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My first Google Ads app campaign cost $46 and reported 133 installs—about $0.35 per reported install. But most players quit by wave 3, so the install count alone did not tell me whether the campaign found players who would actually play. The cost and gameplay observation are creator-reported figures; without campaign exports and instrumented gameplay data, they are not independently verified results or a general cost benchmark.
What the campaign numbers do—and do not—show
The $46 is reported campaign spend, and 133 is the reported install count. Dividing one by the other gives roughly $0.35 per reported install. That arithmetic is useful as a description of this campaign, not as proof of what each engaged player cost or as a benchmark for another game.
The phrase “most players quit by wave 3” is also a creator-reported observation. The title does not specify how many people started the game, how many reached each wave, or what counted as quitting. Without those definitions and underlying event data, the observation cannot establish a wave-3 abandonment rate or explain why players stopped.
First identify what “133 installs” counts
Google Ads app conversion tracking can measure app installs and in-app activity, but an Ads install conversion is not automatically the same thing as a person who opened and played the game. Google Ads reporting can also use privacy-safe modeled data, and app-download conversions are subject to an engagement-to-install conversion window. Check Google’s current setup guidance for the applicable conversion definition and window: Google Ads app conversion tracking.
#1 Best Overall
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Google Play Console’s acquisition reporting uses different measures, including store listing visitors, first-time installers, buyers where applicable, and retained installers. Play defines retained installers as people who kept the app installed on at least one device for the indicated period; that does not establish that they opened it during that period. Google documents why acquisition figures can differ across Play Console, Google Ads, and other measurement sources: Play Console acquisition and retention metrics.
For this campaign, the title does not identify which dashboard or metric supplied the 133 figure. A reliable account should name that source and definition rather than treating “installs” as interchangeable across reports. Differences between dashboards alone do not show that traffic was invalid.
Rank #2
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Separate acquisition from opening and playing
An install is an acquisition event, not evidence of a first open, a game session, or progress through a level. To see where the funnel narrows, compare counts from the same campaign period and clearly defined cohort:
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- Acquisition: Report spend and the exact install measure—such as Google Ads install conversions or Play Console first-time installers.
- First open: Count users who launched the game, using an analytics event or measurement source that actually records launches.
- Early progression: Count users who started the game and users who reached or completed each wave, if those events were instrumented.
- Return and value: Examine retention by cohort and, where relevant to the goal, revenue or another intended outcome.
Play Console retained-installer figures can help describe whether people kept the app installed, but they cannot fill in missing first-open or wave-progression data. If wave events were not recorded, the available install or retention totals cannot show how many players reached wave 3.
Rank #3
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- Cushioned and Durable Membrane: The X5 Lite is equipped with cushioned and durable membrane triggers and buttons. The cushioned feedback provides a comfortable experience while ensuring quieter operation
Make “quit by wave 3” measurable
Before interpreting the observation, define both the denominator and the observation window. “Most” could mean most people who installed, opened the game, began wave 1, or reached wave 2; those are different populations. A player who has not returned yet is also different from one observed to stop during a session.
For a useful progression analysis, record distinct events such as game start, wave start, wave completion, and session end, then compare the number of users reaching each stage within a stated period. If the events were not instrumented for this campaign, describe the wave-3 drop-off as an observation, not a measured rate or proven cause.
Rank #4
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Campaign context needed to judge the result
Spend and install count omit details that affect interpretation. A fuller retrospective should state the campaign’s date range, target countries, platform, objective, bidding strategy, conversion source, creative approach, and any in-app events used for optimization. These details are not established by the reported title figures.
If the campaign included multiple countries, creatives, channels, or cohorts, compare them using consistent definitions: cost per specified conversion, first-open rate, early progression, cohort retention, and revenue or another intended outcome. Do not imply a comparison if the campaign tested only one setup.
Best Value
- Officially licensed by Xbox. Bluetooth connection. Supports Xbox Cloud Gaming.
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- Hall Effect Joysticks and Triggers - Upgraded. Robust and long-lasting. Offering higher precision and sensitivity.
- Tactile bumpers and D-pad, 2 Pro back paddle buttons, Xbox button, and wear-resistant metal joystick rings for more ways to play.
- Support 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 on mobile.
Was spending $46 worthwhile?
Cost per install is only one part of the decision. Whether the spend was worthwhile depends on the creator’s goal and on what happened after acquisition: did users open the game, progress, return, or generate the intended value? No universal benchmark established here can answer that for this game. Google for Games discusses store-listing engagement and rewarded ads as possible product considerations, but that broad guidance does not show that rewarded ads would fix this game’s reported wave-3 drop-off: Google for Games.
Google Play’s case studies describe outcomes for particular developers and features; they are not directly comparable benchmarks without matching game type, country, campaign objective, measurement approach, and cohort definitions: Google Play case studies.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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