Mid-core games cost more than double to advertise compared to casual games, and yet, studios can’t stop making them.
Why? Because mid-core games mean longer retention, higher LTV, and loyal players.
If you’re running UA for a mid-core game in 2025, you’re already fighting an uphill battle.
So, how do you optimize user acquisition when CPIs keep rising?
In this guide, we’ll break down the latest 2025 data on CPI, ROAS, and LTV, and show you the UA strategies top mid-core games are using to outsmart rising costs.
What Is a Mid-Core Game?
If casual games are short and easy, and hardcore games are highly complex, mid-core games fall in between.
When we talk about a mid-core game, we refer to a game that is more engaging and strategic than a casual game, but still more accessible than a hardcore game.
Mid-core games usually require a moderate time investment (average sessions may vary from 10 to 30 minutes) and deeper mechanics than casual games, such as strategic thinking, resource management, PvP battles, and so on.
Categories of mid-core games are:
- RPG
- Simulation
- Strategy
- Action
- Shooter
- Racing
- Sport games
- Adventure
Casual vs Mid-core vs Hardcore
| Feature | Casual Games | Mid-core Games | Hardcore Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Commitment | 1-5 minutes per session | 10-30 minutes per session | 1+ hour per session |
| Complexity | Very simple mechanics | Moderate depth (progression, tactics, PvP, teamplay) | High complexity (advanced skills, meta-game) |
| Accessibility | Very high (anyone can pick up and play) | Moderate (needs onboarding, some game knowledge) | Low (requires prior experience or dedication) |
| Common Genres | Match-3, endless runners, puzzles | Battle royale, MOBA, gacha RPG, strategy | Tactical FPS, MMOs, MOBAs (PC/console) |
| Monetization | Light IAP or ads | Balanced: IAP, ads, battle passes, gacha | Heavy IAP or subscriptions |
| Target Audience | Broad, general public | Gamers with time but not full commitment | Hardcore gamers |
| Examples | Candy Crush, Subway Surfers, 2048 | Clash Royale, Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile, Whiteout Survival | League of Legends, Escape from Tarkov, Dota 2 |
Mid-Core Games UA Strategy: Latest Data
Before diving into the best practices for mid-core games UA strategy, let’s take a look at some useful data.
Mid-Core Games CPI
According to Liftoff’s report on mid-core games, the average CPI for mid-core games is $2.03, which is more than double the CPI of casual games ($0.98).
This is because mid-core games require a higher time investment, and not everyone is a suitable player.
More specifically, CPI for mid-core games is significantly higher on iOS than Android:
- iOS: $3.86
- Android: $0.73
This gap is no surprise.
iOS CPIs are almost always higher than Android CPIs across all app categories.
This is because of a few reasons:
- iOS users tend to spend more money on IAPs, so advertisers are willing to pay more to reach them.
- iOS dominates in richer markets like North America and Western Europe, where competition among advertisers drives up prices.
- Apple’s stricter privacy policies, such as App Tracking Transparency (ATT), have made targeting iOS users more complex and costly.
Mid-Core Games ROAS
Looking at D7 ROAS, casual games seem to perform better than mid-core games.
- Casual games: around 7%
- Mid-core games: around 4.3%
This makes sense when you consider how these games make money.
Casual games usually rely on ads and quick in-app purchases. Their players tend to engage in short, frequent sessions, making it easier to serve ads and drive early monetization.
On the other hand, mid-core games focus more on long-term engagement and in-app purchases over time, so it takes longer to see a return. Players spend more time in the game over a longer period, and monetization is often tied to in-app purchases rather than ads.
Because of this, D7 ROAS doesn’t tell the whole story for mid-core games. Metrics like LTV are just as important to understand how profitable these games are in the long run.
Mid-Core Games LTV
In fact, if we look at LTV, mid-core games show rates that are 2 to 3 times higher than casual.
- Casual games: $1.80 – $2.50
- Mid-core games: $4 – $6
In short, mid-core games aim at returning on their investment in the long run, rather than in shorter periods.
Mid-Core Games: User Acquisition Strategies
The first thing we need to understand is: who are the ideal players of mid-core games?
While casual games appeal to occasional gamers, mid-core games have a different target audience.
Mid-core gamers are mostly adults in their late 20s to mid-40s, often former hardcore players who no longer have as much free time.
They still want games that are deep, strategic, and tell a good story, but they also need something that fits into their busy lives. What they’re after is balance: games that are challenging and engaging, but not overwhelming or too time-consuming.
When developing your UA strategy, you should take this into consideration.
Paid User Acquisition
You can put it as you want, but paid user acquisition is often essential to scale a mobile game’s audience.
The mobile gaming environment is highly competitive, and organic user acquisition will most likely not be enough.
Mid-core games need to cast a wide, targeted net to reach qualified players who will invest time and money in the game.
A common trend we see in the top mid-core games is diversifying the paid advertising channels.
Top games mainly use channels like Meta, Google, YouTube, TikTok, and in-game ad networks to maximize reach.
TikTok, especially, has emerged as a crucial UA channel for mid-core games targeting younger demographics.
A good example of this is EA Sports FC Mobile.
For its launch in the MENA region, EA ran a TikTok Branded Mission campaign encouraging users to create videos with a special in-app filter (mimicking the game’s player cards). This campaign generated 88.5 million video views and thousands of UGC videos, greatly amplifying reach.
Creative Optimization and Testing
When it comes to user acquisition strategies, creativity always gets the top spot.
And for a reason: being creative and thinking outside the box can lead to impressive results.
This is especially true with mid-core games. When CPI costs are higher, your creatives need to be optimized to get the most out of every click or view.
Top games are constantly testing new ad creatives, sometimes as many as thousands each quarter.
So, what are the top-performing creative strategies of mid-core games right now?
According to AppsFlyer’s latest report, The State of Creative Optimization, this is what mid-core games are doing:
- Creatives that focus on excitement get the most of the spending (55-60% of the budget). However, even if they show the highest IPM rate, they don’t maintain it over the long term. This is not ideal for mid-core games, which rely on long-term retention.
- Ad creatives that focus on community and competition represent only 8% of the total and are mainly used on social and search, but they show the highest D7 retention rate (24.5%).
When it comes to hooks, immediate gameplay is the most used one. However, on social and search, advertisers are experimenting with different types of hooks, like gameplay reviews, testimonials and reaction videos, which show promising results on retention.
This is a new trend that prioritizes community and high-quality players over quantity.
Partnerships and Influencer Marketing
Partnerships and influencer marketing are a cornerstone of UA for mobile games.
Partnering with popular streamers, YouTubers, and even mainstream celebrities helps tap into built-in audiences and lends social credibility.
Mid-core games do this as well.
For example, for its launch in Russia, Italy, France and the UK, Genshin Impact partnered with popular gaming influencers to promote the game.
Some of the top games even included mainstream celebrities in their campaigns.
Last War: Survival partnered with actor Antony Starr (famous as Homelander in The Boys) for a TikTok ad campaign, which leveraged the fact that the game looks just like the fake ads that circulate on the internet.
Why does this work?
It relies on a principle called social proof. Basically, we’re more likely to try something if the recommendation comes from someone similar to us or someone we trust. And celebrities and influencers are often perceived as trustworthy or reliable.
Lookalike Audiences and Retargeting
In mid-core games, where monetization relies on longer retention cycles, audience quality matters as much as quantity (sometimes even more).
That’s why using lookalike audiences and retargeting is essential for improving ROAS and LTV.
Lookalike audiences, especially on platforms like Meta and Google, allow UA managers to target their user acquisition efforts towards users who resemble their highest-value players.
Retargeting is as important, especially in a genre where players often explore games before committing. Effective mid-core retargeting strategies include:
- Cart abandonment-style push: Re-engaging users who installed but never progressed with the game.
- Win-back campaigns: Offering limited-time rewards or reminders to users who’ve been inactive for 3-7 days.
- Seasonal/event-based retargeting: Promoting in-game events, new heroes, or PvP tournaments to lapsed users.
Seasonal Events, Live Ops and Rewarded Mechanics
Once a game is live, periodic events and updates serve as mini UA campaigns.
Every major patch or season is an opportunity to run ads and re-engage users via push notifications and email.
Pokémon GO’s big annual Pokémon GO Fest and holiday events are heavily marketed beforehand, often in mainstream media and app store features, bringing in new and returning players each year.
At the same time, including rewarded mechanics can also improve user acquisition.
For example, an offerwall in-game lets players earn premium currency by installing and reaching a certain point in other games.
This is effectively a cross-promotion network: Game A’s players install Game B to get rewards in Game A, meaning Game B acquires a user at the cost of some currency.
Many mid-core games use this to attract budget-conscious players who might not spend cash but will spend time installing and playing another game. For UA managers, offerwalls can provide lower-cost acquisitions because the user’s incentive is covered by virtual goods.
What Does All This Mean for Your 2025 UA Strategy?
User acquisition for mid-core games isn’t easy, and it’s not cheap. But the long-term value makes it worth the challenge.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
Know exactly who your players are.
Not everyone will commit to a mid-core game, and that’s okay. Focus on the ones who will: those who enjoy strategy, competition, and progression.
Test constantly.
Your creative might work today and flop next week. Top games test hundreds, sometimes thousands, of variants every quarter. Don’t fall in love with a single concept.
Invest in what’s working.
If something’s performing, whether it’s a channel, creative format, or targeting tactic, double down. Take advantage of it before the window closes.
At the end of the day, mid-core UA is about finding quality, not just volume. It’s slower than casual, but deeper. And if you get it right, the payoff is real.
