At AppLifters, interactive ads aren’t just short demos – they’re immersive, streamlined experiences designed to pull players in from the very first click. Over the years, we’ve built hundreds of top-performing playables for some of the most engaging mobile titles across genres – and in that time, we’ve honed a creative process that blends game design sensibility, data-informed iteration, and bespoke tooling to deliver performance and polish at scale.
This article offers a behind-the-scenes look at how we turn a game concept into a high-performing interactive ad – from the initial briefing to launch and beyond.
Step 1: Start With the Core – Not the Whole Game
We believe the most powerful ads focus on less, not more.
Rather than try to compress the full game experience into a 30-second mini-version, we start by identifying what we call the game’s “magic loop” – the moment of gameplay that makes your title uniquely fun. Whether that’s flicking darts at a board, slicing through enemies, or painting a virtual phone case, we zero in on that core mechanic.
Why? Because that’s what convinces people to install. We’ve seen again and again that when a playable surfaces the actual fun of a game – not a menu, not a tutorial, not a loading screen – it drives stronger engagement and better ROAS.
Step 2: Strip It Down to Speed It Up
Playable ads should feel like games, but they’re not full games. The UX needs to be light, intuitive, and frictionless.
From the moment someone sees your ad, they should be no more than one tap away from interacting. That means:
- Minimal onboarding.
- No multi-step tutorials.
- One-finger controls wherever possible.
In cases where a game’s original controls are more complex (e.g. dual-thumb movement and action), we often create simplified input variants and A/B test them. In Loot Heroes, for example, the native controls used two fingers – which proved too much for the ad format. A single-touch version performed better and still communicated the core gameplay.
We also refine the UI, removing everything that isn’t necessary for that particular interaction. Want players to build a tower? Then that’s all they see. Want them to fire a spell? That’s front and center. This radical clarity leads to smoother engagement and better performance.
Step 3: Visual Hierarchy, Designed to Convert
Visual design is more than decoration – it’s how we guide behavior. In every playable, we apply performance-tested UI patterns to focus user attention on key actions, like starting the experience and hitting the install button.
We experiment with everything from button sizes to placement, animation to color palette. Sometimes, the most unpolished version of an install button outperforms the “beautiful” one. That’s why our approach always favors iteration over assumption – especially on creative elements that impact conversion.
We regularly test:
- Start screen variants (does it invite interaction?)
- End screen variants (is the CTA strong enough?)
- UI layouts (are controls immediately understandable?)
- Install banners and buttons (what draws clicks?)
Even the ugliest button in your designer’s eyes might turn out to be your most profitable one.
Step 4: Build Fast. Test Smart. Iterate Often.
Once we’ve nailed the core mechanic and interaction model, our process shifts to agile iteration.
We don’t believe in “set it and forget it” campaigns. With our internal toolset – including a dedicated playable editor and creative testing infrastructure – we can quickly spin up variations, analyze results, and pivot toward what’s working.
This flexibility allows us to:
- Test short vs. long playables.
- Experiment with pacing and difficulty.
- Swap in different user interface metaphors (e.g. tap vs. drag).
- Refine the end screen based on exit behavior.
- Run multi-network tests to identify the most scalable formats.
From a single idea, we often generate multiple versions – each with a slightly different focus – and let the data guide what scales.
Step 5: Match the Ad to the Game – Exactly
Here’s a secret that’s helped us reduce bounce rates and improve user quality: consistency between the ad and the game.
If someone installs your app expecting to play what they just experienced in the ad – and finds something totally different – they’re more likely to churn. Our playables are designed to mirror the actual gameplay closely enough that the user’s expectations are met or exceeded when they download.
That’s why we spend so much time capturing the true feel of the game, whether that means recreating art style, matching core mechanics, or mimicking specific level layouts. We’ve seen this boost retention significantly – and even drive more purchases from users who feel like they’re getting exactly what they were promised.
Step 6: Powered by Our Internal Tools
Behind all of this is the toolchain we’ve developed internally to make it possible.
Our interactive ad editor is built for speed and flexibility, allowing us to prototype, test, and launch creatives without getting bogged down in heavy asset pipelines.
For more complex projects – especially those involving 3D gameplay – we also have our proprietary browser-based 3D level editor. With it, we can lay out levels, place interactable objects, script game logic, and even import custom assets – all without leaving the browser.
This technical foundation means we can move faster than traditional pipelines, iterate without external dependencies, and deliver polished playables in record time.
Why It Works
Our process isn’t magic. It’s tight, iterative, data-driven design – informed by hundreds of campaigns and years of hands-on experience.
- We focus on what’s fun.
- We cut the fluff.
- We test everything.
- We keep user behavior and UX at the center of every creative decision.
That’s why our playables don’t just drive installs – they build excitement, increase LTV, and bring in players who stick around.
