Clash Royale, a mobile gaming phenomenon, had reached a crossroads. Despite its monumental success, the game was witnessing a gradual decline in player engagement and revenue. The core of this issue wasn’t the game itself, but how it presented itself to new and existing players on the app stores. Let’s get into this ASO case study and explore how we approached the challenge.
The challenge at hand was clear: stabilize and reverse this trend. The solution lay in a foundational marketing practice known as App Store Optimization (ASO). For any mobile app or game, ASO is the process of optimizing the app store page to increase visibility, improve conversion rates, and drive organic downloads. The goal was to optimize the App Store presence to boost organic and acquisition traffic while enhancing the visual appeal of the game’s storefront.
The Challenge
- Clash Royale had never undergone a structured App Store Optimization (ASO) process. This is one of the common issues we see in our growth audits and represents a significant missed opportunity.
- The Store Listing Conversion Rate had declined by nearly 20% in the last year on the Play Store. A drop of this magnitude is substantial; it means that for every five users visiting the page, one who might have previously downloaded the game was now leaving without installing it.
- The game’s performance, while still better than the genre average, needed a strategic push to return to its former glory.
Scope of Work
- Research and identify three relevant themes/genres for Clash Royale.
- Define compelling visuals, motivations, and communication strategies for each theme.
- Create three thematically original sets of creatives for testing.
- Develop an App Store video preview based on the winning theme.
- Craft one original set of creatives targeting churned-potentially returning players.
The Goals
- Boost store listing conversion rate by identifying and testing the most effective communication elements for the target demographic.
- Create an original set of creatives to re-engage returning players with specific in-game topics, updates, or new cards.
Target Demographic
- T1 market
- Male, 18 – 44
AppAgent’s Solution: A Strategy Built on Data and Creativity
Every one of our clients is hunting for better performance, higher conversion rates, a steady flow of new users, and inventive ways to keep their loyal players coming back for more. This is the heart of a mobile app growth strategy that actually works.
For colossal games like Clash Royale, even a marginal 1% boost in conversion rates can usher in tens of thousands of new players each month. That’s why it’s crucial to evaluate and enhance the game’s ASO components and the overall store presence. While many focus on paid user acquisition, strong organic visibility from ASO provides a sustainable foundation for growth. For more details on this, you can review our ASO best practices for designing App Store creatives.
Achieving success is most effectively accomplished through a combination of thorough testing, a profound comprehension of your target audience, and a deep knowledge of your product.
We kicked things off by diving into research. We took a close look at our audience, trying to understand what makes them tick and why they love the game.
Then, we reviewed all the different aspects and game modes in Clash Royale, breaking them down by their basic genres and what keeps players engaged. This step was crucial, as it helped us develop a creative strategy for the mobile game by creating distinct experiences with each set of creatives. For more details on creative strategy development, you can refer to our article here.
Gaining insight into the distinct features of these genres and their associated motivators was crucial. For instance, elements such as “Unlocking” or “Upgrading” new units, immersing oneself in the extended universe’s narrative and lore, and advancing through the king’s journey or quests all align with the traditional characteristics of RPG gaming. On the other hand, managing resources, orchestrating synergies between units and spells, and masterfully developing a unique strategy are emblematic of the Strategy genre.
We consider ourselves lucky to work on a game that draws inspiration from multiple genres. Ultimately, we made the deliberate choice to center our efforts on the themes of RPG, Strategy, and Action, and refine them to pinpoint the most pertinent motivators. Let’s jump to the genre-based creative exploration of this ASO case study.
Genre-Based Creative Exploration
1. RPG Theme
- Hypothesis: RPG elements such as character progression and story can enhance player satisfaction by tapping into the desire for growth and narrative depth.
- Key Motivators: Achievement, Immersion, Action
- Visual Focus: Emphasizing character empowerment and personality. We focused on visuals that showed a single, powerful character evolving, making players feel a personal connection to their journey.
2. Strategy Theme
- Hypothesis: Highlighting strategic gameplay can increase player investment in their progress and victories by appealing to their intellect and planning skills.
- Key Motivators: Mastery, Social, Creativity
- Visual Focus: Highlighting strategic moments in the game. These visuals showcased clever card placements and epic defensive stands, emphasizing the “big brain” moments that define the genre.
3. Action Theme
- Hypothesis: Focusing on dynamic gameplay can attract users interested in high-paced action and strategic thinking, capturing the immediate thrill of the battle.
- Key Motivators: Action, Achievement, Creativity
- Visual Focus: Showcasing action-packed scenes and dynamic character poses. The goal was to create a sense of energy and excitement, making the game look as thrilling as it feels to play.
Conclusions & Key Takeaways
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Updated Blog Post
Reviving Royalty: A Deep Dive Into Our Clash Royale ASO Case Study
Clash Royale, a mobile gaming phenomenon, had reached a crossroads. Despite its monumental success, the game was witnessing a gradual decline in player engagement and revenue. The core of this issue wasn’t the game itself, but how it presented itself to new and existing players on the app stores. Let’s get into this ASO case study and explore how we approached the challenge.
The challenge at hand was clear: stabilize and reverse this trend. The solution lay in a foundational marketing practice known as App Store Optimization (ASO). For any mobile app or game, ASO is the process of optimizing the app store page to increase visibility, improve conversion rates, and drive organic downloads. The goal was to optimize the App Store presence to boost organic and acquisition traffic while enhancing the visual appeal of the game’s storefront.
The Challenge
The project began with a few core challenges that needed to be addressed immediately:
- Clash Royale had never undergone a structured App Store Optimization (ASO) process. This is one of the common issues we see in our growth audits and represents a significant missed opportunity.
- The Store Listing Conversion Rate had declined by nearly 20% in the last year on the Play Store. A drop of this magnitude is substantial; it means that for every five users visiting the page, one who might have previously downloaded the game was now leaving without installing it.
- The game’s performance, while still better than the genre average, needed a strategic push to return to its former glory.
Scope of Work
Our work was clearly defined to tackle these challenges head-on:
- Research and identify three relevant themes/genres for Clash Royale.
- Define compelling visuals, motivations, and communication strategies for each theme.
- Create three thematically original sets of creatives for testing.
- Develop an App Store video preview based on the winning theme.
- Craft one original set of creatives targeting churned—and potentially returning—players.
The Goals
- Boost store listing conversion rate by identifying and testing the most effective communication elements for the target demographic.
- Create an original set of creatives to re-engage returning players with specific in-game topics, updates, or new cards.
Target Demographic
- T1 market
- Male, 18 – 44
AppAgent’s Solution: A Strategy Built on Data and Creativity
Every one of our clients is hunting for better performance, higher conversion rates, a steady flow of new users, and inventive ways to keep their loyal players coming back for more. This is the heart of a mobile app growth strategy that actually works.
For colossal games like Clash Royale, even a marginal 1% boost in conversion rates can usher in tens of thousands of new players each month. That’s why it’s crucial to evaluate and enhance the game’s ASO components and the overall store presence. While many focus on paid user acquisition, strong organic visibility from ASO provides a sustainable foundation for growth. For more details on this, you can review our ASO best practices for designing App Store creatives.
Achieving success is most effectively accomplished through a combination of thorough testing, a profound comprehension of your target audience, and a deep knowledge of your product.
We kicked things off by diving into research. We took a close look at our audience, trying to understand what makes them tick and why they love the game.
Then, we reviewed all the different aspects and game modes in Clash Royale, breaking them down by their basic genres and what keeps players engaged. This step was crucial, as it helped us develop a creative strategy for the mobile game by creating distinct experiences with each set of creatives.
Gaining insight into the distinct features of these genres and their associated motivators was crucial. For instance, elements such as “Unlocking” or “Upgrading” new units, immersing oneself in the extended universe’s narrative and lore, and advancing through the king’s journey or quests all align with the traditional characteristics of RPG gaming. On the other hand, managing resources, orchestrating synergies between units and spells, and masterfully developing a unique strategy are emblematic of the Strategy genre.
We consider ourselves lucky to work on a game that draws inspiration from multiple genres. Ultimately, we made the deliberate choice to center our efforts on the themes of RPG, Strategy, and Action, and refine them to pinpoint the most pertinent motivators. Let’s jump to the genre-based creative exploration of this ASO case study.
Genre-Based Creative Exploration
1. RPG Theme
- Hypothesis: RPG elements such as character progression and story can enhance player satisfaction by tapping into the desire for growth and narrative depth.
- Key Motivators: Achievement, Immersion, Action.
- Visual Focus: Emphasizing character empowerment and personality. We focused on visuals that showed a single, powerful character evolving, making players feel a personal connection to their journey.
2. Strategy Theme
- Hypothesis: Highlighting strategic gameplay can increase player investment in their progress and victories by appealing to their intellect and planning skills.
- Key Motivators: Mastery, Social, Creativity.
- Visual Focus: Highlighting strategic moments in the game. These visuals showcased clever card placements and epic defensive stands, emphasizing the “big brain” moments that define the genre.
3. Action Theme
- Hypothesis: Focusing on dynamic gameplay can attract users interested in high-paced action and strategic thinking, capturing the immediate thrill of the battle.
- Key Motivators: Action, Achievement, Creativity.
- Visual Focus: Showcasing action-packed scenes and dynamic character poses. The goal was to create a sense of energy and excitement, making the game look as thrilling as it feels to play.
Conclusions & Key Takeaways
After rigorous testing, the RPG theme emerged as the clear winner. Its core values and motivations resonated most strongly with the target audience. This data-driven insight is now a blueprint for user acquisition assets, ensuring perfect alignment between UA and ASO. Correctly reading mobile ad creative performance data was essential to this conclusion.
Currently, an App Preview video is in production, incorporating insights gained from testing. An effective video is one of the most powerful tools on the app store page, and our guide on how to create great video ads for mobile apps shares more on this topic.
Future strategies may include iterative improvements, seasonal content, and further A/B testing to enhance performance and player engagement.
Key Lessons from this ASO Case Study
- Never Neglect Foundational ASO: Even the biggest titles can suffer from a lack of basic ASO. It’s the most sustainable way to drive organic growth.
- Test Themes to Find Deeper Motivations: Moving beyond simple feature callouts to test broader genre themes (RPG, Strategy) uncovered what truly motivates players.
- Align UA and ASO: The winning creative theme should be used across both paid and organic channels to create a cohesive and powerful message for potential players.
- Data Over Intuition: While expertise is crucial, A/B testing provides undeniable data that should guide your creative strategy and final decisions.
By staying attuned to player preferences and continuously refining its ASO strategy, Clash Royale aims to recapture its former glory and secure its place in mobile gaming history.
I hope you liked this ASO case study, write me at tatiana.vutcarev@appagent.com if you need help with app store optimization.
