With over 10 million mobile downloads, Lihuhu’s Match Triple 3D sets the standard in the puzzle game genre - particularly for its winning monetization strategy.
Lihuhu has a multifaceted growth strategy that has consistently included one key element: consulting with experts. Lihuhu has partnered with Unity’s Game Analytics Consultancy, making data-informed tweaks to Match Triple’s 3D’s to optimize its monetization setup.
Unity’s game consultants, Arjuin Gohil and Nathan Tenboer, share some of the most important ingredients to Match Triple 3D’s continued success. Let’s dive in.
Match Triple 3D’s game strategy, in a nutshell
Lihuhu’s Match Triple 3D is a classic Match-3 game with a twist: not only are players matching items, they’re also tasked with cleaning up toys in a house. The game utilizes a simple core loop - players collect the toys in groups of three, then advance to the next level once the room is tidy.
Match Triple 3D players are motivated by the satisfaction of making matches and cleaning each room. As levels grow more complex, players get to face new challenges and continually prove their matching skills.
Monetization overview
To monetize their players, Match Triple 3D uses a hybrid monetization model, featuring in-app purchases like coins and boosters, and ad formats like rewarded videos and interstitials.
After completing each level, players receive in-game currency (coins), which they can use to purchase boosters. But as players progress to more challenging levels, they often need extra resources to advance. In Match Triple 3D, they have two options to get extra resources: make an in-app purchase or watch a rewarded video ad. This way, Lihuhu can monetize both their paying and non-paying players.
Let’s get into the deeper breakdown, starting with Lihuhu’s ad placements and how they complement the core loop.
Building a player-oriented ad strategy
When it comes to monetizing any game, player engagement leads to profitability. By focusing on retention and creating a positive experience, players will naturally want to play - and revenue will naturally grow.
To ensure players have a great in-game experience, ads should complement a game’s core loop. Here's how Lihuhu puts this into practice.
Minimizing churn through player revival
Match Triple 3D excels at offering ads exactly where you’d expect them: at the end of the core loop. For example, since puzzle games tend to have long levels, some players run out of lives before completing a level. To prevent any player churn, Lihuhu uses an essential placement: revival rewarded videos.
Each and any time a player loses their lives in the game, they are presented with a simple offer: watch this ad to “revive” yourself and stay in the game. It’s a win-win - players don’t have to lose their hard-earned spots in the game, and Lihuhu can minimize churn.
In fact, Lihuhu takes an extra step to maximize their revenue potential: If players want to continue playing the game but don’t want to watch an ad, they can spend 100 coins to skip it.
Placing interstitials at player-friendly moments
While interstitials are key for a winning monetization strategy, they should be placed very carefully to maximize retention. Initially, Lihuhu placed interstitials very early in the Match Triple 3D experience, but this might cause players to think the game is very ad-heavy, and even lead to player dropout. But churned players might not need to be monetized through ads - perhaps some churned players will become payers at a later point in their game experience.
To ensure a positive in-game experience and minimize dropout, we recommend not placing interstitials in the first week or two of the game experience. The ideal timing depends on the game genre - casual game developers can wait just a week to use interstitials, but RPG and simulation games tend to have longer onboarding periods, so those developers should wait a full two weeks.
Demonstrating the benefits of in-app purchases
In addition to ads, in-app purchases are an essential element of Match Triple 3D’s game experience. Let’s explore how Lihuhu maximizes revenue by familiarizing players with their in-app purchases: boosters.
Offering a free booster experience
While using boosters is the fastest way to advance in Match Triple 3D, many players hesitate to pay for them. That’s why Lihuhu implemented an intuitive strategy - when they introduce players to boosters, they gift one free booster.
Imagine that a player is struggling to finish a level, but they’ve received a free magnet booster that automatically makes 3 matches. This free booster can significantly accelerate the player’s progress, empowering them to continue playing the game and finish the level.
According to our data, players who get to experience a booster are more likely to actually purchase a booster later on - especially if they run out of in-game currency. This ability to turn players into payers is a game changer for any monetization strategy.
Signposting important and new features
Mobile games have a very broad audience, including people who don’t consistently play mobile games. That means developers should create a straightforward and intuitive onboarding experience. For example, to simplify Match Triple 3D’s onboarding, we suggested that new players skip the main menu and automatically get started with level one.
We also recommend spoon-feeding, or signposting, each new feature to users - even if it requires pausing the game (e.g. “Drag this”, “Tap here”). To build an optimized monetization strategy, signposting is especially important for in-app purchases. After all, if players don’t have a clear understanding of how in-app purchases work, they aren’t as likely to make them.
Shifting between easier and harder levels
When configuring their games, many developers tend to make their difficulty curve linear, so each level is slightly more challenging than the last. In theory, this is a great strategy, and one that Lihuhu has utilized in the past, but as each level becomes more challenging, developers are likely to see a dropoff in players. Why? A steep difficulty incline doesn’t necessarily feel rewarding, which creates a less positive player experience.
That’s why we suggested that the difficulty of each Match Triple 3D level should vary. For example, instead of starting with four easy levels, then jumping to a difficult level five, we recommend a different setup - three easy levels, two harder levels, then another easier level. This way, the game progression isn’t predictable - players can continually experience the highs of completing levels and the excitement of facing new challenges.
From a monetization perspective, we call these “sinks and sources.” During sinks, or harder levels, players are more inclined to watch an ad/make a purchase - then, during sources, or easier levels, players can quickly make up their currency. There should be a tug-of-war between sinks and sources, so developers like Lihuhu can keep the game engaging over time while also maximizing revenue.
Ultimately, by continually measuring, analyzing, and tweaking their monetization strategy with Unity’s Game Design Consultancy, Lihuhu’s Match Triple 3D exemplifies what it means to go beyond a standard monetization strategy, maximizing engagement and growth.
