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The F2P Retention Playbook.

A six-part field guide for F2P game studios: FTUE and meta-loop activation, free-to-payer conversion timing, payer-tier monetisation, ad hybrid routing, live ops and battle pass, and post-ATT win-back.

All 6 parts published60 min to read in full

  1. Part 1Tutorial Completion Is Table Stakes: Meta-Loop Activation Is the D30 Retention Predictor F2P Studios Actually MissMedian D30 is 0.7%; top decile hits 4%. The gap is meta-loop activation: FTUE and retention interventions, not a better tutorial.11 min read
  2. Part 21.5% to 5% Free-to-Payer Conversion: Why the Gap Is a Timing Problem, Not a Price Problem77% of first IAPs happen in the first two weeks. The 1.5% to 5% conversion gap is timing: six conversion interventions, not a cheaper starter pack.10 min read
  3. Part 3Your Game Has Five Payer Tiers and One Monetisation Strategy: That's the ProblemMinnows to krakens need different architectures. Dolphin cultivation, whale briefs, and why one strategy across five tiers is a revenue leak.10 min read
  4. Part 4Ad Revenue Is Not a Side Channel: It's a Conversion Decision You're Making BadlyIAA/IAP ratio is a player-level routing problem. Rewarded video timing, ad fatigue, and ad monetisation interventions, not a mediation waterfall tweak.10 min read
  5. Part 5Your Battle Pass Converts 40% Below Its Ceiling Because You're Pitching It Before the Player Proves They Value It66% of top-grossing games have a battle pass. The highest-converting pitch is post-first-free-tier, not season launch. Per-player live ops, not mass blasts.10 min read
  6. Part 6The Post-ATT Lifecycle Problem: What You Lost When iOS 14.5 Shipped, and Where the Revenue Went29% ATT opt-in is the permanent state. Win-back costs 5–7× less than UA. First-party lifecycle architecture that compounds without IDFA.9 min read

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