There are 3 million apps on Google Play, but only 3% of them are paid. The freemium monetization model dominates the market today. It implies that the application can be downloaded for free, but all the variety of content and features are unlocked in it only for money. There are other ways to monetize conditionally free games:

In-game advertising. Most mobile games use advertising as their primary monetization strategy. However, it has become the most annoying factor, as it repels more than it benefits. Many hypercasual games have received low ratings and lots of complaints just because of annoying ads. As a result, players believe that mobile game development studios have only one goal – to make money from advertising, which has unfortunate consequences.

Rewards for viewing ads. A more attractive and socially acceptable format because it allows users to view ads in exchange for various rewards, such as in-game currency or extra life.

Monthly Subscription. Although this method is often ignored, but according to predictions, it will soon become the most relevant way to monetize games of most genres. It works like this: after subscribing, a small amount is deducted monthly from the user’s bank card linked to the account in the store. This is convenient for players – no need to watch ads at all, you just have to pay a little every month and enjoy the game with the bonuses available by subscription.

Embedded purchases. Most box office games use this kind of monetization. It avoids annoying and intrusive ads, and also gives players the ability to use in-game currency for different purposes.