Monetization Breakthrough in a Puzzle Sort Game

Smartest techniques in the business.

Service: Monetization

Punchline Highlights

4.2x Increase in Daily Revenue
73% Boost in Rewarded Video Engagement
2.5x Longer Average Playtime Per User

$1.1M Monthly Revenue With Balanced Hybrid Model

1. About the Game

This case study focuses on a Puzzle Sort Game, a visually relaxing yet mentally challenging game genre. Players organize colored elements (e.g., balls, liquids, cubes) into uniform groups using logic and strategy. With intuitive drag-and-drop mechanics and minimal learning curve, this genre appeals to both casual and mid-core users.

2. The Challenge

Flat Revenue Plateau: Despite steady installs, monetization stalled at ~$270K/month
Underutilized Ad Placements: Only 2% of sessions triggered video ads
Drop-Off After Level 30: Retention dropped from 18% (D1) to 3% (D7)
Too Easy, Too Soon: Lack of early challenge led to high churn
Ad Fill Issues in LATAM and MENA: Missed revenue from low eCPM regions

3. Strategy / Solution

Restructuring Game Pacing

Introduced multi-step puzzles and difficulty scaling from level 10+
Weekly challenge mode with limited moves and time constraints
Added “undo” option gated behind a rewarded video

Rewarded Video-First Economy

3 strategic video entry points:
- Extra Hints (Mintegral)
- Undo Move (Unity Ads)
- Skip Puzzle (AdMob)
Adjoy event-based offers triggered every 5 puzzles completed
No interstitials until Level 15, then low-frequency insertions

Session-Extension Incentives

Daily “Brain Master” streak challenge with 3X coin rewards
Timer-based Coin Chest Unlocks triggered by video
Added a VIP feature (ad-only, no IAP) to preview harder puzzles

4. Monetization Strategy

Revenue Source	Placement Strategy	Revenue Share
Rewarded Video Ads	Undo, Hint, Skip, Chest Unlock, Streak Boosts	62%
Interstitial Ads	Level transitions post-level 15, capped per session	20%
Challenge Events (Adjoy)	Sponsored weekly tournaments & timed streak missions	10%
Optional Banner Ads	Displayed only in menus and idle puzzle screens	8%

Priority on user-friendly ad integration
Focused on reward for engagement not punishment for failure
Multi-network setup based on region:
- Unity Ads & AdMob for Tier 1
- Mintegral & Bigo for Tier 2/3

5. Results (Long-Term Performance)

Metric	Month 1	Month 6	Month 12	Growth
Monthly Revenue	$276K	$638K	$1.14M	↑ 313%
Avg. Session Length	4.1 mins	9.4 mins	10.6 mins	↑ 159%
D1 Retention	18%	24.2%	26.1%	↑ 45%
D7 Retention	3.1%	10.9%	13.2%	↑ 325%
Video Ad Engagement Rate	2.3%	41.6%	58.3%	↑ 2434%
Global eCPM (Avg.)	$5.8	$9.4	$10.7	↑ 84%

6. Conclusion

The puzzle sort game proved that relaxing gameplay can yield hardcore monetization — if the right ad formats are used. By aligning ad incentives with user problem-solving habits and expanding session durations with subtle hooks, we turned a low-engagement puzzle into a high-yield ad engine.

A hybrid monetization model combining user-initiated video ads, capped interstitials, and regional network optimization produced results rivaling match-3 giants — all without a single IAP.