Brutally Honest #146
Hey, FAM! Whatโs up?
๐ฅ Drink talk
Gamesforum last year was a blast in both Barcelona and Hamburg. It’s a Must-go conference every year for UA & Monetization people! You should definitely go to Barcelona next month. This is why:
- The quality of content is insanely good
- networking with the best of the best
- business opportunities
- side events
- it’s Barcelona!
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๐ฆฉTip of the week
I have been thinking about the role of UA and how it is evolving nowadays. A Senior User Acquisition (UA) Manager in the games industry typically combines deep analytical capabilities with strategic marketing and leadership skills. They are responsible for planning, executing, and optimizing campaigns to drive high-quality players into a game at scale. Below are some of the core skills and competencies that are commonly expected of a senior UA manager:
1. Performance Marketing Expertise
- Ad Platform Proficiency In-depth knowledge of major advertising networks (Facebook, Google, TikTok, Unity Ads, AppLovin, etc.) and how to optimize for each platformโs specific audience, format, and bidding structure.
- Campaign Optimization Ability to run and iterate on campaigns daily, including bidding adjustments, targeting refinements, and creative rotations based on performance metrics.
- A/B & Multivariate Testing Designing, implementing, and analyzing experiments (e.g., new creatives, landing pages, geos, user segments) to improve conversion rates.
2. Data Analysis & Reporting
- Analytical Mindset Skilled at interpreting user data, engagement metrics, and key performance indicators (KPIs) such as CPI, ROAS, LTV, retention, and funnel conversion.
- Cohort Analysis & LTV Projections Ability to break down user behavior by cohort and forecast their potential lifetime value to ensure campaigns are profitable over the long term.
- Attribution & Tracking Tools Familiarity with mobile measurement partners (MMPs) like AppsFlyer, Adjust, or Singular; comfortable setting up event tracking and ensuring accurate attribution.
- Dashboarding & Reporting Proficiency in Excel, BI tools (Tableau, Looker, Power BI), or internal reporting platforms to convey insights clearly to stakeholders.
3. Strategic Planning & Budget Management
- Goal Setting & Prioritization Working with leadership to define user acquisition goals (e.g., target cost per install (CPI), cost per paying user, retention metrics) and prioritize channels and tactics.
- Resource Allocation Effective planning and distribution of multimillion-dollar budgets across geographies, channels, and creatives to maximize return on ad spend (ROAS).
- Market & Competitive Research Keeping a pulse on industry trends, competitor strategies, and emerging ad platforms to stay ahead of the curve.
4. Creative & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Creative Collaboration Partnering with designers, artists, and copywriters to brainstorm and test multiple creative variations (videos, banners, interactive ads) that resonate with target audiences.
- Creative production
How to decrease CPIs by 40% & find 3+ winners in 1h of creative production?
This is what you get in this AI UGC video guide:
- ASO & Marketing Funnel Alignment Collaborating with product marketing teams on App Store Optimization (ASO) and ensuring that messaging in ads aligns with the store listings and user onboarding.
- Stakeholder Management Communicating UA results, challenges, and strategic shifts to product teams, executive leadership, and other non-marketing stakeholders.
5. Leadership & Team Management
- Mentorship & Coaching Leading and mentoring junior UA managers, analysts, or other team members, providing guidance on best practices and career development.
- Cross-Department Coordination Coordinating with product, analytics, data science, and finance teams to align product roadmaps, budgets, and performance goals.
- Vendor & Partner Relationships Negotiating with ad tech vendors, agencies, and platform representatives to secure better deals, early access to beta features, or dedicated support.
6. Technical Familiarity
- Mobile Game Ecosystem Deep understanding of free-to-play (F2P) mechanics, monetization models (IAP, ads, subscriptions), and user behaviors.
- Analytics & Event Tracking Capable of defining in-game events (tutorial completion, level-ups, in-app purchases) to measure and drive player engagement.
- Scripting & Automation (Nice to Have) Some UA managers benefit from basic SQL or Python skills to automate data pulls or custom analyses.
7. Play (love) games
- You need to play games and ideally love gaming. It’s really important!
Why These Skills Matter
A Senior UA Manager in the gaming industry is expected to drive both short-term and long-term results: maximizing installs and revenue while ensuring sustainability and profitability of marketing efforts. Their combination of data-driven analysis, creative collaboration, and strategic thinking is critical for todayโs highly competitive and fast-paced mobile gaming market.
UA managers are not just media buyers anymoreโthey are integral players in shaping a gameโs growth strategy, balancing the art of compelling creative with the science of data optimization to attract and retain valuable users.
๐ Cornelius: The Suspicious Investi-gator
True detective-like exploration of creative trends and historical influences. Delving deep into the world of creatives to uncover hidden patterns and inspirations:
The journey of Hero Wars (Nexters), alongside games like Evony and Angry Birds Dream Blast (Rovio), highlights the transformative impact of innovative UA strategies & gameplay mechanics on the mobile gaming industry. All of these games, each in their unique way, have contributed to reshaping how developers think about UA & creatives by leveraging “pull-the-pin” puzzles, creative ad strategies, and emotionally engaging narratives, they didnโt just adapt to industry trendsโthey created them. ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐, ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฟ๐.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐๐น๐น-๐ง๐ต๐ฒ-๐ฃ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: From Hero Wars to Evony
Hero Wars popularized the “pull-the-pin” mechanic as a tool for capturing user interest. The ads depicted engaging scenarios where players had to solve puzzles to guide heroes through treacherous traps, even though the core gameplay was more RPG-focused. This mechanic became synonymous with creative ads that blended curiosity, problem-solving, and a near-death experience, resulting in a ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ต. Both Hero Wars & Evony. Playrix saw the same thing after implementing Pull The Pin in 2019. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ด๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐.
Lily’s garden (Tactile) added pull the pin into the mix after the sadvertising “fiasco” in 2023. Here we are with also Angry Birds Dream Blast, blend of the IP and pull the pin. See? You can actally do that. Taking notes, King?
Puzzle-solving elements showcased in ads had to be incorporated in the onboarding experience. This created a seamless connection between the advertised gameplay and the actual game, addressing the criticism of “fake ads” while maintaining the emotional and intellectual appeal that made the ads so successful. ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ.
By implementing pull-the-pin mechanics and crafting emotionally charged creatives, these games made mobile gaming more accessible to casual audiences, offering a low barrier to entry while drawing players into more complex game loops. ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐บ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐บ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ. This is why runner gates mechanic is also working well.
While critics often highlight the deceptive nature of “fake ads,” the adoption and evolution of pull-the-pin have had overwhelmingly positive effects on the gaming industry. ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒโ๐ ๐๐ต๐:
๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฃ๐๐, ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต: Pull-the-pin mechanics and creative ads like those used by Hero Wars and Evony lowered CPIs significantly, making mobile gaming accessible to a broader audience.
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Multiple Games borrowed and iterated on successful mechanics, proving that inspiration fuels innovation. Popcore even created a hypercasual Pull The Pin game based on this mechanic!
๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: These strategies didnโt just attract hardcore gamersโthey brought in casual players, significantly expanding the mobile gaming market. Pull-the-pin mechanics served as a low-stakes entry point, gradually introducing players to deeper game systems.
Critics may argue that these tactics blur the line between authenticity and deception, but the results speak for themselves: expanded audiences, higher engagement, and a mobile gaming industry thatโs more dynamic than ever. Ultimately, these games proved that creative risk-takingโwhether in ad strategies or gameplay designโleads to growth and innovation, paving the way for a more diverse and inclusive gaming ecosystem.
For UA managers and developers, the takeaway is clear: donโt just follow trendsโset them. Borrow from successful mechanics, iterate boldly, and create experiences that captivate your audience. Whether itโs a pull-the-pin puzzle or a bubble-popping mechanic, the secret lies in evoking the emotions that make players click, play, and stay.
Yours truly, Cornelius.
๐ Dr. Doom is not amused
One of my industry friends amused me with his direct and honest TL;DRs, so we agreed to share it here, too! My friend remains anonymous as Dr.Doom!
“Today some ground breaking news, water is wet, roses are red and violence in action based video games outsell all the narrative dialogue based crap. Companies will make games that will sell, not games that they want. Truly a carpet bombing of truth by Mr. No shit Sherlock today.” Sincerely, Doom (https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/fallout-co-creator-tim-cain-says-violence-will-be-the-default-in-aaa-rpgs-as-long-as-we-keep-buying-it-companies-dont-make-them-because-they-feel-like-it-they-make-them-because-they-sell/)
๐โ โHa-haโ moment
Because life is too short to be serious.
๐ฎ two & a half gamers – Inspector budget!
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด? Inspector Budget Reveals: UA Trends, Top Spenders & Market Secrets
Plus, we break down top spenders and their strategies in December. A month that never slows down. Or does it? ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ด๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐.
In our latest episode, we dive deep into the hottest topics in the gaming industry:
๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฐ๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฒ๐ โ Whatโs working, whatโs not, and where to focus next.
๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ โ New games that are climbing charts.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด โ Why itโs booming and how itโs changing the landscape.
๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ โ Navigating the madness of year-end competition.
If youโre a UA manager or game developer, this episode is your way to scaling smarter in 2025. Don’t just take our word for itโlisten, share, and take action today! ๐
๐บ Watch on Youtube
๐ง Listen on Spotify
๐พโ THE AI (R)EVOLUTION
The AI revolution is here, and itโs transforming the way we approach mobile games marketing.
From creating scroll-stopping ad creatives to optimizing user acquisition strategies, AI is the game-changer we canโt ignore.
๐ฟ Fun starts in two & a half gamers Slack! Join now
We are opening up a Slack channel for everybody. It is the most inclusive slack for the gaming industry. Female, male, non-binary, juniors, mid-level, seniors, vendors, developers = EVERYBODY! We are waiting for you โฅ๏ธ
Feel free to join here!
๐ก PS: The latest UA & marketing jobs for you prepared by Gamigion :
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