Business of Games: 48-Hour Monetization Window
You’ve got ~2 days to turn a new player into a payer, 323#
Hey Friends, Greetings from Bangalore 💗
Are you pacing your monetization right? Understand your genres’ average time to first purchase
Key genre benchmarks
Fastest: Puzzle – Players make their first purchase in ~1.6 days (Android) and 1.7 days on iOS
Mid-pack: RPG, Simulation, Casino, Strategy, Action – First purchase around 1.8 – 2.4 days post-install on average.
Slowest: Tabletop & Sports – ~2.8 – 3.1 days to first purchase. The players need longer sessions or competitive play before opening their wallets.
Monetization takeaways:
Optimize early offers: Make sure your game presents a compelling IAP opportunity in that crucial Day 1-3 window. Many successful puzzle games use one-time starter packs or bonus boosters to entice a Day 1 purchase. If you’re in Sports or Tabletop, consider nudging by Day 3 with an offer that complements the gameplay once players are hooked.
Deliver real value: A first purchase must feel worth it. The top reason for post-purchase regret is “limited utility” – 46% of players regret a purchase if it didn’t help or wasn’t as useful as expected. The second biggest regret factor is misaligned advertising promises (34%).
tCARe, CARtic P
/ iCartic.com