Strategy with elements of survival: A Special Project with 70,000+ Installs in 3 Weeks

Launching a mobile game is not only a matter of development but also of distribution. In competitive genres, simply attracting traffic isn't enough: it's crucial to quickly build an install base, get the game featured in the store's recommendations, and attract an audience ready to make purchases.

One way to achieve this is through integrated campaigns where multiple channels work simultaneously: the storefront, CRM communications, external traffic, and partnership integrations.

At the end of 2025, RuStore implemented such a special project for a mobile casual strategy game with survival elements from a Chinese developer. The campaign ran from December 8 to 31 and was built around combined promotion: the store's internal tools ensured the game's visibility within the platform, while external channels helped expand its reach and attract a new audience.

During the campaign, the project reached 13 million users, garnered 70,500 installs, and showed an average ARPPU of 4,100 rubles. At the same time, the promotion budget was half that of similar campaigns run previously.

But the main result of this case study isn't just the numbers. The campaign demonstrated which promotional tools contribute most to installs, how combining channels affects monetization, and why well-structured distribution can continue to work even after advertising activities end.

Below, we'll break down how this campaign was structured, which channels had the greatest impact, and what conclusions mobile game developers can draw from it.

Results

RuStore's internal tools were the primary source of installs and demonstrated consistent effectiveness throughout the campaign.

The average ARPPU was 4,100 rubles — more than twice the storefront average. This metric indicates that the campaign delivered not only volume but also quality of the acquired audience. In terms of install numbers, the campaign outperformed comparable launches by 40%, with a budget half the typical amount for such launches.

CRM channels provided an additional contribution: push and email maintained user interest and boosted engagement, achieving a CTR of 0.6% and an OR of 3.6%, respectively.

Conclusion

The campaign results show that with strategic use of the storefront and promotional tools, it's possible to consistently attract not only traffic but also a paying audience. Featuring, showcases, and CRM channels, when used together, produce a predictable effect: they enhance project visibility, sustain user interest, and convert that interest into installs and purchases.

This is especially evident for casual and puzzle games — a significant portion of the audience decides to install directly within the store, guided by recommendations and the app card's presentation.

External Promotion Channels

The second block of the campaign aimed to expand the audience beyond RuStore. Its goal was to introduce the game to a new audience and drive users to the store from external sources.

Several channels were used for this special project:

• SMM activities;
• Bloggers integrations (VK and Telegram);
• Advertising traffic acquisition;
• Partnership collaboration with the retailer "Lenta".

Results

SMM activities:

• 24,000 reach;
• Over 1,000 contest participants.

Blogger integrations:

• Reach — over 1 million.

Advertising traffic acquisition on various platforms:

• 20 million impressions;
• CTR — 20.2% (high engagement);
• CAC — 108 rubles (below market average);
• ROI — 2x.

Partnership Collaboration with "Lenta"

The integration with the retailer served as a brand-building part of the campaign. It aimed to attract the gaming audience to RuStore and provide additional exposure for the offer:

• 12 million reach;
• Promo channels: email newsletter, push notifications, stories, banner in the mobile app, SMM post.

Conclusion

External channels significantly expanded the campaign's reach and attracted a new audience to the platform. The store's internal tools provided the main contribution to game promotion, while external activities boosted interest in the game and helped scale the campaign beyond RuStore.

Key Takeaways for Developers

1. Visibility within the store remains the main driver of installs

RuStore's internal tools — featuring, events, stories, and other storefront formats — generated the primary flow of installs. This is especially crucial for casual and puzzle games, as a significant portion of the audience discovers new projects through store recommendations rather than search.

2. External traffic helps scale reach

External channels — advertising, bloggers, and partnership integrations — allowed the campaign to significantly expand its audience. They helped introduce the game to new users and drive them to RuStore.

3. A combination of channels works best

The campaign showed that maximum effect comes not from a single tool but from their synergy. Each channel fulfills a specific purpose: some generate installs, others expand reach, and still others help re-engage users.

What Happened After the Campaign Ended

In gaming projects, promotion results are often evaluated based on dynamics during the campaign: install growth, revenue, and user activity. But an equally important indicator is how the project performs after marketing support ends.

In this case, growth did not stop with the completion of the special project.. After the campaign ended, the game continued to strengthen its position in the store and showed positive dynamics across key metrics:

• Revenue increased by 40%;
• DAU grew by 79%;
• The game secured a spot in the top 5 for revenue among featured games.

This effect is explained by the campaign enabling the game to quickly build an install base and gain visibility in the store's showcases. When a project gains an audience and user activity grows, it strengthens its position in recommendations and helps attract additional organic traffic.

Conclusion

Promoting a mobile game is always a matter of distribution. Even a strong product can take a long time to find its audience if the launch relies on a single channel or is limited to organic efforts.

The Tiles Survive case demonstrates a working promotion model designed as a system. Initial demand and user base are built within the store, while external channels expand reach and bring a new audience to the platform. This combination not only drives installs but also accelerates the game's path to a sustainable economy.

An important result of this campaign lies not only in the numbers but also in the speed with which the project completed its key growth phase. In a short period, the game achieved a significant audience scale, built a paying user base, and secured its place in the store's showcases. After that, growth was sustained by the platform's internal mechanisms and organic traffic.

For developers, this is a key insight: a successful game launch today is not just about product and marketing but also about smart distribution. When a campaign is built as a combination of tools — from the storefront to external traffic — the project finds its audience faster and achieves sustainable growth. This approach allows mobile games to move from the launch phase to scaling.