ARPU by Game Genre: Structural Differences in Monetization and How to Optimize Global UA

ARPU fluctuates not simply because user characteristics differ by genre, but because each genre combines five structural elements differently: game design architecture, monetization entry barriers, session depth, ad exposure potential, and LTV cycles.
In global markets, what matters most is not “which genre performs well in which country,” but rather how the underlying monetization structure of each genre should reshape UA strategy.

Without understanding genre-specific monetization characteristics, relying solely on CPI or ROAS to design UA can easily lead to higher spending without achieving profitability.

Casual & Hyper-Casual ARPU: Low ARPU but Fast Payback Cycles

Casual and hyper-casual games offer extremely low friction for new users and straightforward play mechanics, enabling them to reach a broad global audience. Their ARPU is low not merely because they have few monetization elements, but also due to ad-driven revenue models and short session lengths.

Short sessions limit the total number of ad impressions, and weak retention reduces long-term revenue contribution. However, this also means LTV is realized very quickly, which enables UA strategies focused on scaling aggressively.

These genres typically have the lowest CPI, high CTR, and strong install conversion, supporting global scalability. To increase ARPU, the focus should be on maximizing user volume and ad exposure—not forcing deeper sessions or heavier retention loops.

Additional points:

• Low-ARPU genres create performance through scale.

• ROAS should be evaluated on Day 7, rather than relying on long-term value assumptions.

• Playtime-based reward networks can increase session depth even in casual games, naturally enhancing ad revenue.

Puzzle & Simulation ARPU: Engagement-Driven Growth Structure

Puzzle and simulation genres are structurally more complex than casual games, featuring repeated sessions, staged progression, and meta layers that extend overall playtime. This naturally creates a hybrid ad + IAP revenue model and delivers stable monetization patterns.

Higher retention makes these genres suitable for LTV-driven UA strategies.

Puzzle games show strong purchase conversion among specific user cohorts, while simulation games tend to exhibit steadily increasing long-term ARPU due to persistent growth mechanics.

These genres exemplify engagement-driven ARPU, where higher play frequency and longer sessions directly increase ad impressions, purchase triggers, and meta progression.

Additional points:

• Improving early onboarding and strengthening the repeat play loop is essential to raising ARPU.

• Session-duration improvements are especially effective in playtime-based reward environments.

• Compared to country-level purchasing power, user behavior–based segmentation has a greater impact on ARPU.

Midcore & RPG ARPU: High-Value Structures Driven by User Quality

Midcore and RPG genres are classic high-ARPU categories, as their monetization relies heavily on IAP. ARPU is influenced by early purchase conversion, growth speed, and competitive systems.
Top-spending users contribute a disproportionate share of total revenue, making their behavior critical to overall ARPU.

While CPI is higher than in casual genres, these titles benefit from long LTV and strong Day-30/Day-60 retention. When high-quality users are acquired, long-term ROAS becomes highly stable.
Because CPI is high, user quality at the point of acquisition becomes the most important variable. Users who casually join through ads without strong intent generate very little ARPU, while high-intent players produce exponentially greater value.

Additional points:

• In high-ARPU genres, media selection often impacts performance more than creative testing.

• Early (Day 1–3) session-length data is highly predictive of ARPU outcomes.

• Playtime-based reward platforms accelerate early growth and help users reach core purchase triggers more quickly, significantly improving ARPU.

Strategy · 4X · MMO ARPU: The Peak of Long-Term LTV Structures

Strategy, 4X, and MMO titles have the highest ARPU and the longest monetization cycles among all genres.
Long-term progression, competitive pressure, and cooperative systems combine to generate extremely extended LTV curves.

Competition among players is the primary driver of spending. Bundled purchases and repeatable growth systems continuously push ARPU upward.
In these genres, country-level purchasing power becomes a major factor. Engagement depth, session behavior, and community activity translate directly into monetization.
Guild/alliance systems naturally reinforce retention and create strong spending pressure.
CPI is high, but LTV is long enough to absorb UA costs and ultimately deliver the strongest profitability.

Additional points:

• The first 10-day session pattern after onboarding is highly predictive of ARPU.

• Playtime-based reward platforms accelerate early progression and increase community integration, resulting in significant ARPU uplift.

• High-intent user acquisition matters more than country-by-country targeting.

ARPU Structure × UA Strategy: Matching Genres to the Right Channels

While ARPU across all genres is fundamentally determined by how long and how deeply users engage, differences in monetization structure require different UA strategies.

Examples:

• Low-ARPU genres (Casual) → Mass acquisition & global reach

• Mid-ARPU genres (Puzzle/Simulation) → Engagement- and session-focused UA channels

• High-ARPU genres (RPG/Strategy) → Channels capable of delivering high-intent, high-quality users

Playtime-based reward platforms strengthen ARPU triggers—session depth, user intent, long-term engagement—across all genres, and significantly improve long-term LTV, with varying impact depending on the genre.

Structural Reasons Playtime-Based Reward UA Increases ARPU

1. Increased Session Time → More Ad/Purchase Exposure

Longer playtime increases the number of ad impressions and speeds up users' progression toward purchase triggers, raising ARPU across all genres.

2. Higher Retention → Stronger Long-Term LTV

Reward-driven engagement structures strongly encourage users to return, dramatically strengthening LTV. Puzzle, RPG, and strategy genres show especially strong LTV uplift from these systems.

3. User-Quality Filtering → Higher-Intent Players Only

Playtime-based reward systems naturally filter out “reward-only” users who enter just to claim a benefit and leave immediately.

Since rewards require meaningful playtime, only users with genuine interest and high intent remain, significantly raising overall user quality.

Strategic Summary: ARPU by Game Genre

• ARPU is determined by genre-specific monetization structures (ad/IAP mix, session design, retention).

• Casual relies on scale, puzzle/simulation relies on engagement depth, and RPG/strategy relies on user quality.

• Playtime-based reward platforms strengthen ARPU triggers across all genres, with the strongest effects in long-cycle LTV genres.

If you need support with US UA strategy, ARPU improvement by genre, or implementing playtime-based reward UA, contact [email protected].

Want more insights like this? Download our latest Global Game Advertising Trends Report.

Within 7 Days of Installation, Churn Is Already Decided
Can an ad drive revenue, engagement, and brand impact—all at once?
Keep Players Engaged: Retention with Non-Intrusive Ad Strategies

E-mail: [email protected]