The Outlast Trials
Red Barrels
Released in May 2023, The Outlast Trials quickly established itself as one of the most distinctive multiplayer horror experiences on Steam. Developed by Montreal-based Red Barrels, the game immerses players in chilling psychological trials set in the Cold War era. Known for its atmospheric design and intense co-op survival gameplay, The Outlast Trials has cultivated a dedicated community and continues to expand its reach with new content and live operations.
With the launch of the "Prime Time" update in June 2025, developer Red Barrels — together with their media agency, Best in Slot — set out to maximize marketing efficiency and scale user acquisition. To achieve this, they partnered with Second Stage to implement TRACKS, a full-funnel solution delivering attribution tracking, campaign insights, and comprehensive managed support.
“The collaboration between Best in Slot, Second Stage, and our team has been seamless and the hands-on support made a huge difference. TRACKS allowed us to move quickly, gain the insights we needed, and optimize our campaigns in real time without getting bogged down in complex tech setups.”
Marie-Joëlle Paquin
Marketing Director, Red Barrels
Platforms
Days
To Full Integration
Up to 30%
ROI Improvement
With the launch of The Outlast Trials, Red Barrels and Best in Slot needed a measurement solution that could:
- Provide real-time visibility into which marketing campaigns drove engagement and sales on Steam, Epic Game Store, PlayStation and Xbox
- Support an agile, fast-moving campaign schedule with seamless reporting across multiple channels and regions
- Reduce the operational burden on the internal team by relying on a managed-service approach with hands-on support
We provided Red Barrels and Best in Slot with TRACKS, configured to deliver actionable insights into campaign performance and player acquisition. The implementation was lightweight, requiring minimal developer resources while providing comprehensive visibility across channels.
- Worked closely with Best in Slot to align reporting structures and integrate campaign tracking seamlessly
- Set up custom dashboards that fit directly into their daily workflows
- Provided continuous hands-on support — from campaign setup to optimization recommendations
- Ensured both Red Barrels and Best in Slot could move quickly and confidently
With TRACKS in place, Red Barrels and Best in Slot achieved:
- Faster implementation: TRACKS was integrated and fully operational in a short timeframe, minimizing disruption for Red Barrels’ development team
- Actionable insights: Unified dashboards gave both the studio and the agency clarity on which campaigns and creatives were driving the strongest performance
- Full visibility on ROI: By combining attribution insights with hands-on optimization, they gained a clear view of which campaigns delivered the strongest results
- Stronger collaboration: Shared visibility between Second Stage, Best in Slot, and Red Barrels enabled a streamlined partnership that supported both creative strategy and performance execution
Integrated in days — not weeks
How We Made It Work
Seamless Implementation
TRACKS was designed to minimize developer workload. By working hand-in-hand with Best in Slot, we handled setup and campaign tracking directly, ensuring Red Barrels could always focus on the game itself.
Managed Service & Hands-On Support
Unlike a pure SaaS model, Second Stage provides end-to-end support. For The Outlast Trials, this meant active monitoring of campaigns, direct collaboration on optimization strategies, and continuous alignment with Best in Slot. Our team served as an extension of theirs, ensuring the insights delivered by TRACKS translated directly into better performance.
Unified Marketing Insights Across Every Channel
TRACKS integrated ad, influencer, and attribution data into a single view, enabling the team to compare performance across platforms such as Meta, Reddit and even Netflix across global markets including US, Canada, China or mainland Europe. The dashboards also covered website analytics, providing clarity across the full marketing funnel.
Optimizing Media & Creative Performance
With real-time insights, Best in Slot could identify high-performing campaigns and allocate spend more effectively. TRACKS attribution data helped pinpoint which creatives and channels resonated most with the game’s audience, allowing for data-driven iteration and improved campaign efficiency.
Ready to level up your marketing?
See how TRACKS can transform your game's marketing performance.