Creatives consistently won by leveraging direct viewer engagement – from 'breaking the fourth wall' to acknowledge frustration, to daring players with a 'can you do better?' challenge. This personalized approach, often paired with a 'teaser to reward' arc or cliffhanger, fueled curiosity and download intent.

High-performing ads built anticipation with 'odd visuals' and 'surprise twists,' delivering emotional satisfaction. Negative emotions like 'frustration' or 'envy' also proved powerful, especially when setting up competitive challenges or highlighting relatable struggles.

While direct engagement broadly soared, network nuances were stark. Facebook, India, and Indonesia leaned into 'mystery questions' and interactive 'split-screen' or 'choice-branch' visuals with 'open loop' endings. AppLovin and YouTube thrived on 'looping' narratives, with YouTube showing a surprising affinity for 'AI bots' and 'flashback' storytelling.

The US market pivoted from generic curiosity towards 'humor/meme' hooks and high-stakes 'upgrade race' or 'timed challenge' scenarios featuring 'expert players.' Competitive narratives, often with a direct 'failure CTA,' proved exceptionally potent.

Broadly, simpler 'looping' narratives without interactive elements (Facebook), basic 'noob failure' clusters (AppLovin), or 'minimal' arcs (YouTube) saw a decline. The market now demands dynamic storytelling and a clear emotional payoff or challenge.