If you’re finding it difficult to acquire more players for your simulation game, you’re not alone. This challenge is where simulation game marketing can make a real difference.
In this article, we’ll explore the growing simulation games market, provide effective user acquisition tips, and highlight the latest trends in ad creatives. Stick around for valuable insights that can help you get ahead!
Simulation Games Market Overview
What exactly are simulation mobile games?
They are interactive digital experiences that mimic real-world activities or systems. The popularity of these games stems from their ability to offer a sandbox where players can experiment, learn, or simply escape reality.
What’s great about the simulation games market is that it’s very diverse and has plenty of subgenres developers can explore and innovate on.
Subgenres of Simulation Games
- Vehicle Simulation Games: These let players take the wheel of cars, planes, or boats, often focusing on realism, not so much racing.
- Beauty Simulation Games: Players run virtual salons or makeup studios, offering a range of beauty services.
- Job Simulation Games: Here, players can try out various professions from firefighting to surgery, without real-world risks.
- Customer Service Simulation: These games mimic the experience of running customer-oriented businesses like cafes or retail shops.
- Tycoon Games: You manage an empire – could be a zoo, a hotel, or an entire city – with the goal of maximizing profits.
- Dating Sim: Players navigate romantic relationships through choice-based scenarios.
- Farming Simulation: Players cultivate crops and manage livestock, often in real time.
- Life Simulation: These games simulate day-to-day activities and milestones, from childhood to old age.
- Virtual Pet/Animal Simulation Games: Players take care of a virtual pet, focusing on its health, happiness, and training.
- City Building Simulation: Tasked with creating and managing a whole city, balancing resources and growth.
- Home Design: Focuses on interior or exterior design, allowing for creative expression.
- Kids Simulators: These are usually educational, teaching basic concepts like numbers or social interaction through play.
Market Performance
According to AppMagic, the revenue for simulation games peaked in May 2020 and June 2021, fueled by increased player spending during the pandemic. As of 2023, both revenue and downloads are declining.
However, this downward trend isn’t exclusive to simulation games; it’s impacting the mobile gaming market as a whole.
While the simulation game market has its share of dominating titles and publishers, there’s still room for newcomers to make a splash.
Intrigued?
Stay with us as we delve into a list of top simulation games in the next section.
Top Simulation Games in 2023
Starting with most downloaded simulation games, it’s clear that Outfit7 is doing something right when it comes to marketing and user acquisition. The top 5 most downloaded simulation games in 2023 so far are all Outfit7 games.
Top Simulation Games by Downloads
- My Talking Tom 2 by Outfit7
- My Talking Tom Friends by Outfit7
- My Talking Angela 2 by Outfit7
- My Talking Tom by Outfit7
- My Talking Angela by Outfit7
- Township by Playrix
- Pou by Zakeh
- Good Pizza, Great Pizza by TapBlaze
- Vehicle Mastery by SayGames
- Fashion Show: Make Up, Dress Up by Dress Up Games for Girls
Top Simulation Games by Revenue
- Township by Playrix
- Family Island by Melsoft Games
- Hay Day by Supercell
- Klondike Adventure by Vizor
- Family Farm Adventure by Century Games
- Design Home by Crowdstar
- Dragonscapes Adventure by Century Games
- Fishing Clash by Ten Square Games
- SimCity BuildIt by Electronic Arts
- My Singing Monsters by Big Blue Bubble
Simulation Games: Marketing Tips for Boosting User Acquisition
Looking to excel in simulation game marketing? The competition may be fierce, but the right marketing strategies can set your simulation game apart.
In this section, we’ll equip you with actionable tips tailored for boosting user acquisition in simulation games.
1. Understand Who’s Playing Simulation Games
The first step in successful simulation game marketing is knowing your audience. Understanding who’s playing your game is crucial for crafting a marketing strategy that not only attracts but retains users.
Simulation games have broad appeal, pulling in everyone from casual to mid-core gamers. This diverse audience means varied preferences and motivations, making it essential to consider multiple angles in your marketing approach.
What Motivates Players
- Escapism: Players often seek a break from the real world, relishing the chance to immerse themselves in a different setting.
- Self-Expression: Many find joy in building and creating, as well as tailoring their in-game worlds to reflect their unique style or ideals.
- Discovery: The allure of unlocking new levels, features, or storylines keeps players engaged and coming back for more.
- Relaxing and Passing Time: Simulation games can also serve as a low-stress environment for players looking to unwind or fill gaps in their day.
Understanding these motivations can significantly impact your user acquisition strategy.
For instance, motivation-based ad creatives can resonate more deeply with potential players. If you know that a segment of your audience seeks escapism, an ad focusing on the immersive aspects of your game could be highly effective.
2. Choose the Right Marketing Channels
The next key element in your simulation game marketing strategy is selecting the most effective channels for paid user acquisition.
This often involves advertising through ad networks, where your game’s ads get showcased on platforms like social media, other ad networks, and even within other games.
The Importance of Choosing the Right Ad Network
Your choice of ad network can make or break your user acquisition efforts. An ideal partner will not only maximize your reach but also target the audience most likely to stick around, offering a better return on investment.
Top Ad Networks for Retention
According to research by AppFlyer, the leading ad networks for acquiring mobile gamers with good retention rates are:
- Google Ads: Known for its extensive reach..
- Unity Ads: Popular among game developers for its integration ease and quality user base.
- ironSource: Offers a comprehensive growth solution for mobile games.
- Facebook (Meta): Provides detailed analytics and has a massive user base.
- Mintegral: Specializes in cross-promotion, focusing on high user engagement.
3. Focus on Ad Quantity and Quality
A well-rounded simulation game marketing strategy goes beyond just choosing the right channels; it’s also about striking the perfect balance between ad quantity and quality.
The Need for Numerous Ads
Running multiple ads allows you to A/B test different creatives and messaging, which can provide valuable insights into what resonates with your audience. It also increases the likelihood of your game being seen by a wider range of potential players.
Quality Matters
However, more ads don’t necessarily mean better results. The ads need to be high-quality to effectively reach and engage your target audience. They should align with players’ motivations and interests and follow current ad creative trends to maximize impact.
Outsourcing Creative Production
Given the challenges of maintaining both ad quantity and quality, it’s often beneficial to outsource creative production to an experienced marketing agency.
You might want to consider our agency, Udonis. With extensive experience in managing user acquisition campaigns specifically for mobile games and a portfolio that includes the creation of hundreds of game ads, we offer a level of expertise that can help you hit your user acquisition goals effectively.
4. Don’t Overlook Organic User Acquisition
While most of your marketing budget will likely go towards paid user acquisition, you can’t afford to ignore the organic side of things.
Here’s why.
The Power of App Store Optimization
When we talk about organic user acquisition, we’re primarily referring to app store optimization (ASO). A well-optimized app store page can give your conversion rates a significant boost, making it easier for players to find your game and decide to download it.
The Synergy with Paid Campaigns
Here’s a little extra incentive: a polished app store page isn’t just good for organic growth; it can also augment your paid user acquisition campaigns. When players click on one of your ads, they’re taken to your app store page. A compelling, well-designed page can be the final nudge they need to hit that install button.
5. Track Key KPIs
In a landscape that’s continually evolving, especially post-privacy changes, tracking the right key performance indicators (KPIs) is more important than ever. Accurate metrics allow you to adapt your simulation game marketing strategy in real time, optimizing for what truly matters.
KPIs You Should Be Watching
- CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): Measures the cost of acquiring a new player. This metric gives you a broader view of what you’re spending to gain new users.
- CPI (Cost Per Install): Tells you how much each new install of your game costs. This metric is crucial for understanding the immediate costs of your user acquisition campaign.
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): Encompasses all the costs associated with acquiring a new player, from advertising to any other costs related to marketing.
- Retention: Gauges how many players continue to use your game over time, a direct indicator of its stickiness and long-term viability. Click here to learn more about psychology behind user retention.
- Session Length: Measures the average time a player spends in a single session. The longer the session, the more engaged the player is.
- LTV (Lifetime Value): Estimates the total revenue a player will bring during their entire lifetime. It helps in long-term planning and assessing the effectiveness of your user acquisition methods.
- ARPPU/ARPDAU: These are revenue metrics that allow you to understand how much you’re earning per user or per active user daily.
- ROI and ROAS: These financial metrics help you evaluate the overall effectiveness of your user acquisition campaigns, telling you whether your investment is paying off or not.
Simulation Game Marketing: Ad Creative Trends & Examples
As you ramp up your user acquisition efforts, understanding the latest ad creative trends can give you a crucial edge. In this section, we’ll dive into the prevalent trends and examples that are setting the bar in the simulation game marketing landscape.
Keep reading to find out how you can leverage these insights for more effective ad campaigns.
Gameplay Video Ads
When it comes to capturing attention and driving downloads, gameplay video ads are among the top-performing formats in simulation game marketing.
Why?
They offer a window into the gaming experience itself, showcasing various features and gameplay elements that potential players can expect. This kind of transparency builds trust and peaks curiosity, increasing the likelihood that players will hit that “install” button.
For instance, one standout example is the ad for My Talking Angela 2 by Outfit7. This top-performing ad zeroes in on the virtual pet gameplay, giving viewers an engaging sneak peek into the game’s world.
By leveraging gameplay video ads, you can offer a tangible sense of what your game is all about, thus driving more effective user acquisition.
Customization
Another ad trend that’s hard to ignore is the focus on character customization. This approach resonates particularly well with games in the virtual pet and lifestyle simulation categories.
Why is it so effective?
Customization taps into a player’s desire for self-expression. When ads show that a game offers various ways to customize characters, from outfits to makeup, it triggers a sense of ownership and creative freedom, compelling players to explore what else the game has in store.
Take, for example, ads for Outfit7 games. These often showcase characters getting dressed up, applying makeup, and more, appealing directly to players motivated by self-expression.
Viral TikTok Audios
Leveraging viral TikTok audios in your ads is a strategy that’s gaining traction, especially for simulation game marketing campaigns.
Why does it work so well?
Viral audios are already embedded in popular culture, creating an immediate sense of recognition and engagement. When players hear a familiar tune accompanying gameplay footage, it not only captures attention but also generates an emotional connection, making the ad and by extension, the game more memorable.
A case in point is the ad for the game Nextbots in Backrooms: Sandbox, which features the song Makeba by Jain, a song that gained popularity on TikTok. This use of a trending audio element has contributed to the ad’s standout performance.
Fake Gameplay Fail Ads
Another intriguing trend in simulation game marketing is the use of fake gameplay fail ads. These ads feature fabricated mini-games or gameplay sequences that aren’t actually part of the real game.
The hook?
Usually, these ads present a scenario where the viewer must help or save a game character, but the situation invariably results in a comedic or dramatic fail. Often, you’ll see game characters freezing or facing some dilemma.
For example, Isekai: Slow Life has a top-performing ad that employs this approach, reminiscent of similar ads for Merge Mansion. While these ads may not depict actual gameplay, they are remarkably effective at capturing interest through storytelling and emotion, encouraging users to download the game and discover what it actually offers.
Though somewhat controversial, fake gameplay fail ads have proven to be successful at capturing attention and can be a valuable part of your ad creative toolkit.
Story-Based Ads
Story-based ads are becoming a staple in simulation game marketing. These ads focus primarily on a narrative, offering potential players a taste of the game’s world and characters.
Interestingly, these storylines often don’t correspond to actual gameplay; they’re crafted specifically for the ads. But nevertheless, these ads resonate with players who are drawn to storytelling elements, offering an emotional or dramatic experience that sparks curiosity about the game.
Take Family Island ads as an example.
These are famous for their dramatic storylines that incorporate elements like cheating, fights, and high-stakes drama. Even if these scenarios aren’t directly pulled from the game, they succeed in engaging potential players and compelling them to explore what the game has to offer.
Ads Featuring Actors
A rising trend in simulation game marketing involves ads that feature actors posing as players. These ads blend gameplay footage with commentary from the actor, which provides a sense of social proof and engagement. The approach humanizes the gaming experience and leverages the persuasive power of a relatable figure enjoying the game.
This can be highly effective in appealing to potential players who may be on the fence about downloading your game.
For instance, ads for My Talking Angela 2 and other games from Outfit7 have successfully employed this technique. These ads feature a woman who acts as a player, providing commentary while gameplay footage rolls. The combination creates a more engaging and authentic-feeling ad, nudging viewers toward giving the game a try.
Simulation Game Marketing: Final Thoughts
And there you have it – a comprehensive guide for creating better simulation game marketing campaigns. We’ve highlighted the importance of understanding your players, choosing the right marketing channels, and the key KPIs you should be tracking.
We also explored the latest trends in ad creatives, from gameplay video ads to story-based ads, giving you a well-rounded toolkit to tackle user acquisition effectively. While the simulation game market is competitive, with the right strategies, you can carve out your own success.
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