Playable Ads Trends in Mobile Games & Apps - July 2025 – Matej Lancaric: User Acquisition Expert to Grow Mobile Games Globally 🦄🕺

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Matej Lančarič

UA Mobile Growth Extraordinaire ·

Helping you stay 2.5 steps ahead of the games industry. Don't be too serious, except about UA.
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As the UA landscape evolves, so do the creative trends that shape how games communicate with their audiences. With the rise of Applovin and increased spend on SDK networks, I’ve decided to bring you a monthly trends review of top-performing playable ads across different genres.

For those that read only summaries, here are playable trends July in a nutshell:

Video Playables are here and here to stay (+example+playable blog), priklad
- Video playables combine video content with a persistent CTA, making it easy for users to act anytime during the ad. This format builds urgency, simplifies the user journey, and highlights app benefits effectively. It’s a great starting point for those new to playables, offering a low-effort way to boost conversions and tap into an additional creative channel.
Resource management and Base-building simulation – is it still catchy?
- These playables remain highly engaging, offering the addictive satisfaction of collecting, upgrading, and keeping users active throughout.
- However, while the core mechanics are still captivating, the genre’s future depends on innovation. To remain relevant, creatives and UA managers must introduce fresh ideas, unique twists or enhanced visuals to keep players intrigued and excited with these ads in the future.
Interactive End Cards claiming its spot
- Combine looping videos or images with a CTA, offering a simple, engaging, and effective ad format. They are easy to create, require minimal creative assets and outperform static images by keeping users visually engaged. Use AI and make tons of new combinations easily.
DC: Dark Legion go ALL IN on playables
- Last month we saw Funplus utilizing all kinds of playable ads using popular mechanics like point and click, upgrade buildings, progression playable ads, unlocking characters, interactive options, choosing an object, fail playables and more!
Playable Ad That Made Me Install a Game This Month
- This month’s standout ad is “That’s My Seat” by Rooftop Game, an excellent example of a playable done right. The ad’s mechanics perfectly match the actual gameplay, creating a seamless experience that builds trust and engages players.

Video Playables Are Here to Stay

The world of match-3 playables seems to have hit peak anxiety. Everywhere I look – whether it’s Royal KinVideo playables are an increasingly popular format that combines video content with a persistent call-to-action (CTA) button displayed throughout the ad. This format simplifies the user journey by allowing users to act at any moment, whether at the start, middle, or end of the video. It’s particularly effective for campaigns focused on driving immediate conversions.

The persistent CTA keeps action top of mind, building urgency while reducing friction for users. At the same time, the video content captures attention and highlights key app benefits, creating a seamless and engaging ad experience. This format works especially well for audiences who make quick decisions about whether to download.

For those hesitant to dive into playables or unsure where to start, video playables are an accessible entry point. A simple video bundled in HTML with a CTA is all it takes to begin. By not leveraging this format, you’re potentially missing out on a low-effort yet effective channel to reach your audience and boost conversions. You can create these playables even with free tools.

DC: Dark Legion Goes All In on Playables

In July, FunPlus leaned heavily on playable ads for DC: Dark Legion, showcasing a wide range of mechanics to drive user engagement. Their strategy included point-and-click gameplay, building upgrades, progression-based playables, character unlocking, and object selection. They also made use of fail playables, where players see the consequences of wrong decisions, adding a mix of humor and curiosity to the experience.

Interactive options were another key feature, allowing users to make choices that influenced the outcome, a tactic that continues to prove effective for retention. The combination of these mechanics created ads that felt more like mini-games, giving users a clear taste of the gameplay experience before installation.

This multi-format approach is a great source of inspiration for anyone working on playable ads. Experimenting with different gameplay types and mechanics not only broadens the appeal of your ads but also helps identify what resonates best with your audience. By diversifying your playables, you can keep your content engaging, avoid creative fatigue, and potentially improve conversion rates. FunPlus’s example highlights the importance of testing and iterating to find the right mix that works for your product. Don’t be afraid to start utilizing this strategy as well:

Core gameplay playables
Video playables
End cards
Experiment with Fail/Win playables
Try non-core game related playables

A common feature in FunPlus’s playables is the use of long, multiple-tap interactions, which don’t necessarily showcase core gameplay mechanics but keep users engaged for a longer duration. These extended interactions encourage users to stay immersed in the ad, increasing the time spent with the content. This approach can create a sense of investment, making users more likely to install the game. By keeping players actively engaged, long playables help raise install rates, even if the mechanics are simplified or unrelated to the actual game.

Interactive End Cards Are Claiming Their Spot

Interactive End Cards, combining video or image loops with a CTA, are becoming a preferred format in mobile ad campaigns. Their simplicity and effectiveness make them a solid option, offering users a clear and continuous call-to-action while keeping them visually engaged with looping media. This endless loop ensures the content remains fresh, capturing attention longer than a static image.

One of the biggest advantages of this format is how easy it is to create and use. With minimal creative assets required, advertisers can quickly produce and launch campaigns without significant resources. The simplicity of the format also makes it highly intuitive for users, removing friction and encouraging action immediately. Use AA to generate multiple versions of background and buttons and you have 10+ versions of same playable in minutes.

Interactive End Cards are particularly effective when paired with video campaigns. By following the main video ad with a looping end card, advertisers can reinforce their message and provide an additional nudge for users to engage. This combination creates a seamless flow from attention-grabbing video content to a clear, actionable CTA.

On AppLovin in July, 10% of playables utilized this format, demonstrating its growing adoption and success. The versatility of Interactive End Cards allows for endless creative possibilities, making it an ideal format to experiment with different visuals and A/B test CTAs. This iterative approach ensures campaigns can be optimized for maximum engagement and conversion rates.

Resource management and Base-building simulation – is it still catchy?

The resource management and base-building simulation genre has seen a resurgence, with Kingshot leading the way in mastering this playable format. This genre is experiencing a revival, offering engaging playables that keep users entertained and committed from start to finish. The consistent satisfaction of collecting resources and upgrading structures continues to captivate players.

There’s something inherently addictive about this type of gameplay – it taps into the desire to play, collect, and upgrade, making it a natural fit for mobile playables. Its ability to keep users active and engaged throughout ensures strong performance and retention.

However, the question remains: is there anything new to this genre? While its core mechanics are tried and tested, the challenge lies in innovating and evolving the format. For the genre to stay relevant, developers will need to explore fresh ideas, unique mechanics, or enhanced visuals to keep players intrigued.

The evolution of resource management and base-building playables is crucial to sustaining their appeal. Whether through creative twists or entirely new gameplay elements, the future of this genre depends on its ability to surprise and delight players in fresh and exciting ways.

Playable Ad That Made Me Install a Game This Month

Every month, I come across hundreds of playable ads while I play other games. But only from time to time the ad/playable is so good that it makes me install the game as a completely natural process. This month’s winner?

“That’s My Seat” by Rooftop Game stands out as a perfect example of a playable ad done right. The mechanics showcased in the ad match the gameplay 1:1, ensuring a seamless transition from advertisement to the actual game. This alignment builds trust and keeps players engaged beyond the ad itself.

The simplicity of the mechanics makes the game easy to understand, while its intriguing challenges encourage players to keep going. Add to this the emoji-like graphics, which are visually appealing and instantly grab attention, and you have a winning formula for a playable ad.

This ad proves that clear, engaging design paired with honest representation of gameplay is the key to driving installs and keeping players hooked. Logic questions easy enough to understand and find a solution. More of this please!

Data from PlayableMaker – whats being created?

Our friends at PlayableMaker have shared their latest data and insights for July 2025, revealing trends in templates, game mechanics, and ad network usage. Here’s a quick summary:

Top Templates for July 2025

Dark Alley: Dark and horror genres utilize the fact that they push for your fear
Game Tutorial : Most of the game have tutorials, so why not make your tutorial a playable ad?
Chatbot: With the growth of AI bots and applications, this template is tailored for user inputs.

Game Mechanics Trends

Word Game (29%): Still a fan favorite, will be a trend for summer long days, and we see it already in the usage.
Find the Character (19%): Growing its popularity for its easy to understand mechanic and fit for almost any game genre
Merge2 (17%): Merge mechanics are still trending, delivering a rewarding sense of progress and completion.