Scale user acquisition for mobile games
What this page covers
Scale user acquisition for mobile games
Changes in app store rules and in‑app purchase commissions directly affect how mobile games plan and scale user acquisition. When transaction fees move, it becomes critical to know how much you can pay for each new user and still keep your title profitable.
To scale user acquisition for mobile games in a sustainable way, you need a clear view of unit economics and platform policies. That means tracking acquisition costs, monitoring commissions on in‑app purchases, and adapting campaigns as programs like Google’s Apps Experience Program or Google Play Games Level Up evolve.
In brief
- Track user acquisition costs against in‑app purchase commissions so you know how much you can invest in new users while keeping margins under control.
- Factor in changing Play Store rules, including different commission levels for existing and new installs, when planning budgets and long‑term user acquisition strategy.
- Use data from your own funnels and authorization flows to improve conversion, so more acquired users reach purchase events and your campaigns become more efficient.
What to do
Scaling user acquisition for mobile games starts with understanding how store commissions influence your revenue. For example, Play Store has announced a 20% commission on in‑app purchases, with an additional 5% if developers choose Google’s payment system in certain regions like the US, the European Economic Area, and the UK. Developers in specific programs may pay less, with different rates for transactions from existing versus new installs. These details define how much you can reasonably spend to acquire each user.
To make user acquisition scalable, you also need to look closely at your conversion flows. Many teams keep relying on channels that are more expensive and less predictable, even when there are alternatives that can be cheaper and faster. In one retail case, revisiting the authorization process and choosing a more efficient channel increased authorization conversion by 27%. When more users successfully authorize and reach purchase events, your effective cost of user acquisition improves without changing media spend.
Sustainable scaling depends on unit economics. You need to connect the cost of user acquisition with downstream metrics like transaction volume, commissions, and net profit per user. Webinars and expert content on unit economics in e‑commerce show how important it is to calculate profit from shelf price through to commissions and logistics; the same mindset applies to mobile games. By regularly reviewing these numbers and adjusting bids, budgets, and channels, you can grow acquisition while staying within acceptable cost and risk thresholds.
What to keep in mind
The cost of user acquisition is a central constraint when scaling campaigns for mobile games. Because commissions on in‑app purchases can vary by region and by program, there is no single universal target cost per user. Each developer needs to calculate acceptable acquisition costs based on their own revenue structure, including any differences between existing and new installs.
Platform policies and internal rules also set boundaries. In regulated environments, growth leads often have to manage different campaign requirements, internal vetting, and tracking setups across multiple licensed states. They face pressure to scale acquisition while staying within internal risk thresholds and complying with platform policies. A similar level of discipline is useful for mobile games, where changes in Play Store rules or participation in programs like Apps Experience Program or Google Play Games Level Up can shift economics over time.
This approach works best for teams ready to invest in ongoing optimization rather than one‑off campaigns. It requires resources to monitor attribution, adjust creatives and bids, and refine funnels such as authorization flows. If you are not prepared to track unit economics or adapt to shifting commission structures, it will be harder to scale user acquisition efficiently and maintain profitability as conditions change.