Mobile game ad creatives: what belongs in the first 3 seconds
The first 3 seconds of a mobile game ad (UA creative): one image, one promise, immediate motion and text that reads on mute. Hook types, what to avoid, and three openings from Per Regna.
A mobile game ad is a three-second exam. Someone is scrolling, your video appears, and their thumb either stops or keeps going. This post is about those three seconds.
The rule: one image, one idea
In the first three seconds there should be one thing on screen, and it should show the promise. The three openings we built for Per Regna:
| Video | First frame | Text |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | A single glowing planet in the dark | IT ALL BEGINS WITH ONE WORLD |
| Adventure | Camera diving into a nebula | HOW DEEP WILL YOU GO? |
| Alliance | Towers in front of a giant moon | ALONE, YOU RAID. TOGETHER, YOU RULE. |
None of them has a logo, a menu or a loading screen.
Motion must start at once
A still opening means a still ad. In the Growth video the planet rotates slightly from the first frame and its light breathes; in Adventure the camera pushes forward within the first second. The eye needs something to follow.
Text: two or three words, big
When the ad plays muted, the text carries the hook. Two or three words in the top third, in a typeface close to the game's own. For Per Regna the closest free font to the logo was Cinzel; with a gold gradient, every headline belongs to one family.
Hook types
- Promise: "From one world to an empire."
- Question: "How deep will you go?"
- Conflict: "Alone, you lose."
- Number: "×1000 ships."
- Decision moment: show a choice and withhold the answer — the "RETURN / CONTINUE" beat in the Adventure video.
What to avoid
- Studio logos and long title animations
- Menus, settings, loading bars
- Scenes that aren't in the game (players notice after installing, and churn)
- A flood of text in the first second
Same body, three openings
Keeping the body fixed and swapping only the first three seconds is the cheapest test there is. Within days the ad platform shows which one brings installs for less. It's the same logic as the thumbnail A/B tests we run on YouTube.
For the full flow: How to make a game trailer. Examples and orders: Game trailers.
Trailers and ad creatives cut from real gameplay, with a strong first three seconds and readable with the sound off. Vertical + horizontal, 15 / 30 / 40 s.
What’s in it 5
- Gameplay capture (we can record it for you)
- One promise per video: growth, adventure, alliance…
- 9:16 and 16:9, 15 / 30 / 40 s cuts
- Custom music + sound design, −14 LUFS
- With-sound and silent versions, end card and CTA
Frequently asked
1.Why are the first 3 seconds of a mobile game ad so important?
Someone scrolling a feed gives an ad a few seconds to make its case. If the ad promises nothing in that time, it doesn't matter how good the rest is.
2.What makes a good hook?
One image, one idea and motion that starts immediately — 'one planet', 'a depth choice', 'a joint strike' — not a logo, a menu or a loading screen.
3.How many hooks should I test?
At least three different openings on the same body. Ad platforms show within days which one brings cheaper installs; new variations are built from the winner.
4.Do you produce ad creatives?
Yes. From real gameplay, vertical and horizontal, 15 / 30 s; a separate hook per theme and with-sound + silent versions. Send your store link for a quote within 24 hours.
