How to build great playable ads for casual games

Greg Castro, the VP of global partnerships at Mobvista, offers a guide to creating effective – and fun – playable ads for your casual games.

Casual games offer simple, accessible, and highly engaging experiences, but that doesn’t mean developing ad creatives for them is straightforward. With so many subcategories like puzzle, casino, and match games, a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work. Each genre comes with its own player expectations, mechanics, and creative best practices.

If you’re building your playable ads for a casual game, we’ve put together this guide to help. Our tips are built from category-specific insights into player behaviour and creative strategies, providing you with actionable advice to create great playable ads that capture player attention and drive installs.

Are playables a match for casual titles?

In short, yes! But before diving in, know that it’s vital to understand that the effectiveness of interactive ad formats can vary significantly across casual game subcategories.

Let’s look at Merge games. Though these titles are less reliant on playables, they show a similar pattern: when used, interactive ads deliver a 93% install share, driving the majority of downloads within their ad mix (76%). This reveals that even in categories with lower playable ad coverage, well-designed playables can drive substantial results when they align closely with gameplay incentives.

Colouring games are another strong match for interactive experiences. Simple mechanics and clear instructions make it a natural fit, and playables outperform standard video ads in day one retention by three percentage points, showing how straightforward gameplay translates well into quick demo-style experiences.

Across most casual game categories, playable ads consistently outperform video formats in ROI and registration rates. But success depends on alignment. If you’re unsure where to start, try A/B testing playables alongside video or banner ads to see which format best resonates with your audience and fits your broader campaign strategy.

How can you make better playables? 

Let’s cover some quick tips to build better ads.

Structure by category

Each casual game category has its own unique gameplay styles that influence how playable ads should be structured. For example, puzzle, match, and colouring game ads commonly feature slightly longer, multi-step playthroughs (with three to five steps) designed to give users a more complete gameplay loop.

The benefits of extended playthroughs

Users aren’t necessarily deterred by longer playable experiences. In fact, extended playables (those with five steps or more) can enhance user engagement by offering a more complete preview of the core gameplay loop. This added depth helps set clearer expectations and improves post-install satisfaction.

Longer formats also give users the freedom to explore at their own pace. Those who are less interested can exit early, while the more curious players may stay engaged. As a result, these creatives naturally filter for high-intent users who are more likely to convert and deliver stronger post-install performance.

Integrate narrative design

Adding short storylines is another creative idea to keep users engaged. Many top-performing creatives use narrative elements or emotional hooks to pique user curiosity and encourage them to continue interacting just to see what happens next.

Use feedback to reinforce actions

Rewarding feedback through special effects is a proven way to elevate the user experience. Visually rich animations and sound effects make each action feel more impactful. Puzzle and match games often include feedback cues after key actions, such as sparkling particles or celebratory sounds after a successful elimination.

How often should you update playable ad creatives?

On average, global advertisers launch new interactive ad creatives for most casual games approximately every 50 days, introducing more than one new creative per update cycle on average. To stay competitive and avoid creative fatigue, it’s best to match or exceed the update frequency of top-performing regions and categories.

The variation becomes even more pronounced when we zoom in on casual game categories. Creative lifecycles can range from as short as 38 days to 48 days, depending on the game type. The number of creatives launched per cycle increases versus the regional average, with Solitaire featuring the most new creatives per update (1.6).

• Time period: Creatives were analysed over 31 days.
• Update frequency (days/creative): The average time interval between creative updates under the same offer.
• Extreme: Outliers with time intervals greater than 180 days.

Turning insights into actions

It’s exciting to see so many casual game developers adopting playable ads. However, the data shows that what works for one subcategory may not work for another. Before rushing to switch your ad strategy, take the time to do thorough research specific to your game’s category to determine if playable ads are the right fit.

If you decide to move forward, be sure you’re working with the right partner to build tailored, high-performing creatives that align with your campaign objectives. Playturbo by Mobvista simplifies the ad creative process by offering ad creator tools for creative testing, optimisation, and localisation. With these features, advertisers can make data-driven decisions, fine-tune campaigns, and maximise performance, ensuring every ad delivers the best possible result.

Best practice spotlight: Magic Jigsaw Puzzles by ZiMAD

Magic Jigsaw Puzzles, a popular casual title from ZiMAD, is a great example of how playable ad experiences can boost performance. With the goal of improving UA efficiency and ROI, Playturbo by Mobvista helped ZiMAD implement a dual-track creative strategy targeting both casual and core puzzle players, ensuring that their ads appealed to both types of gamers.

For casual players, the team designed simple, intuitive interactive experiences that highlighted fun, low-friction gameplay. For more dedicated puzzlers, ZiMAD’s ad creatives featured richer mechanics and greater complexity to appeal to their preference for challenge.

This segmented approach proved highly effective, driving a 206% increase in installs and a 35% uplift in Install Value Rate (IVR). Our combined approach demonstrates how adapting ad design to different player bases can significantly improve campaign results and ensure different types of players engage with playable ads.