Game Analytics: Retention and Monetization in Free-to-Play Mobile Games

Russell Ovans

Apr 2025 · Thought Pilots

About this ebook

A thorough but gentle introduction to the field of free-to-play games, describing in detail how successful game studios collect and query their data, build predictive models, run A/B tests, and grow their bottom line.

Whether you are an experienced developer looking to stay ahead of the curve or a newcomer seeking to break into the industry, this book is the edge you need when analyzing games. With an in-depth focus on the core areas of user retention, monetization, and predicting customer lifetime value (LTV), Game Analytics contains the hands-on SQL queries, statistical theory, and Tableau visualization tips and tricks you need to succeed as a data analyst, product manager, or user acquisition manager in free-to-play games.

About the author

Russell Ovans, Ph.D., is a computer scientist who has worked as both a software engineering professor and a programmer since Rick Astley ruled the dance floor. In 2007, he accidentally invented social gaming when his software engineering consultancy company (Backstage Technologies) started monetizing its Facebook app Scratch and Win with in-app purchases. Once briefly bigger than Zynga, Backstage became best known for its Family Feud app and was acquired by RealNetworks (GameHouse) in 2010. Suddenly work optional, Russ returned to teaching college, worked as an executive-in-residence at a tech incubator, and opened a brewery. He returned to the games industry in 2018 to lead analytics and growth at East Side Games. He lives in Vancouver.