How Kooapps grew daily spend by over 400% on Snake.io

Kooapps is the casual games studio behind a portfolio of mobile hits, including the wildly popular Snake.io. Known for accessible, high-retention gameplay, the studio has built a loyal player base by treating user acquisition with the same rigor it applies to game design, chasing not just installs, but the retention and return on ad spend (ROAS) that keep titles healthy long-term.

As Kooapps looked to grow beyond its traditional acquisition channels, the studio turned to on-device user acquisition (UA), as a new channel to reach players without compromising performance. Working with Aura, Kooapps set out to scale this channel using Aura's D7 ROAS Optimizer across its key titles, starting with Snake.io.

The goal was ambitious: grow spend on a new channel, with the same focus on ROAS and retention that the studio applies everywhere else.

The results

• Increased Snake.io average daily spend on Aura by over 400% YoY*
• Snake.io's ROAS Optimizer campaigns achieved stronger retention than manual campaigns at D1, D7 and D30*
• Expanded the ROAS Optimizer to nearly all regions across key titles

Broadening their UA portfolio

Retention and ROAS are the industry-standard KPIs for user acquisition and the main KPIs for Kooapps titles like Snake.io. As the studio looked to grow beyond traditional channels, on-device UA with Aura offered a way to broaden the portfolio without compromising on performance.

“We’ve been wanting to scale with Aura for a long time, and we’re really pleased with the growth we achieved,” says CK Wang, CEO of Kooapps.

Testing into the ROAS Optimizer

The move to Aura’s D7 ROAS Optimizer started as part of Kooapps’ normal testing process — trying new campaign types to grow spend and ROAS. The playbook: build install volume with CPI campaigns, separate campaigns by geo, then launch D7 ROAS campaigns to drive higher-quality traffic. From there, Kooapps transitioned CPI campaigns to value-bidding ROAS campaigns market by market.

“After getting enough installs with CPI campaigns, we separated the campaigns per geo, then launched the D7 ROAS campaigns to drive more traffic and higher ROAS. We now have the D7 ROAS Optimizer in almost all regions for our key titles,” Wang explains.

Stronger retention than manual campaigns

The results went beyond scale. In H1 2026, Snake.io's ROAS Optimizer campaigns delivered stronger retention than its manual campaigns at D1, D7 and D30.

Collaborating for success

Behind the numbers is a close working relationship: regular follow-ups on campaign scale, biweekly calls to grow key campaigns, granular optimizations for performance, and guidance on new geos and the transition to ROAS Optimizer.

“The Aura team helps us discover important geos we could launch new campaigns in, and helps us transition CPI campaigns to ROAS optimizer campaigns. They make our life so easy!” says Wang.

Grow your app with preload UA that performs. Ready to add preload UA to your growth mix? Book a call with the team today.

* Source: Internal Unity Data, based on Snake.io campaigns on Aura. Average daily spend on Aura for January 1 to June 30, 2026, compared with the baseline period January 1 to June 30, 2025. Results may vary.

** Source: Internal Unity Data, based on Snake.io campaigns on Aura. Retention of ROAS Optimizer campaigns compared with manual campaigns, for cohorts from January 1 to June 30, 2026, at D1, D7 and D30 (cohorts matured to D30). Results may vary.