How to launch and scale puzzle & match 3 games | Adjust

Puzzle and match 3 games remain a resilient mobile gaming segment, with 9.7 billion downloads in 2024 and 14% YoY growth in IAP revenue.
User acquisition costs are rising, with CPI up 18% and CPM up 12%, but ad engagement improved (CTR from 9% to 11%).
Retention rates saw slight declines, yet session lengths increased to over 24 minutes.
Key opportunities lie in LATAM and MENA markets, where installs and sessions are growing fastest.
To optimize UA spend, developers should leverage predictive LTV (pLTV) and incrementality testing to distinguish true ad-driven conversions from organic demand.
Effective strategies include A/B testing, budget holdouts, and causal inference.
Adjust offers tools like Measure, InSight, and Recommend to help studios improve ROI through precise attribution, incrementality measurement, and pLTV forecasting.