16 Types of Rewarded Video Ads to Skyrocket Your Game Revenues

When we think about rewarded video ads, we rarely think about how many types of them exist.

For this reason, when you start thinking about this, you may end up surprised. Our research has shown us that there are 16 different types of rewarded video ads that can be found in mobile games.

It’s not even the whole list.

The list we’re bringing you consists of some of the most common types of rewarded video ads we’ve seen in popular games.

To make things as clear as possible, we’ve also included their main pros, cons, best practices, and examples!

Let’s start with the most popular ones.

1. End-Of-Level Multiplier

The end-of-level multiplier is one of the most common types of rewarded video ads used in mobile games.

Here’s why.

When players successfully complete a level, they usually win some kind of reward (eg in-game currency). This makes them feel accomplished. At this point, you can offer players the option to multiply the reward they’ve just earned by watching an ad.

So simple, yet incredibly tempting.

This rewarded video ad placement is known to be highly engaging for all types of players – from complete newbies to game enthusiasts.

Suitable for: All games split into levels, missions, or stages.

2. Out of Lives / Energy Ads

A lot of casual games limit the players’ sessions by the energy or lives they have at their disposal. As long as they have enough, players can play and progress.

But the moment they run out of them, they are stuck. They can either exit the game and wait for a refill or make in-app purchases.

This is where you can swoop in and offer them an alternative – to watch an ad for more lives or energy.

Players like this ad placement so much that it can potentially cannibalize in-app purchases. Therefore, if you go ahead and include it in your game, make sure to limit how many times players can use it.

Suitable for: Casual games that include life or energy mechanics.

3. Extra Currency Ads

This is one of the most basic types of rewarded video ads.

It is based on a simple value exchange – you will receive currency if you watch an ad.

These placements usually appear as surprise pop-ups. Even though this may seem random to the player, the developers strategically determine when and where they will appear.

Another thing the developer needs to decide is how valuable the reward will be. For example, if you will be handing out soft or hard currency and in which amounts. This is very important for game economy balance.

Suitable for: All games where currencies are the key part of the economy.

4. Second Chance Ads

Nobody likes to see the “game over” screen.

However, no matter how hard players try, at some point, it will appear. When this happens, you act as their savior. Offer them a chance to revive, retry the level, or restart from their failure location in exchange for watching an ad.

To players, this seems like a reasonable bargain that only costs their time. For this reason, this is another high-engagement placement that provides a strong incentive.

Suitable for: Games with “out of action” mechanics (eg endless runners).

5. Home Screen Ads

Worried that some players won’t see all the types of rewarded video ads your game has to offer?

You can simply put one right in front of everyone’s eyes – on the game’s home screen.

This high-visibility placement has numerous potential benefits for all sorts of players. For example, with it, you can capture the attention of new players and introduce them to value exchange. For engaged players, it represents a place they can always return to if they run out of resources.

On top of all that, it can be incredibly useful for boosting the users’ session duration and retention rates.

Suitable for: All mobile game genres, but the reward types will vary.

6. Ads in the In-Game Store

At some point, a lot of engaged players will visit the game’s store.

However, just because they are there doesn’t mean they will decide to spend money. They are usually exploring the store because they lack something (eg, currency, energy)

Why not give them the opportunity to gain something without spending a dime?

Basically, rewarded video ads in the store should work as samples for IAP offers. They should come in low volume, and bring players the taste of IAP offers.

It is very important to limit this ad placement so it doesn’t cannibalize your IAPs. If you do this correctly, it should even positively influence your sales.

Suitable for: Any kind of game with an in-game store.

7. Ads That Decrease Wait Times

Wait timers appear in different games for different purposes.

For example, they frequently turn up when players want to unlock certain in-game elements. Or when they spend all their lives/energy and need to wait for a refill.

Whatever the situation they appear in, they certainly don’t make players happy. Faced with wait timers, players usually have two options – exiting the game or spending money.

This can be frustrating.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to offer them a third option. You can give your players a chance to watch rewarded video ads that speed up wait timers. In this situation, they usually perceive this as the least frustrating option.

Naturally, it’s important to make sure this doesn’t affect your in-app purchases, so you should carefully limit this option.

Suitable for: All games that include wait timers. Most commonly used in simulation and casual games.

8. Power-up Ads

One of the main things all players desire is faster progress. To help them with this, in many games, they can find different booster and power-up items for purchase. They usually come bundled up with other items.

If a lot of your players are non-payers, consider offering them separately. Not for purchase, as rewards for watching rewarded video ads.

When it comes to this, it is very important that these ads appear in the right place, at the right time. For example, when players get stuck and need assistance, or right before some of the game’s most difficult levels.

Suitable for: Games from different genres that offer boosters or power-ups.

9. Daily Reward Multiplier

Giving out daily rewards is one of the oldest, best-known retention techniques. Besides that, it can also become a valuable monetization method.

Here’s how.

On top of daily rewards, you can offer players the chance to double their worth by watching an ad.

This can give players a strong incentive to come back to the game every day, and increase your game’s DAU. This rewarded video ad type is also highly engaging, allowing you to monetize almost every daily active user.

Suitable for: All game genres, but the types of rewards will vary accordingly.

10. Offline Earnings Multiplier

In a lot of games, players continue earning currency or items while they are away. Even though this is satisfying, there is something that can be even more satisfying for them.

Doubling their offline earnings by watching an ad.

With this type of rewarded video ad, you can make this possible. All players need to do in return is watch one whole ad.

Driven by the positive rush of launching the game and receiving rewards, a lot of players engage with such ads. Generally, this is considered a high-engagement ad placement that helps in bringing players back more frequently.

Suitable for: Different games that offer AFK rewards.

11. IAP Discount Ads

This is another rewarded video ad placement that can boost IAPs.

Here, things are pretty straightforward.

This ad placement usually appears as a pop-up featuring an IAP offer at a regular price, and another at a discounted rate. To be able to get it at a lower cost, players need to watch through a rewarded video ad.

IAP discount ads are a great way to encourage indecisive players to spend money on IAP offers. To make players aware of them from the start, it is a positive practice to implement such placements relatively early in the game.

Suitable for: Any game that offers in-app purchases.

12. Ads That Bring Random Rewards

Would you like to jazz things up and make the process of winning rewards more exciting?

Here’s an idea.

Don’t reveal to players what their reward will be – implement a luck-based ad placement.

This is usually done through features like lucky wheels, lucky boards, or mystery boxes. When players engage with such features, they frequently get hooked and watch multiple ads until they win a satisfying reward.

Suitable for: Games from various genres with engaged userbases.

13. Free Character Ads

Does your game include some kind of character collection system?

If this is the case, your players might be willing to watch ads to receive new characters. This is one of the most straightforward types of rewarded video ads.

The main things you should be thinking about when incorporating this placement are timing and relevance.

These ads should appear at the right time, especially if the characters play a big role in the game balance.

However, if the characters are more of a cosmetic feature, then it’s a good idea to display this placement to highly engaged players.

Suitable for: All games in which players can collect characters, regardless of the genre.

14. In-game Hints

Brain training games should be challenging and entertaining. That’s their whole point.

The problem is, that sometimes, they get too challenging.

You don’t want your players to get stuck to the point where they think about leaving the game for good. If you notice your players are struggling for a period of time, offer them some free assistance.

You can do this by offering them a hint in exchange for watching an ad. If they are engaged with the game, this should make them stick around for longer.

Suitable for: Board, word, trivia, and puzzle games.

15. Skip Level Ads

Sometimes, players think to themselves: “Oh, I wish I could skip this level”.

There can be different reasons for this. For example, the level can be too difficult for them, they don’t like something about it or they want to progress more quickly.

In most cases, players want to skip levels because of how difficult they are. You can recognize this by observing level drop-offs.

One of the things you can do to address these issues is to offer players the chance to skip levels by watching rewarded video ads. Obviously, this placement should be limited so it doesn’t ruin all the fun. For instance, you can place it in the more difficult levels or re-offer it after a couple of minutes in the game.

Suitable for: Hyper-casual games split into levels.

16. “Remove Ads” Ads

Let’s end this list of different types of rewarded video ads with a rather unusual one.

Some games allow players to get rid of in-game ads – in exchange for watching rewarded video ads. This usually applies to ad formats like interstitial and banner ads.

In most games, options like this come in the form of IAP offers that cost a couple of dollars. But if you notice your players are not paying for this and they are furious about ads, this is a great alternative.

Since this is quite a valuable reward, you would need to make players watch multiple ads to unlock it. This way, they compensate for the developer’s “financial loss” of not displaying other ads.

Suitable for: Games that monetize with a blend of interstitial, banner, and rewarded video ads.

Final Thoughts on Types of Rewarded Video Ads

As you can see, there are many different types of rewarded video ads you can utilize in your games.

The right rewarded video ad placements can not only help you reach your revenue targets, but also maximize your retention and engagement rates. All while providing players with the best possible user experience.

Which types of rewarded video ads will you try out? Which ones have you already tried out?

Leave us a comment and let us know!