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Most mobile games die at launch — not because the game is bad, but because the ad setup is wrong.
Here's the monetization structure I use across 800+ Unity projects:
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❌ What kills games:
Forcing an interstitial ad the moment a player opens the app.
Or worse — mid-level.
You lose them in the first 3 minutes and never get them back.
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✅ The setup that actually works:
Interstitials → only after level completion
Not during. Not at launch. After. The player already feels like they won something.
Rewarded video → opt-in on the loss screen
"Watch to continue" converts 3–5x better than any forced ad placement.
The player chooses to watch. That changes everything.
Banners → menus only
Never during gameplay. The player's attention is on the game — don't compete with it.
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Real example:
On our Jigsaw Puzzle Game, we placed rewarded ads as hints.
Player is stuck → watches a 30-second ad → gets a hint.
Result: higher eCPM AND better retention.
When ads feel helpful instead of punishing, players don't hate them.
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The bigger lesson:
Monetization shouldn't be an afterthought you bolt on before launch.
It goes into the GDD on day one — right next to core loop and level design.
Because how you make money changes how you design the game.
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If you're building a mobile game right now, what's your current ad setup?
Drop it in the comments — happy to give a quick audit.
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Well done!
I made three static ad concepts for @mercury
Which one would you pick?
the second one hits for me
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It’s for Blockworks, a hub for Roblox builders, so watching their clips should feel like you’re part of the game world. The buttons press like a controller, pausing opens a game menu, you earn trophies for finding the controls, and the progress bar is a snake that blinks, flicks its tongue and turns to look at you.
It has a dedicated design for both desktop and mobile view, and it still does everything a normal video player does: play, seek, volume, speed, quality, captions, picture-in-picture and full screen. It even works with a keyboard alone.
Try it: blockworks-pi.vercel.app
My entry for the #VideojsSkinsChallenge
the snake progress bar that turns to look at you is unhinged in the BEST way