Midcore playable: one complete loop before CTA
Analysis
By UA Ledger staff — 1 min read
Unity Ads playable specs force a self-contained HTML demo with explicit CTA — use that as the midcore loop gate before store open.
Midcore playables fail when the CTA fires before the player finishes one readable loop. Unity’s public playable specs do not define “midcore,” but they do define the technical container for that loop.
Documented Unity Ads UA playable rules
Playable asset specifications: single inlined minified index.html under 5 MB; MRAID 3.0; both orientations; do not block close UI; avoid XHR except limited analytics without personal identifiers; do not auto-redirect to the store; CTAs use mraid.open; wait for viewableChange before starting content. Android 4.4+ / iOS 9.0+ called out.
Midcore session checklist (operator layer)
| Gate | Pass |
|---|---|
| Loop completeness | Player can finish one core verb (clear wave / place building / resolve turn) before CTA emphasis |
| Tutorial island mismatch | Playable loop matches first-session verb, not late-game map |
| Byte budget | Build <5 MB after minify/inline |
| Store open | Only on explicit CTA |
| Orientation | Portrait and landscape smoke-tested |
| Close button | Never covered |
Facts versus limits
| Field | Evidence or limit |
|---|---|
| Technical container | Unity playable specs |
| Required loop duration | **Not** specified — editorial gate for midcore QA |
| Other networks | Re-check each network’s HTML/MRAID page separately |
Ship the loop that survives viewableChange, not the cinematic that auto-bounces to the store.
Research checked 20 September 2026. Local draft; human editorial review pending. No CMS write.
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