Punchline Highlights
- 318% Increase in Rewarded Ad Engagement
- 4.6x Growth in Monthly Revenue
- 61% Boost in D7 Retention
42% Drop in CPI Over 8 Months
1. About the Game
This case study covers an ASMR Anti-Stress Game, focused on sensory satisfaction, object manipulation, and soothing visuals/sounds. Popular with Gen Z and casual audiences, the game offers tactile mini-games such as slime squishing, soap cutting, sand slicing, and bubble wrap popping.
2. The Challenge
- High CPI ($1.80+) due to genre saturation and broad competition
- Low Conversion Within First 24 Hours: Users engaged but rarely returned
- Short Session Length: Many users dropped after a few actions (avg. 2.5 min)
- No clear monetization path for non-paying users
- Unclear progression system, resulting in shallow engagement
3. Strategy / Solution
Immersion-Focused Onboarding
- Revamped onboarding with guided tactile tutorials using rewarded videos
- Added first-time ASMR ritual (e.g. ‘Zen Cleanse’) unlocking premium tools for ad view
- Included intro-level reward tree that unlocked with repeat ad engagement
Depth Through Collectibles and Loops
- Introduced stress tool collection album with unlockable packs (fidget cubes, kinetic sand types, clay tools)
- Created daily ASMR calendar with new objects, ad-gated surprises, and timed unlocks
- Added ‘Mood Levels’, with mood-based environments and background audio locked behind ads
Optimized Monetization Entry Points
- Used AdMob, Unity Ads, and Mintegral for rotating regional CPM delivery
- Limited forced interstitials only to inactive pause screens
- Prioritized rewarded ads after satisfying actions, not before
4. Monetization Strategy
| Revenue Source | Placement Strategy | Revenue Share |
| Rewarded Video Ads | Mood unlocks, Tools, Daily Calendar, First-Time Rituals | 77% |
| Interstitial Ads | Paused sessions >10 sec, every 3rd zone | 11% |
| IAP Cosmetic Packs | Tool themes, Mood color packs, Ad Removal | 8% |
| Special Event Packs | Limited edition textures, object effects via ad or $0.99 | 4% |
- Emphasized tactile reward loops and ambient triggers
- Integrated minimal friction ad design with clean UI overlays
- Used session-aware ad serving to avoid disrupting immersion
5. Results (Long-Term Performance)
| Metric | Month 1 | Month 6 | Month 12 | Growth |
| Daily Ad Revenue | $2.2K | $8.6K | $15.4K | ↑ 600% |
| Avg. Session Time | 2.5 min | 6.8 min | 9.4 min | ↑ 276% |
| D7 Retention | 11% | 19.4% | 28.1% | ↑ 155% |
| CPI (avg global) | $1.82 | $1.22 | $1.06 | ↓ 42% |
| Rewarded Ad Completion Rate | 27% | 49% | 63% | ↑ 133% |
| Monthly Revenue | $66K | $193K | $304K | ↑ 360% |
6. Conclusion
Despite its high CPI and oversaturated market, this ASMR Anti-Stress Game scaled effectively by delivering a deeply immersive, ad-powered experience. Through soft loops, collectible systems, and personalized sensory paths, users engaged longer and returned more frequently.
The monetization success was built not on paywalls but on subtle, voluntary ad rewards — especially after relaxing, visually rich interactions. The result: a sustainable model that turned high acquisition costs into long-term profitability.