I love trying our new games that appear across the app stores, but when it comes to games from the big hyper/hybrid gang, I try to keep clear due to them historically being nothing more than brain dead ad providers. But there was something about Rollic Games latest puzzler Color Block Jam that I just couldn’t resist. Something about the block removal puzzle game that takes me back to the touch screen ipod and one of the first games I probably played in the new mobile gaming world. Maybe it was the vibrant colours or it was something entirely different, but it was a game I just had to bite the bullet and try. 

Now usually I tend to avoid games in the hybrid/hyper category because I tend to work on Purchase led games, due to the constant barrage of ads I remember back from working on these kinds of games in a past life. However, this time, it was different, it was a lot more refined, it was gentler on the soul, it didn’t feel like one of those games that changed the UA game, and murdered the point of a free chart anymore. 

This was a title that brings you through 3 stages of monetization in a calm manner, and gives you an actual opportunity to enjoy the core game, and not have your eyeballs or inability to click the world's smallest x button get abused from the get go. So let’s break down these 3 stages and see what else I believe could even bring even more revenue to this already growing juggernaut.

Stage 1: The Honeymoon Period (Ad-Free Bliss)

You’ve just downloaded Color Block Jam, and it’s love at first sight. The interface is clean, the puzzles are satisfying, and what do you mean I'm at least 50 levels into this and I've not seen a single ad? It almost feels too good to be true, right? Well, that’s because it is, because as we’re all well aware, nothing in this life is free. This stage is designed to get you hooked, to keep you playing long enough that when the difficulty spikes, you’re already invested.

More importantly, during this phase, Color Block Jam subtly introduces its first in-app purchase—the Failed Level Pack. The game lets you taste sweet victory without hassle, but as you progress, failures start creeping in. And when they do, the game is right there with a helpful little offer to “just make things a bit easier.” It’s not aggressive, but the placement is strategic—it’s the first time you realize that maybe, just maybe, this game isn’t purely about skill.

Stage 2: We’re warning you, either spend some cash or we’ll revert to the old ways!

If you’ve resisted the temptation to buy a Failed Level Pack, you now enter what we’ll call the Engaged But Non-Buyer Stage. The difficulty has ramped up, and you’re failing a lot more often than before. The game’s response? Banner ads.

Banner ads are the “soft sell” of mobile game monetization. They don’t disrupt the flow, they don’t force you to stop playing, but they’re there—like a persistent itch you can’t quite scratch. The purpose? They’re almost like a warning, letting you know that ads are in fact in this game, and if you don’t make a purchase soon, we WILL revert back to the hoard of intrusive ads you hate so much.

At this point, Color Block Jam doubles down on its IAP strategy. The Failed Level Pack rears its head more frequently, appearing at just the right moment when frustration is at its peak. You’ve already invested time and effort, so haven’t we done enough to justify just $5 to support the game and the staff behind it?

Stage 3: We did warn you (Welcome to Ad Hell)

If you’ve managed to make it this far without giving in to either an in-app purchase or quitting in frustration, you can almost hear Mr Burns utter the phrase “release the hounds”. The banner ad you tolerated? It’s now your ever-present companion, and interstitial ads? Oh, you’ll be seeing them plenty. Every level completion or failure is now met with a full-screen interruption, like a pushy salesperson who just won’t take no for an answer. You were warned, you didn’t pay up, so here we are, back in the minefield, where you will spend just as much time trying to find a close button as you will be trying to find the solution to the puzzle. 

At this stage, Rollic Games has accepted all hope is lost, and you are clearly a freeloader so this will now be your experience, you made your bed, lie in it. The transition has been smooth but relentless, and unless you have the patience of a saint, you’re now in one of two camps—either reaching for your wallet or preparing to play the Find the X minigame.

How Color Block Jam Can Take It to the Next Level

While Rollic Games has clearly mastered the art of the monetization funnel, there’s always room for improvement. Here are a few ways they could level up their strategy:

1. Switch Up the UI for IAP Offers – One of the biggest problems with constant IAP placements is that players develop app blindness. The Failed Level Pack may be showing up at a time when you were so close to victory, but if it always looks the same, long-term players will mentally filter it out. Like doom scrolling through TikTok if it all looks the same, it doesn’t capture attention.
2. Introduce an “Ad Battle Pass” – Right now, Color Block Jam has a free and paid battle pass. But what if there was a third option? Instead of locking all premium rewards behind real money, an Ad Battle Pass could allow non-spending players to progress by watching rewarded ads. Every few levels, instead of an automatic progression, they’d need to watch a video ad to continue. This way, even players who aren’t willing to spend still contribute to revenue in a structured, less disruptive manner.

What else could they do?

Color Block Jam has been one of my top games i’ve downloaded for a while, in the way its difficulty curve keeps you locked in enough, but what have you noticed from how these monetization models have evolved over the last couple of years and where would you like them to lead onto?