How The Experimentation Group And Shallot Games Increased RPI 75%

Shallot Games initially got in touch because they were stuck. Their game, Coffee Golf, had a solid retention rate (47% on D1, 29% on D7, and 13% on D30) and almost entirely organic installs. However monetisation and paid user acquisition (UA) were weak, limiting their ability to scale. By combining gaming expertise with experimentation techniques, we developed an innovative and effective solution.

Driving RPI

Our first focus was on monetization. The game’s core mode, “Daily Classic,” allowed players to compare their scores each day. The most engaged players ground hard to maintain a streak of top 1% finishes. A one-time purchase for unlimited replays and the option to watch ads for individual replays drove the majority of revenue. However, the problem with one-time purchases is that they don’t scale.

Recognising players’ appetite for gameplay and the casual style of the game, we introduced a saga-style progression called “Tour Mode.” This radically changed the game loop, allowing players to play as much as they wanted, governed by a simple economy of par scores (a score limit per course), lives (gifted or bought, and lost when a player exceeds par on a course), and gems (earned through play or purchased). It also provided a framework of proven monetisation mechanics. In simple, early versions, players progressed deeply into the game, prompting us to layer features on top, designed to drive spend.

We implemented “Tour Streak” and “Daily Tour Challenge,” which offered rewards for consecutive achievements. For example, in Tour Streak, players earned a “Mulligan” by passing three consecutive courses on their first attempt. A Mulligan is valuable because it allows players to retake any shot for free. Players lose their Mulligan if they fail a level, which increases the cost of failure and therefore encourages spending. The Daily Tour Challenge further leveraged this concept.

Next, we optimised the difficulty curve, ensuring that courses were challenging enough to drive spend without frustrating players. Finally, we rolled out interstitial ads for non-paying players, which, surprisingly, increased both monetisation and retention. These combined game design changes boosted RPI from 40 to 70 cents—a healthy 75% increase. We were clearly on the right path.

Optimising UA

With RPI growing, the next step was building a paid user acquisition capability. Shallot integrated Singular to track and optimise their UA efforts, running campaigns across Facebook and Unity Ads. After testing a variety of creatives, simple gameplay ads proved most effective, bringing CPIs down to around 40 cents in the U.S. Given the boosted RPI, Shallot was now in a position to begin scaling, confident that there was plenty of room for further improvement.

The Bottom Line

By combining gaming expertise with experimentation techniques, The Experimentation Group and Shallot Games successfully turned things around for Coffee Golf. The game has evolved from a solid performer to a title that can fuel the next phase of Shallot’s growth.