Chicken Road: it's the new Plinko!
A new generation of players, a fresh trend on the rise, and the proven impact of social traffic — that’s the formula driving the latest success story in the world of crash games. For years, titles like Plinko and Aviator have dominated the casual gaming space, generating millions in net profits for iGaming brands and media buying teams. But as with any viral hit, their popularity eventually levels off, which means it is time to look for or create new profitable trends.
Now, a new contender is emerging. ZM Media Buying Company has shared the results of a recent case study that sheds light on a growing trend that could compete with Plinko.
“We constantly monitor gambling-related content on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. As soon as we notice mentions of a specific game in organic traffic, we quickly begin testing it” — Pox_chka media buying team by ZM.
Chicken Road by INOUT GAMES. RTP: 98%
“Chicken Road is a new game from INOUT GAMES. “Why did the chicken cross the road?” is a world-famous joke. We quickly made a connection with Plinko, since this mechanic also replicated a popular kids’ game. That is exactly what prompted us to design the user flow and initiate tests” — Pox_chka media buying team by ZM.
The team started by driving traffic to the PWA apps. They have focused on unique creatives and optimising the sales funnel.
“During the tests, we successfully worked on emotion-driven creatives and gameplay. After the tests, we began adapting all known best practices specifically for this game. All creatives were exclusive and made without the help of spy services. In our team, we actively work on developing the creativity of buyers: we experiment with texts, gameplay, and creative layouts”.
“The second critical component of a high conversion rate is a well-thought-out sales funnel. If a user clicks on a Chicken Road creative and enters the app with a design which corresponds to that creative, then after installing, immediately enters the Chicken Road crash game (instead of searching for it manually), the conversion rate increases by 20-30%'”— Pox_chka media buying team by ZM.
After two weeks of successful traffic drives on PWA apps, the team scaled the sales funnel and launched traffic campaigns on a new iOS app with a Chicken Road design, which is now available for use.
Chicken Road app from ZM apps rental service by ZM
Traffic quality and advertiser feedback
High conversion rates and ROI are not the only metrics that matter. Can crash games actually get quality traffic? What feedback did the team receive from advertisers regarding the Chicken Road traffic flow?
“Initial feedback showed high-quality traffic. Brands that we collaborate with are successfully recouping traffic costs from crash-based approaches. When working with such users, it is crucial to take into consideration their preferences and the unique nature of social traffic” — Pox_chka media buying team by ZM.
Audience of crash games
“Honestly, “crash games” is not the most accurate name for games like this. It is better to call mechanics like Plinko or Chicken Road casual’ — Vlad, Founder & CEO at INOUT.
Crash-game mechanics effectively attract a large number of users, allowing a reduction in traffic costs and gently introducing new players into the industry owing to the absence of a high entry barrier. These simple yet engaging mechanics, paired with popular themes, resonate with younger audiences, since simplicity and gamification are key priorities for them.
“Users from crash-based approaches rarely transition to classic slots. They return to the platform for these exact games and are clearly interested in these specific mechanics. Gen Z players require special approaches and specialised expertise to work with them effectively” — Alina, Affiliate Team Lead at N1 Partners.
“If a user cashes out early in a crash game, they are more likely to stay engaged with the platform. However, the user’s behaviour directly depends on the brand’s retention strategies” — Alexander, Affiliate Manager at MostBet Partners.
To maximise the profitability of social traffic, particularly among casual game audiences, iGaming brands need to rethink their operational models and retention strategies for these users.
Such users need to be taught how to use the platform. The entry points and bonus systems should be simplified and gamified. The users should be given simple bonuses, specifically in the games they are interested in. The strategy for VIP players should be adjusted as well: lowering tier thresholds for slot-alternative enthusiasts to access VIP benefits is needed.
In fact, media buyers and brands working with crash games today are shaping a new generation of players who will later become active users of iGaming platforms.
Social traffic impact
“ASO, PPC, and SEO traffic sources bring to the platform already active iGaming users. Facebook is not only for finding high rollers; it is also for audience expansion, creating new generations of players, launching trends, and boosting other traffic sources. Today, social traffic is evaluated using the same metrics as other traffic sources, which, in contrast, operate in a totally different way” — Yaroslav, CCO at ZM.
Social traffic achieves objectives that cannot be measured by traditional product metrics — such as boosting organic traffic growth, popularising slots, and launching trends. The success of the Chicken Road game is yet another clear example.
“Chicken Road and its closest competitors are gaining popularity. It is likely that the game Chicky Run also started growing against this backdrop. I assume that players are confusing them visually; they are different but thematically similar and simple in terms of mechanics.”
“There were no search queries last year, but since January, there has been active interest in this game. Ahrefs operates with a noticeable lag. Therefore, its data comes in late. We track this information in real-time using our in-house service developed by ZM’s SEO department” — Dmitry, Team Lead of SEO DPT at ZM.
While YouTube and TikTok helped build early popularity, it was the integration of large-scale Facebook traffic in November-December 2024 that truly boosted the trend and performance across other platforms.
Chicken Road by INOUT is currently following the same path as Plinko and Aviator
“Plinko went viral two years after launch. Now it has plateaued, however, that does not mean there will not be a second or even third wave of demand” — Dmitry, Team Lead of SEO DPT at ZM.
Numerous brands released their own versions of the game (over 60 copies), and Facebook media buyers actively promoted Plinko throughout 2024, continuously refining their approaches, which contributed to new peaks in popularity.
“It would not be accurate to say that evaluating social traffic is completely wrong, but the methodology does need some revision. Relying solely on the number of repeat deposits is not entirely correct.”
“That is the reason why we have built our own analytics department, started tracking traffic over the long term, and as a result uncovered some interesting insights. We will be sharing all the details very soon on ” — Yaroslav, CCO at ZM.
Chicken Road by INOUT GAMES is a rising trend that continues to gain momentum. Eye-catching gameplay, simple mechanics, and a widely recognisable theme are the game’s key advantages. If one combines them with big volumes of social traffic, they create sustainable user demand. This kind of synergy gives the trend a real chance to replicate Plinko’s success, offering media buyers and iGaming brands a clear path to 7-figure revenue.
