Economy of 'Revive VS Boosters'

The Power of Revive

Revive mechanics have long been a top feature in Casual and Hybrid Casual games, and for a good reason — they offer a perfect blend of player Engagement and Monetization. But what makes this mechanic so effective, and how can it be optimized in different types of games?

Let’s break it down.

The Revive Mechanic: Why It Works

At its core, the Revive is simple: it gives players a second chance after failing a level, typically in exchange for a reward like extra moves, time, tiles, or space.

In Match-3 games, for example, Revive is one of the Top Monetization strategies.

Imagine you’ve just run out of moves on a tricky level — suddenly, a Revive pops up offering you +5 extra moves for a small cost. You’re close to winning, so why not take the deal?

Psychology plays a huge role here. You’ve already invested time and effort into the level, and the fear of losing all that progress drives you to spend money (or watch ads) to keep going. This is where the sunk-cost fallacy kicks in — players are more likely to make irrational decisions to avoid feeling like their time has been wasted.

But it doesn’t stop there. Many games implement a price scale for Revives, meaning the more Revives you need in a row, the more expensive they become. Clever, right? But don’t worry, the higher cost often comes with more valuable bonuses, like additional boosters on top of extra moves.

Hybrid Casual Games: When Revive and Boosters Meet Together

Revive is still a valuable mechanic in Hybrid Casual games, but there’s an interesting twist. In many of these games, the Boosters offered during regular gameplay are the same ones offered in Revive pop-ups. On the surface, this creates redundancy — why pay for something in a Revive when you can get it earlier in the level?

This redundancy arises because many Hybrid Casual games use management of the space (not moves) as the key condition for losing. Running out of space in these games leads to failure, and the same Boosters that help players during normal gameplay (adding extra space or tiles) are offered as Revives.

Is this a problem? Not necessarily. Successful games show this can still work, but it does reduce the variety of monetization strategies. Both the in-game Boosters and Revives are offering nearly identical benefits, limiting player choice.

So, how do developers balance this?

Case Studies: Revive in Action

Now, let's explore how different games approach Revive mechanics and pricing with their unique strategies. Let’s take a look at a couple of examples.

In all of them, the criteria for Loss is 'Not Enough Space' in stock.

Screw Jam: The Classic

Let's start with the economy of Screw Jam

• As a Booster — they propose to add +1 Hole.

  • Players can buy only a Pack of 3 Boosters.

  • The price is 225 Coins

  • That means, that 1 Booster of +1 Hole cost = 75 Coins (225 Coins / 3 Boosters)
    

• As a Revive — they propose Player +2 Holes (P.S. Rollic can improve their UX, by showing this information, it can motivate players to buy even more)

  • The price is 250 Coins

  • So, in this case, +1 Hole cost = 125 Coins (250 Coins / 2 Holes)

At first glance, the Booster seems like a better deal (75 coins per hole vs. 125 coins per hole for the Revive). So, why do players still choose the Revive?

• The psychology of pressure. When you're about to lose, the Revive option is more compelling. It’s immediate, and players often aren’t comparing exact costs — they just want to avoid failure.

• UX tips. Prominently showing the bonus (+2 Holes) in the UI could even increase Revive purchases, as it emphasizes value in a moment of high tension.

Bus Jam: The Two Revive Dilemma

Now, let’s explore Bus Jam, where the difference between Boosters and Revives becomes even more pronounced.

• As a Booster — they propose to add +3 Tiles.

  • Players can buy only a Pack of 3 Boosters.

  • The price is 1 800 Coins

  • So, 1 Booster of +3 Tiles cost = 600 Coins (1800 Coins / 3 Boosters)

    • That means, 1 Tile cost = 200 Coins (600 Coins / 3 Tiles)
      

• As a Revive — they propose Player +2 Tiles

  • The price is 500 Coins

  • So, in this case, 1 Tile cost = 250 Coins (500 Coins / 2 Tiles)

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At first glance, Revive seems more expensive per tile. But the price jumps significantly if you need 2 Revives in a row. The second Revive cost is 1,100 coins for +2 tiles, meaning the cost per tile soars to 550 coins.

• 1 Tile from Booster cost for players = 200 Coins

• 1 Tile from 2nd Revive cost for players = 550 Coins (1100 Coins / 2 Tiles)

Let's analyse even deeper - and calculate the Sum Value of 2 Revive:

• Per 2 Revives Player will get: 2 + 2 = 4 Tiles

• It will cost for him: 500 + 1100 = 1600 Coins

• As a Result, for 2 Revives, 1 Tile will cost = 400 Coins (1600 Coins / 4 Tiles)

Slightly cheaper, but still relatively expensive compared to the Booster.

And guess what? It still works. Why?

This behavior can be explained by the sunk cost fallacy — players are more likely to keep spending when they’ve already invested effort or currency into a level. The emotional drive to avoid losing that investment, whether it’s time or coins, makes even higher-priced Revives appealing. The further players go, the more they’re willing to spend.

However, if an attentive player notices in his previous experience the cost of the Booster compared to the cost of the Revive, he can adapt his strategy and optimize it by using Boosters instead of Revive.

Block Jam: Another Take on Tile Management

Block Jam follows a similar logic but with a slightly different pricing structure:

• As a Booster — they propose to add +3 Tiles.

  • The price is 120 Coins

  • That means, that 1 Tile cost = 40 Coins (120 Coins / 3 Tiles)
    

• As a Revive — they propose Player +1 Tiles

  • The price is 50 Coins

  • So, in this case, 1 Tile cost = 50 Coins

Once again, we see a situation where the Booster offers better value on a per-unit basis.

This design pushes players to use Revives impulsively, even though a more calculated decision would lead them to buy boosters.

What’s particularly interesting in Bus Jam and Block Jam is that the Revive option is often not just more expensive than the Booster but also offers less value in terms of game resources. For example, Revive in Block Jam might give +1 tile, whereas a booster gives +3 tiles at a lower per-unit cost. This might be a deliberate tactic to push players toward boosters before they hit the Loss screen. An interesting strategy to avoid frustration and keep players feeling in control of their decisions. However, I personally prefer to make Revives more attractive. When players feel they are getting good value under pressure, trust in the game’s economy is built, and long-term engagement and spending are encouraged.

Magic Sort: Keeping It Clear

Magic Sort looks like an exception. This game offers the same price for both Revive and Booster (900 Coins for a bottle), making everything clear for the player.

Is it the best approach? It's certainly the most straightforward and transparent, but simplicity might not always yield the best results in the complex world of game economy.

However, balance is not only about math; it is always about combining math and players' psychology. 

How to Optimize Revive Pricing

So, what can we learn from these examples? It’s clear that Revive pricing isn’t just about the numbers — it’s about timing, pressure, visualization and psychology. Players don’t always pick the most economical option — they choose based on the pressure, their emotional investment, and the game’s visual cues.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Use Revive point, as more expensive one - because the pressure of the moment is higher, and players tend to pay more because of the specific of trigger

  
  

• Add LiveOps Events to enhance Revive value: Events like WinStreaks can increase the pressure on players to use Revives, especially when there are additional rewards for maintaining a streak.
  

• Increase Revive costs over time: Players are more willing to spend when they’ve already invested effort into a level. Raising the price for consecutive Revives takes advantage of this emotional investment.
  

• Use visual cues to obscure price comparisons - reduce the chance of players directly comparing the cost:

  • By offering different amounts of Tiles/Holes (Revive VS Booster):

  • By offering a pack of 3 Boosters to buy, instead of only 1 Booster