retention for the median 50% of adventure games was between 0.44% and 0.56%, which is quite low.
Finally, the bottom 25% of adventure games had 0% day 28 retention. Ouch!
Actionable Tips for Improving User Retention for Adventure Mobile Games
Now that you know what you should aim for when it comes to user retention, it’s time to put some strategies in place that will help you achieve that.
Here are some simple tips for improving user retention you can try right now:
- Perfect your design – there’s always room for improvement
- Utilize push notifications – remind players to come back
- Reward players who come back – loyalty deserves a gift
- Integrate social interaction – encourage players to share their progress or compete against one another
- Make it challenging – making your adventure game too simple might bore the players
- Keep your adventure mobile game fresh – add new content and updates on a regular basis
Download our free 8 Proven Ways To Boost Your Retention Rate ebook to learn more.
Adventure Mobile Games Average Session Length Statistics
Average session length is another essential KPI that shows you how much time users spend playing per session. It is measured from the time users open the game until they close it.
Let’s get into some average session length statistics for adventure games.
As it’s expected for the top 2% of adventure games, the average session length was quite long in 2020. It lasted from 50 minutes and 8 seconds to 61 minutes and 32 seconds.
When we look at data for the top 25% of adventure games, it’s significantly lower – 8 minutes and 37 seconds to 9 minutes and 10 seconds.
For the median 50% of games, it was half that – ranging from 4 minutes and 32 seconds to 4 minutes and 50 seconds.
For the bottom 25% of adventure games, ASL was between 2 minutes and 47 seconds (May) and 2 minutes and 55 seconds (November).
Adventure Mobile Games ARPPU Statistics
Wondering how much users spend in the game?
ARPPU is a metric that will give you those answers. It is short for Average Revenue Per Paying User.
Mid-core genres get the best results when it comes to ARPPU (up to $25 for top-performing mid-core games).
The top 25% of games in the adventure genre didn’t earn nearly as much. The lowest ARPPU was in January ($8.28) and the highest was in September ($9.87).
For the median 50% of adventure games, ARPPU was between $3.15 and $3.44.
For the bottom 25% of games in the adventure genre, it was quite low – between $0.8 and $0.91.
Adventure Mobile Games ARPDAU Statistics
The Average Revenue Per Daily Active User or ARPDAU gives you an insight into the average value of each of your players.
Just like ARPPU, ARPDAU is dropping by 1 cent on average for most genres. Once again, mid-core genres (strategy and role-playing) take the lead with ARPDAU of up to $0.30.
Average revenue per daily active user for the top 2% of adventure games was between $0.53 and $0.82 in 2020.
It’s significantly lower for the top 25% of games – between $0.05 and $0.07.
For the median 50% of adventure games, it’s even lower, ranging from $0.007 to $0.011.
The bottom 25% of games in the adventure genre barely earn anything per daily active user. For those games, ARPDAU was between $0.001 and $0.002.
Adventure Mobile Games Conversion Rate Statistics
Conversion rate refers to the number of users who make a purchase and it is measured on a daily basis.
This metric has also experienced a drop for most genres due to the rise of in-game ads. An average mobile game converts about 0.3% of players, while top games convert 2 or 3 times more than that.
In 2020, the top 2% of adventure games converted between 3.72% and 5.86% of users.
For the top 25% of games in this genre, conversion rates were between 0.90% and 0.98%, remaining quite steady throughout the year.
The median 50% of adventure games converted between 0.41% and 0.46% of players.
For the bottom 25% of adventure games, conversion rates were very low. They peaked in January (0.22%). Then we see a steady decline as months went on, falling to 0.16% in the last three months of 2020.
The key to increasing in-game purchases is to have dynamic in-game offers and explain to players how a certain purchase can help them in the game.
Adventure Mobile Game CPIs in Tier 1 Countries
Final Thoughts on Adventure Mobile Game Marketing
Now we want to hear from you!
What are your thoughts on adventure mobile game marketing? What do you find the most challenging?
Let us know in the comments below!
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