How We Helped an Idle Arcade Game Cut CPI by 41% on TikTok
A casual idle arcade mobile game wanted to scale user acquisition in Tier‑1 markets. Before us, scaling was impossible. Their ads worked on small budgets, but performance dropped as spend increased. We fixed this.
$50k → $200k
ad spend/month
41%
lower CPI
47%
higher CTR
Overview
The client is a mobile gaming studio operating a casual idle arcade game built around fast progression loops. Also called "dopamine loops". Players unlock upgrades quickly and see constant visual rewards. These mechanics create strong engagement and long play sessions.
The studio was already acquiring users through TikTok ads and wanted to scale campaigns across Tier‑1 markets such as the US and UK. However, scaling budgets consistently caused performance instability. To continue growing, the team needed a more reliable acquisition system that could produce new creatives, test them quickly, and maintain efficiency while increasing spend.
Challenge
The biggest issue was creative performance. The most exciting moments in the game were upgrades and progression spikes, but these moments were rarely highlighted in the ads.
Most creatives looked similar to other mobile game ads and did not stand out in the TikTok feed. Because of this, campaigns struggled with several issues:
CTR fluctuated frequently
CPI remained too high in Tier‑1 markets
Winning ads fatigued quickly
Creative production was also slow. New assets were produced in small batches, which limited testing velocity and made it difficult to replace fatigued creatives quickly.
What We Did
AI‑Powered Content
We created AI‑generated montage videos showing instant upgrades and fast progression. These clips turned gameplay moments into viral short‑form content.
Trend‑Driven Creatives
Ads were adapted to native TikTok formats like “Can you beat me in 30 seconds?”. This made the ads feel like normal TikTok content instead of traditional game ads.
Rapid‑Fire Creative Testing
Weekly creative sprints allowed us to test more than 40 ad variations per month. This prevented creative fatigue and continuously surfaced new winning ads.
Built‑in Virality
We added an in‑app mechanic that rewarded players for sharing their progress. Players began promoting the game themselves, increasing organic installs.
Results
lower CPI
higher CTR
more installs from social sharing
Because performance remained stable, the studio increased monthly ad spend from $50k to $200k while maintaining strong efficiency. The team now had a repeatable creative testing system that supported sustainable scaling.
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