Your Free to Play game can earn you a lot more than you think. A “freemium” game will always be more inviting to players rather than charging them $4.99 for a game right off the bat. Your game may seem free, but really we all know nothing is ever actually free. Getting to play a freemium game, your customer in return, is essentially paying with their time as they patiently wait for the ads in your game to go away. Ads are probably the first thing that comes to mind on how your free game can get you paid, but besides ads, there are a few other ways your customer is paying to play your F2P game.

1. Ads. Yes, I mentioned ads above, but there are different types and purposes of ads. For example, when you hear an ad on Pandora, you’re most likely just waiting for the ad to play so you can get on to the next song. This can also happen in games –a commercial standing in your way of the next level and you just have to wait until you can move on. Ads are annoying as it is, you can make them a little easier for your customers to watch them. In-app rewards for watching ad, such as coins, rare items, lives, and etc will make people feel less annoyed, and instead give them more motivation to watch the ad.
   

   

2. In-app purchases. Playing the game at the most basic level is free, but there are a ton of things players can buy to further their gameplay once they have found themselves more invested in the game. It can be new skins, costumes, weapons, gems, you name it, it can be purchased.
   

   

3. Badges. Badges are similar to the different things you can buy within in the app. A badge essentially lets players show off to other players. Badges will make players feel like they’re part of an elite group, and people will pay for that.
   

   

4. Tournaments. Organizing tournaments will gather a wave of people playing your game at once. Even having cash prizes or buy-ins will entice more people to participate.
   The more people are playing your games, the more in-app purchases can be made, the more ads can be played, and etc. Basically, tournaments= more money!!
   

   

5. Gifting. Adding the option of gifting is also a great feature to help promote and encourage in-app purchases. Maybe someone wouldn’t ever be interested in spending money on a game, but someone else can gift them. Either, they will keep receiving gifts, start feeling inclined to return the favor, or maybe now that they are introduced to the good life, they will begin to make in-app purchases themselves.  Hint: themed gifting as an option is excellent for many holidays!
   

   

If you are missing any of these types of in-app purchases, think about what purchase-options you can add or which options to improve. Your next update may be the big money maker!