KamaGames tested which ad format works best in its social mobile games.
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Meta game ads are the most effective in getting new mobile app installs

  • Posted byby Dean Takahashi
  • Updated
  • 2 min

The best way to reach mobile app and game consumers is by running ads in the form of “meta games,” according to a new study.

The study was conducted by social mobile game developer KamaGames and ad-tech firm Appodeal in an attempt to find out which ad format yields the highest returns in terms of new app installs and cross-selling promotions. The companies said that meta games encourage players to engage in gameplay, using motivators such as daily challenges, personal achievements, or quests. Players also receive notifications of friends’ activity across the portfolio, such as “Joe has begun to play Blackjack.”

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Written by

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.