PLAYLINKS is a South Korea-based game studio that has established itself as a pioneer in the casual games industry, aiming to leverage current trends and technology to deliver top-notch Social Casino and Tabletop gaming experiences to players worldwide. Since its inception in 2012, PLAYLINKS has developed and launched over ten games that have captivated thousands of players globally, including AniPang Matgo and Anipang Poker.

AniPang Matgo, which has accumulated over 5M installs to date, combines the traditional Korean card game Matgo and Anipang to create a fun, familiar, and easy-to-grasp version of the original games. On the other hand, Anipang Poker is a casual poker game that introduces the ever-popular Anipang characters to the exciting world of poker. Since their launches, both titles have become the top-grossing Card and Casino games in the South Korean Android market. 

The challenge: Streamlining user acquisition while fostering player loyalty 

Both AniPang Matgo and Poker are highly recognized and enduring mobile games in South Korea. As Tabletop and Social Casino games, the ultimate goal for PLAYLINKS is to increase the titles’ IAP revenue through consistently acquiring spenders and creating a connection that fosters long-term retention. 

In order to achieve their goals, PLAYLINKS sought out a media channel partner capable of delivering high-retention, high-LTV users at a sustainable CPI. 

The solution: Implementing IAP tROAS campaigns to acquire Korean spenders 

The Mistplay app takes a loyalty-first approach to user acquisition and retention by offering mobile gamers tangible rewards based on their time and money spent in a game. With 44% of South Korean gamers reporting they’d be more likely to spend in-game to receive increased rewards, it made perfect sense for PLAYLINKS to partner with Mistplay to acquire and retain more spenders. 

With the top priority KPIs for AniPang games being ROAS and DAU, Mistplay launched an AI-powered tROAS campaign that would automatically recommend the games to players most likely to purchase IAP to ensure user acquisition achieves their ROAS target. 

Moreover, Mistplay’s account management team took a proactive approach to improving the drop-off rate between installation and server login. Their efforts resulted in a substantial improvement, improving the drop-off rate by threefold compared to other ad platforms.

The results

Mistplay’s data-driven approach aligned seamlessly with PLAYLINKS' goals of DAU growth and revenue optimization, solidifying it as a vital UA partner. Ultimately, the partnership between PLAYLINKS and Mistplay exceeded the team’s key performance objectives and drove the following results in Korea for their games from H1 to H2 2024:

• D7 ROAS: 36% growth 
• D7 ARPPU: 50% higher than other platforms 
• D7 IAP ROAS: 27% higher than other platforms  

"We're incredibly satisfied with our collaboration with Mistplay. Their exceptional account service, innovative tROAS campaigns, and extensive user pool in Korea have made a significant difference, making Mistplay an essential partner in our user acquisition strategy. Their understanding of our goals and their commitment to address them have led to these remarkable results, and we eagerly anticipate future successes." – Gaeun Kim, Growth Marketing Manager

Power up your UA and retention in Korea (or worldwide) 

If you’re a mobile game publisher looking to generate more installs while achieving your ROAS targets like PLAYLINKS, Mistplay is ready to help – whether your target market is the US, South Korea, Japan, or somewhere else. Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can work together to unlock the power of your player loyalty and drive real results.