Billions of players tap, scroll, and swipe through their phones every day. As they do, they encounter an endless supply of app and game creatives trying to capture their time and attention. To stand out in this massively noisy ecosystem, you need to capitalize on trends, find winning ideas, and keep your campaigns fresh and interesting.
A trend that's proven to provide all of the above is user generated content (UGC) - content that feels believably user-created in its design and delivery. Combining narrative-driven gameplay with creative diversity, UGC-style ads prove effective at refreshing campaigns and driving downloads.
What are UGC mobile game creatives?
Usually, UGC refers to content created by users - think reviews and gameplay clips on Youtube and social posts on TikTok or Instagram. For mobile game ads, UGC refers to a trend where creatives borrow the authentic style of this content - they look and feel like content made by players, instead of polished studio-style ads. These creatives often feature real people or AI voiceovers talking casually about the game, highlighting moments like character upgrades, level progression, or personal goals. The goal is to make the ad feel like something a friend might share.
These UGC creatives often use real or AI actors and voice-overs that feature relatable narratives and show off impactful hooks like progression, personalization, or rewards.
Why does UGC work?
There’s a reason why the UGC look and feel is effective at driving conversions - it all comes down to authenticity and creative diversity. UGC-style ads stand out because they feel real. They don’t rely on flashy visuals or heavy polish. Instead, they tap into authenticity and creative flexibility to capture attention and drive action. Here’s how UGC-style creatives can contribute to your campaigns:
1. Combat ad fatigue
Players spend hours scrolling through apps with ads, many of them using the same themes and trends. UGC-style creatives break that pattern with their casual, relatable vibe. They feel more personal and authentic, helping your creatives stand out and fight the inevitable ad fatigue that comes with tons of exposure to the same creative trends, especially on social networks.
2. Authenticity leads to engagement
People are more likely to trust other people than a slick creative. UGC creatives, particularly ones featuring actors or AI voiceovers to simulate real reactions, leverage this trust to build a sense of authenticity and emotional connection. When players see someone playing and enjoying the game for themselves, they're more likely to relate - and download the game.
3. Creative diversity through efficiency
UGC creatives are far easier to iterate and experiment with than other creative trends. By their nature, they tend to be low budget and with no real production value. This makes experimentation and creativity faster with less of a focus on polish, so it’s easier to tweak narrative styles, visual hooks, verbal explanations, and gameplay highlights to find what resonates most with specific audiences and keep your campaigns fresh. You can easily test multiple versions to see what resonates most with different audience segments.
How to make a great UGC creative
To make the most of this creative trend, match the platform-native experience. UGC thrives when it aligns with how people naturally engage with content on social media. On TikTok, for example, formats like POVs, reactions, ASMR, or casual storytelling feel native and draw users in. UGC isn’t just a visual style, it’s a tone, pacing, and behavior that mirrors how people create and consume content every day.. Below you’ll find some actionable tips to help your UGC creatives drive more engagement.
Combine authentic gameplay with social hooks
From the first second, viewers should feel drawn into your creatives. Social hooks are a great way to accomplish that - top social trends include ‘man on the street’ content, recommendations, and ASMR. Combine these social hooks with real gameplay to make the connection between authenticity and your game.
Use real or AI actors and voiceovers
Have real actors play the game and narrate their experience to add a layer of trust to your creatives and help make them resonate with users who are looking for relatable content. Another alternative is using AI-generated narrators, which can provide a lot of customization, offering flexibility in tone, dialogue structure, and pacing, efficiently and cost-effectively.
Focus on progression and narrative
You’re not just looking for anybody to play your game - you want players who will engage and invest for the long term. That means putting the focus on your narrative and progression mechanics. Players who relate to your game’s narrative and are motivated by progress will be more likely to convert better and stick around longer. Leverage this by building a narrative in your creatives and then connect it to your real gameplay.
TLDR
UGC creatives are a powerful way to fight ad fatigue, boost engagement, and refresh campaigns. They feel like real content, are easy to test and tweak, and help you connect with audiences in a way that traditional ads often can’t. When done right, UGC can drive stronger engagement, higher installs, and more meaningful player retention
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