Effective Strategies Overview: How to Promote Online Browser-based Games in Russia

It is not unusual for even major foreign language services to run into localization problems. While the audience may be more forgiving of minor errors made by industry giants, the requirements for smaller players are increasing.

Despite the moderate level of English proficiency in Russia, studies indicate that only 27% of Russian-speaking users are willing to engage with an application featuring an English interface. Nineteen percent of respondents indicated difficulty with translation, while 36% stated they would refuse to play such a game. It should be noted, however, that this data is most applicable to games with a complex plot. In the case of browser games, where the gameplay does not involve a significant number of characters or in-game additions (such as game worlds, weapons, special vocabulary, etc.), the issue of localization is not as pressing. In many cases, translation of the game will not be necessary. 
 

Russian is frequently among the most in-demand languages for localization projects. For instance, on Steam, it is the third most requested language, accounting for 8.17% of game localizations. This can be attributed to two key factors: the size of the gaming audience and the prevalence of the Russian language in Kazakhstan, Belarus, and other CIS countries. By catering to the Russian-speaking audience in these countries, companies can effectively reach a broader international audience.
 

Digital Ecosystem for Game Industry in Russia

The digital game promotion system in Russia encompasses several areas, including:

• Influencer marketing (social networks, YouTube, and game platforms);
• Direct advertising;
• Paid social;
• Maintenance of own communities.
   

However, the Russian-speaking Internet community regularly encounters challenges and restrictions. As an illustration, the Google and YouTube advertising systems are currently unavailable for use in Russia. Paid ads are not permitted on Instagram and Facebook. However, Russia's own social networks are experiencing growth, which presents new opportunities for promotion.
 

Influencer Marketing

There are thousands of bloggers of varying sizes with active social media followings who are receptive to the insights of individuals whose lives they follow with interest. It is essential to accurately ascertain the interests of a blogger's audience to ensure that your product aligns with their needs and preferences, thereby increasing its appeal and demand. It is advisable to test a variety of formats, including text posts, carousels, and others. However, the most effective format at this time will be short videos, including reels, shorts, and VK Clips.
 

Shorts feed on the Clash Of Clans YouTube channel

In Russia, influencer marketing for gaming products is typically associated with YouTube, VK, and Twitch. Moreover, gamification on YouTube is a significant area of interest in Russia. However, it is possible to select unconventional influencers to promote a game on the platform and in VK. The RMAA team has thus reinforced the presence of Genshin Impact in Russia. Twitch is a different matter. The main format of promotion will be streams from leading Russian gamers. 

Consider the following: 

The Russian audience is wary of promotions for applications and games that claim to provide a means of earning real money. This has led to a degree of distrust among certain bloggers, necessitating a prudent approach in the selection of an advertising partner. Similarly, the promotion of browser games requires a comprehensive assessment of the product, audience, and platforms, making the input of experts invaluable.

Social Media Communities

In general, social network communities can be considered a comprehensive alternative to traditional websites. They offer a straightforward, customizable platform with all the essential features and sections. Social networks facilitate user access to game updates, enabling developers to communicate more rapidly with players. It is possible to simply provide people with the main information on the game, but a more effective approach would be to engage your fan base. This could include drawings and contests, as well as encouraging feedback and other forms of activity that will foster a sense of community interest. It is, after all, a basic human need to communicate with people who share similar interests. This is particularly true of those who spend a great deal of time online. For more complex promotions involving images, promos, and various formats of creatives, VKontakte is the most suitable community. It would be advisable to consider Telegram, which is gaining popularity, as well as the classic Odnoklassniki (especially if the age of your audience coincides with the age of users of this resource).
 

Dota2 Telegram channel

VKontakte

VKontakte promotions are conducted in three scenarios: 

• Targeted campaigns launched through VK Advertising. The platform offers the ability to utilize point settings (such as age, gender, and other user parameters), automatic budget optimization, and bid strategy. Please note that the payment will be for downloading the game, rather than the number of ad views. The combination of these factors enables the achievement of optimal results at the lowest cost. VK Advertising also provides comprehensive guidelines. 
• Paid social in communities where the target audience is subscribed. These may include fan groups focused on a specific game, genre, or theme and those related to other areas of interest, such as technology, development, online game merchandise stores, and geek events.

Partnership with Russian Game Catalogs 

Game catalogs remain an extremely effective channel for promoting browser games in Russia. The largest are considered to be Yandex.Games, as well as their social media platforms, VKontakte and Odnoklassniki.

Naturally, catalogs represent a significant, even a primary, competitive force. It is therefore essential to ensure that both the product and the site are carefully designed to facilitate a high ranking.

• Provide accurate, detailed, and well-presented information about the game, including a description tailored to the target audience and high-quality screenshots.

• Select appropriate tags and keywords and categorize the game in the catalog.

• The game should be adapted for use on at least two main types of devices: PCs and mobile devices.

Browser games are a sophisticated product, and to promote them effectively, it is essential to consider the unique aspects of the website. Let us now review the main catalogs.

Yandex.Games

The platform itself claims to host more than 3,500 games and attracts 40 million monthly visitors. The largest age demographic is those aged 55 and above (33%), followed by users aged 45 to 54 (26%) and those aged 35 to 44 (21%).

The promotion of the game within the catalog is now fully automated. The primary responsibility of the developer is to accurately complete the game's information, provide relevant images and videos, and ensure that Yandex.Games algorithms enhance the game's visibility in thematic selections and the general catalog. To assess your competitiveness, it is advisable to pay attention to the Featuremeter, which is a scale you can use to determine the degree of readiness of the game for promotion. Yandex.Console, a service for developers of browser games, provides a more detailed overview.
 

Puzzle games catalog in Yandex.Games

Vkontakte

The largest gaming platform in Russia and the CIS, bringing together millions of players, developers, and esports teams, is VK Play. Every month, the platform attracts 101 million visitors, while 79.5 million users in Russia play daily. Here, users can play games, watch streams, participate in tournaments, and launch exciting projects.

Currently, the platform offers over 10,000 games, including mobile, PC, and HTML5 projects.
 

At the same time, users don’t need a high-performance computer—VK Play Cloud allows games to run on remote servers. The service requires a stable internet connection of at least 30 Mbps. Its audience now exceeds 300,000 MAU, with a catalog offering over 300 games.

The platform is also actively supporting esports, having hosted more than 5,500 tournaments with over 1.3 million participants. For streamers, there is a dedicated monetization platform where more than 40,000 creators are already producing content.

For developers, VK Play offers various advertising formats and promotional channels for their projects:

• Integrated advertising (banners, videos, in-game purchases);

• Free promotion through the VK and myTarget ecosystems;

• Special projects and collaborations with IT companies;

• Game featuring with a reach of up to 7 million users.

This significantly streamlines the advertising process on the platform. Additionally, the platform facilitates player feedback through reviews and ratings. 
 

Reviews of the online game Gribniki and Clans on VK Play

Out-of-Home to Increase Campaign Reach

Given that browser games are of interest not only to "avid" gamers but also to the broader population of solvent users, it would be prudent to employ strategies that enhance the reach of promotions and elevate the profile of the game product. The most optimal option is out-of-home, digital, in particular. 

Outdoor advertising in public places allows for the dissemination of the product to a broad audience, and thanks to modern digital means, it is also possible to track traffic. By leveraging DOOH tools, you can enhance consumer engagement and gain valuable insights into viewer perception. 

To illustrate this point further, we will refer to our case study. To promote Genshin Impact in Russia, RMAA created "teleportation points" on digital screens in the Evropeisky shopping center (Moscow), effectively drawing in potential players and fans into the game's virtual realm. The campaign was part of a worldwide promotional initiative. The global narrative was incorporated into the indoor solution in a high-traffic location, thereby becoming an integral part of the overall setup. As a result, visitors who expressed interest in the game were able to immediately begin playing Genshin Impact. 
 

Genshin Impact DOOH campaign as part of the #ENDLESSJOURNEY project in Russia

This is far from our only project with Genshin Impact. Every year, we launch outdoor advertising campaigns for the brand in Russia, helping to strengthen its market position and increase brand awareness among the audience.

Additionally, TV advertising represents a viable strategy for promoting the game. It is a trusted medium among 35% of the Russian-speaking audience, and the entertainment category is among the top thematic TV in Russia. For example, the RMAA advertising campaign for Genshin Impact delivered strong results due to an effective selection of channels and precise targeting of the audience. A high GRP score of 59.3 confirmed the campaign’s success.

While TV advertising, like outdoor campaigns, is not the most traditional tool for promoting games in Russia, it has proven to be highly effective. This format not only captures audience attention but also helps brands stand out against digital channels, where competition for user engagement is much higher.

Let’s Summarize

The gaming industry has its own unique and effective channels for promoting projects. The choice of tools depends primarily on the budget, target audience, and the nature of the game itself. Various approaches exist in the market, ranging from social media advertising to leveraging mobile platforms and gaming services. Each channel has its own characteristics and advantages that should be considered when planning a strategy.

How can you develop a well-thought-out promotion tactic? Consult with RMAA specialists, who will help select the most effective channels and approaches.

We frequently serves as a liaison between game developers and the Russian audience, facilitating promotional activities. Our accumulated experience allows us to grasp current market trends and build effective strategies based on them. The result is cases that describe our individual approach to the client. From our experience, we can say that there is no single, comprehensive guide for promoting a game product. There is a significant demand among the Russian-speaking audience for new games, as well as considerable potential for their promotion. 

Are you interested? Let's cooperate. To contact the RMAA manager, please complete the contact form.