Outloud Games CEO Glib Platonov has shown that you don’t need the biggest ad budget to break through. By turning player passion into momentum and rewriting the UA rulebook, the studio has pushed titles like Thronefall and Level Zero: Extraction to the front of the pack.

Here are some of his top tips to make that happen. 

Thronefall saw 100k installs in its first week - what UA strategies were most effective in driving that early momentum, particularly on mobile? 

Our UA approach leaned heavily on an existing community and strong platform relationships. Traditional paid UA underperformed - largely because similar games like Knightshot can sustain high CPIs thanks to deep monetization and high LTV, whereas Thronefall has a one-time purchase model. In our case, organic momentum from engaged fans and store featuring was far more efficient. Could paid UA work better for other games? Possibly but only rigorous testing can confirm it.

You’ve ported and published PC/console games to mobile. How do UA strategies differ between platforms, and what unique challenges come with acquiring mobile users for previously non-mobile titles?

For premium games, paid UA is rarely the growth engine - community is. That means your biggest pre-release investment should be in nurturing players: TikTok content, Discord activity, dev blogs, Instagram, whatever resonates with your audience. The hype you build before launch pays dividends far beyond what a post-launch ad spend can achieve.

How did you approach user acquisition for Level Zero: Extraction, especially given its strong performance in the Steam wishlist rankings?

Before partnering with tinyBuild, we relied entirely on in-house resources: community cultivation and top-quality trailers. Those two factors alone drove us to 200k Steam wishlists. The key was sensing when content had that spark, what I call “vitality” and doubling down on it.

For indie/AA titles moving to mobile, how do you validate UA potential before committing to publishing or porting?

Honestly, outside of a targeted UA test, there’s no reliable shortcut. The numbers will speak louder than any theory.

How important is creative iteration in your UA campaigns, and what kinds of creatives have worked best for hybrid or niche genre games like Idle Inn Empire or Frogs Kitchen?

Creative iteration is the UA lever for 2025–2026, especially on Facebook, AppLovin, and other core channels as CPIs rise and user quality declines. Test everything, even the “bad” ideas because surprises happen. But don’t overlook alternative channels like rewarded platforms. We’ve scaled multiple titles via partners such as MAF, Scrambly, Playcharge, Adjoe - over 50 tested in total without producing a single ad creative.

Doghowl is active across platforms. How do you structure UA budgets across console, PC, and mobile when running multi-platform campaigns?

Treat each platform as its own project, with a dedicated budget and tailored strategy. The audiences, channels, and messaging differ too much for a one-size-fits-all plan.

With changes to privacy policies and attribution models, what UA channels are giving you the most reliable performance data right now?

For us, rewarded UA remains the most predictable, scaling to 200–300k monthly spend with consistent quality and no creative requirements. That said, it works best in combination with classic paid channels for reach and volume.

What are you most interested in learning or sharing on your panel at Gamesforum London? Without giving away too much.

I want to explore where growth is headed in 2025–2026. Have we hit the bottom, or is the competition about to tighten even further? On my side, I’ll be sharing in-depth on our rewarded UA playbook: what’s working, what’s not, and how to  scale it sustainably and happy to share paid publishing experience.