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Case 31 of 33 · Development / Performance marketing

Playable ad for a casual game: install rate +73%, CPI −38%

Static creatives in TikTok and FB Ads burned out in 3-5 days. Built an interactive playable ad — an HTML5 mini-level with 5-10 seconds of real gameplay. The player tries the game before installing, and more of them go on to pay.

Industry
Casual mobile game (under NDA)
Stack
HTML5 · Cocos2d-js · Playable SDK
Timeline
~2-3 weeks
Outcome
CPI −38% · install +73%
Pain Point

Static creatives burned out in 3-5 days. Every new campaign was more expensive than the last.

The studio launched a casual game via TikTok Ads / FB Ads / IronSource. The first days the campaign went well — cost per install (CPI) $1.85, install rate 2.1%. But after 3-5 days the creatives burned out: CTR dropped 2×, CPI rose to $3+, the campaign had to be paused while new static banners were assembled.

Additional problem: install quality was low. The user saw a static screenshot of the game → installed → played 30 seconds → uninstalled. Install → paid user conversion didn't exceed 0.8%. The performance-marketing team wanted to try playable ads, but the studio had no web developer with HTML5 game-canvas experience.

Solution

Interactive HTML5 mini-level packaged for all 5 ad networks

  • Cocos2d-js mini-game on HTML5 Canvas — exact replica of the game's first level with 5-10 seconds of gameplay and real mechanics
  • Adaptation for 5 ad networks — FB Playable SDK, TikTok Ads, IronSource, AppLovin, Unity Ads (each with its own API for the "Install" CTA + tracking)
  • A/B variations — 3 different opening hooks in the first second, 3 win-state scenarios, 2 difficulty levels → 18 unique playable ads from one codebase
  • Install after the first action — the user plays 3-5 sec, taps "Tap" / "Swipe" → install button appears. Engaged users become paid users at 4× higher rate
  • Webpack + Terser optimization — final bundle < 5MB (ad platform requirement) with inline assets, no external requests
Stack

What's under the hood

HTML5 Canvas + WebGL
graphics and animations
Cocos2d-js / Phaser 3
game engine
FB Playable SDK
FB / Instagram Playable Ads
TikTok Audience Network SDK
TikTok Playable
IronSource / AppLovin SDK
ad mediation networks
Webpack + Terser
bundling + minification
GSAP / Lottie
complex animations
TypeScript + Vite
modern build pipeline
Results

Numbers vs static creatives

Install rate (CTR ad → install)
2.1% 3.6%
+73%
CPI (cost per install)
$1.85 $1.14
−38%
CTR (impression → click)
0.42% 1.51%
+260%
D1 retention in the game
33% 45%
+12 pp

Over a month we built 8 unique playable variations for 5 ad networks. Each is a self-contained bundle under 5 MB, ready to upload to Ads Manager within 24 hours of the brief.

Where it fits

Who else benefits from the same methodology

  • Mobile games (iOS / Android) — lower CPI and higher-quality installs in performance campaigns
  • EdTech apps — interactive lesson demo instead of video promo: install→completion grows 2-3×
  • FinTech and apps where the experience sells — a playable ad shows "how easy it is to transfer money or open a card" instead of screenshots
  • E-commerce — a "build your set" playable ad or quiz before install or purchase
  • Landing pages with an interactive block instead of a static hero — higher engagement and conversion
Similar challenge in your project?

From brief to a test playable ad in Ads Manager — 5-7 working days. Pricing from ₽350,000 per variation, from ₽900,000 for a series of 8+ across 5 networks.

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