Mobile Games Heatmap for 2024 🔥

Kudos to Anton Slashcev who created a detailed analysis of the genres' performance this year:

🟥 𝗥𝗣𝗚𝘀: $𝟭𝟱.𝟯𝗕 (-𝟭𝟮.𝟱%)
↳ Top apps of the genre: appmagic.rocks/rpg
• Action RPG/MMORPG: $6.0B (-15.3%)
• Team Battlers: $4.8B (-14.6%)
• Idle RPG: $2.1B (+16.3%)
• Puzzle RPG: $1.2B (-21.9%)
• Other RPGs: $1.2B (-15.6%)

🟩 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆: $𝟵.𝟰𝗕 (+𝟯.𝟱%)
↳ Top apps: appmagic.rocks/strategy
• 4X Strategy: $6.6B (+1.5%)
• Real-Time Strategy (RTS): $1.3B (+7.4%)
• Tactics: $905M (+23.4%)
• Card Battler: $545M (-8.7%)

🟩 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗼: $𝟴.𝟴𝗕 (+𝟭𝟮%)
↳Top apps: appmagic.rocks/casino
• Slots: $3.6B (-6.2%)
• Casual Casino: $2.8B (+82%)
• Casino Card Games: $937M (+0%)
• Bingo: $475M (-6.3%)
• Other Casino: $900M (-3.5%)

🟩 𝗣𝘂𝘇𝘇𝗹𝗲: $𝟴.𝟱𝗕 (+𝟭𝟮.𝟴%)
↳Top apps: appmagic.rocks/puzzle
• Match-3: $5.3B (+4.6%)
• Merge: $1.1B (+55.4%)
• Match-2: $550M (+1.6%)
• Other Puzzle Games: $863M (+14.7%)
• 3D Match: $297M (+46%)

🟩 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: $𝟯.𝟴𝗕 (+𝟰.𝟯%)
↳Top apps: appmagic.rocks/simulation
• Sandbox: $1.4B (+19.9%)
• Farming: $1.1B (-0.5%)
• Life Sim: $192M (-12.0%)
• Fashion: $186M (-13%)
• Other Simulations: $912M (+2.4%)

🟩 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻/𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗹: $𝟯.𝟱𝗕 (+𝟭𝟬.𝟭%)
↳Top apps: appmagic.rocks/action-brawl
• MOBA: $2.6B (-6.8%)
• Brawler: $832M (+131.8%)

🟥 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿: $𝟯.𝟰𝗕 (-𝟬.𝟴%)
↳Top apps: appmagic.rocks/shooter
• Tactical Shooter: $743M (-1.0%)
• Battle Royale: $2.0B (-3.4%)
• Vehicle Shooters: $283M (+2%)

🟥 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀: $𝟮.𝟯𝗕 (-𝟭𝟮.𝟬%)
↳Top apps: appmagic.rocks/sports
• Simulation Sports: $1.4B (-3.7%)
• Sports Manager: $632M (-26.4%)
• Arcade Sports: $281M (-10.8%)

🟩 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀: $𝟭.𝟲𝗕 (+𝟭.𝟮%)
↳Top apps: appmagic.rocks/adventure
• Visual Novels: $615M (+48%)
• Hidden Objects: $360M (-3.8%)
• Survival: $354M (+8.6%)
• Other Adventure: $240M (+0%)

🟥 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲: $𝟭.𝟲𝗕 (-𝟴.𝟵%)
↳Top apps: appmagic.rocks/arcade
• Rhythm Games: $576M (-19.8%)
• Clicker/Idle: $400M (+0.9%)
• Fighting Games: $346M (-13%)
• Other Arcade: $235M (+18%)

🟥 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗽: $𝟵𝟯𝟰𝗠 (-𝟴.𝟯%)
↳Top apps: appmagic.rocks/tabletop
• Card Games: $558M (-12.5%)
• Board Games: $239M (-7.3%)
• Other Tabletop Games: $137M (+53.8%)

🟩 𝗔𝗥 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀: $𝟭.𝟬𝗕 (-𝟬.𝟴%)
↳Top apps: appmagic.rocks/ar-games

Spot the AR Games on the map! 😉

Pokémon TCG Pocket Earned $50M In Just 12 Days 🚀

This game isn't just making waves in the Collectible Card Games genre; it’s shaking up the entire industry!

In under two weeks, Pokémon TCG Pocket pulled in nearly $50M. For context, another successful CCG based on a massive franchise, Marvel Snap, earned ~13x less over the same period post-launch 🤯

Remember the Pokémon Go craze back in 2016? Pokémon TCG Pocket’s results may be a bit shy of those wild heights, but they're impressively close 👏

The real question is: Can this game evolve into a phenomenon on par with Pokémon Go? 🤔

What do you think—does it have a shot? ✨

Check it out by yourself: https://appmagic.rocks/iphone/pokemon-tcg-pocket/6479970832?utm_source=AMTelegram

How Supercell Boosts LiveOps with IP Collaborations 🚀

In 2024 alone, Supercell teamed up with some big names: Transformers, Godzilla, SpongeBob SquarePants, and even Baby Shark!

— But why these IPs, and what makes them a great fit for Supercell’s games? 🤔
— How does Supercell maximize the potential of each collaboration? 🎮
— And what lessons and LiveOps tips can we learn from all this?

We’ve got all the answers! For this, we analyzed eight IP collaborations across four Supercell games.

Enjoy the read here: https://appmagic.rocks/research/supercell-ip?utm_source=AMTelegram

The Power of Supercell’s IP Collaborations in LiveOps 🚀

Supercell’s revenue chart for Brawl Stars tells a story of incredible growth 📈

When many thought the game was past its peak, Supercell took it to new revenue heights. All thanks to powerful LiveOps! ⚙️

While major changes like reworked progression, monetization, and event schedule paved the way to success, the impact of IP collaborations shouldn’t be overlooked ✨

And it’s not just Brawl Stars that benefited from such collaborations!

To explore how Supercell selects and, most importantly, integrates these franchises into their games, we analyzed 8 collaborations across Brawl Stars, Squad Busters, and the Clash noscripts 🔎

Enjoy the read: https://appmagic.rocks/research/supercell-ip?utm_source=AMTelegram

Top 10 Match-3 Games by Lifetime Revenue 🍭

By now, you’ve probably heard the exciting news: Dream Games has just launched Royal Kingdom globally! This new game is a spin-off of Royal Match, following the adventures of King Richard, the younger brother of King Robert 👑

Naturally, we couldn’t resist checking how the original game is holding up—and surprise, surprise—it entered the Top 5 Match 3 games by lifetime revenue, though it was launched years later then the games above it!

Boost your revenue with the LiveOps & Updates Calendar!

Access a complete library of events from 200 top-performing casual, midcore, and hybridcasual games, and discover what truly drives player engagement and monetization.

Why is it a must-have?

⏩ Gain actionable insights from the industry’s top events
🛡️ Easily analyze competitors’ LiveOps strategies
🎯 Use smart filters to find the features and ideas that work for you

And the best part? It saves you endless hours! ⏳

With expert-curated updates, in-depth analysis, and an intuitive dashboard, you can focus on creating impactful events that truly deliver.

Learn more about this powerful tool here: https://appmagic.rocks/tool-denoscriptions/live-ops?utm_source=AMTelegram

Match Factory! Leading The Match 3D Genre 🚀

Released just over a year ago, Match Factory quickly claimed Top-1 spot surpassing the genre's leader, Triple Match 3D ($17.5M vs $7.5M in monthly revenue) 🔥

The secret sauce behind Match Factory!? It takes the Triple Match 3D formula to the next level with clans, leaderboards, and goal-setting. Add in social mechanics, and it nails retention paired with gameplay that remain quite hypercasual 🐥

https://appmagic.rocks/iphone/match-factory-/6449094229?utm_source=AMTelegram

Top 10 Publishers By Casual Games Revenue 💰

As the year draws to a close, we took a deep dive into the world of casual games to see which publishers are leading the pack and how their year-over-year performance has shifted.

🌟 Scopely takes the crown in 2024, driven by the success of Monopoly Go! which earned $1.4B IAP revenue in 2024.

👑 Dream Games continues its steady growth, powered by the evergreen success of Royal Match. Do you think Royal Kingdom’s release will push the developer to the top in 2025?

🚀 Peak Games is breaking records with the recent addition of Match Factory! to its portfolio, alongside fan-favorites Toon Blast and Toy Blast.

Want to explore the full list and see how these publishers stack up? Check it out here: https://appmagic.rocks/top-charts/publishers?aggregation=year&tags=243572?utm_source=AMTelegram

The Best Hypercasual Launch of November? Prison Survival: Tap Challenge With 4.6M Installs🚨

The world is on edge waiting for Squid Game Season 2, dropping on December 26th. To fuel the hype and keep the excitement alive, developers are diving back into series-inspired Hypercasual games 🎮

Earlier this November, Higame Global launched their latest hit, Prison Survival: Tap Challenge. In less than a month, it smashed 4M installs, aligning perfectly with the monthly numbers of top 10 Hypercasual genre leaders 👏

Prison Survival: Tap Challenge is a thrilling 3D action-adventure survival game packed with multiple levels of increasing difficulty 🚀

Game's page:
https://appmagic.rocks/google-play/prison-survival-tap-challenge/com.higame.par.master.challenge?utm_source=AMTelegram

Top 10 Match 3D Games 💫

After our recent post about Match Factory!, we thought it was worth taking a closer look at the Match 3D genre leaderboard 🥇

This year, Match Factory! has outperformed Triple Match 3D in revenue by more than 61%!

The game is edging closer to capturing half of the market, with its IAP Net Revenue accounting for 42% of the genre this year 🏆

While other competitors, despite showing notable growth, are still far from matching the success of the genre’s two leaders!

Do you think there’s a candidate that might recreate Match Factory!’s success? 🤔

Check the top on your own: https://appmagic.rocks/top-charts/apps?aggregation=year&tag=243716&utm_source=AMTelegram

Boosting Revenue with Lava Quest Clones in Top Puzzle Games

💡 How the event works:
100 players compete simultaneously to clear 7-8 consecutive levels on their first try. Those who succeed within 24 hours split the final reward equally.

📈 Effect on metrics:

— Royal Match saw a +27% revenue spike in July 2024. Again, no big UA push was happening then, so the event did the heavy lifting.
Event details

— In Toon Blast, this event led to a +42% revenue boost. The growth came straight from LiveOps since there wasn’t any spike in downloads.
Event details

— In Candy Crush Soda Saga, a similar event called Yeti’s Challenge saw a 26% revenue boost during its third run, synergizing with other in-game events.
Event details


📜 How it started:
The concept is likely inspired by Puzzle & Dragons and its special dungeons, but the version we know today first appeared in the Dragon’s Treasure event in Toon Blast in January 2024. Around the same time, Royal Match began testing a similar format.

✅ Why it’s important:
Cloning successful events allows studios to capitalize on proven engagement strategies, optimize resources, and stay competitive in the crowded puzzle market.

Top 10 Hypercasual Launches in November 🚀

After spotlighting Prison Survival: Tap Challenge, we decided to dive into the top hypercasual game launches of the past month. And here’s what we found: the second-ranking game boasts three times fewer downloads despite launching around the same time 🤯

At first glance, two trends stand out: the chart is dominated by puzzle games, and many noscripts draw inspiration from pop culture phenomena like Squid Game or the Capybara craze—no surprises there! 😌

Will Prison Survival make it into our Hypercasual Report for Q4 2024? Place your bets! 🎮

If you want to be the first to spot top noscripts, check out our publicly avaliable Top Apps page:
https://appmagic.rocks/top-charts/apps?aggregation=month&date=2024-11-01&tag=126&utm_source=AMTelegram

Capybara Go! — Habby’s New Flagship Game 🏆

Capybaras have been viral sensations for a while now—taking over memes, filling stores with adorable toys, and flooding social media feeds. But this craze is just part of the game’s success 🐾

To create their next hit, Habby combined the best elements of Legend of Mushroom gameplay and LiveOps, added a dash of Monopoly Go’s thrill of chance, and wrapped it all in their signature UI/UX and progression design 🧑‍🎨

The results? Soft-launched in late October and going global just a month ago, Capybara Go! has already generated $25M! 💸

Still, the US release didn’t quite live up to industry expectations. Don’t you agree?

What’s your take on the game’s future? 🤔

App’s page: https://appmagic.rocks/google-play/capybara-go-/com.habby.capybara?utm_source=AMTelegram

Capybaras Invading Mobile Stores ⚔️

After the Capybara Go's successful release, we've decided to have a closer look at how its fellow capybaras are doing.

Turns out, the capybaras are actively invading the mobile games market, sneaking into all types of games—from Hypercasuals and Puzzles to RPGs and Arcades 🏅

However, most of these games lack the depth of Capybara Go. Instead, they offer simpler, more casual experiences that rely heavily on ads rather than IAP for monetization. 💸

Perhaps we’ll see capybaras making their way into more IAP-heavy games in the future. What do you think? 🧐

Check the leading game’s page, if you missed the previous post: https://appmagic.rocks/google-play/capybara-go-/com.habby.capybara?utm_source=AMTelegram

Most Downloaded Mobile Games 2015-2024 💥

Chef's kiss to Anton Slashcev for this dynamic infographic! 🧑‍🍳

Do you have a feeling that Subway Surfers is connecting generations? The game has been leading the top of the most downloaded games for the past 9 years, reaching 2B installs 🚇

Candy Crush Saga, while briefly stepping down, quickly regained its second place and has held it ever since with 1.3B downloads 🍭

Clash of Clans, My Talking Angela, and My Talking Tom competed for a long time to stay in the top 10, but eventually, only My Talking Tom managed to do so with 959M installs 🐱

Have you already seen the top of the most downloaded apps in 2024? If not, you should definitely check the positions of our favourite leaders: https://appmagic.rocks/google-play/capybara-go-/com.habby.capybara?utm_source=AMTelegram

Mini Games: Calm & Relax TikTok Takeover 😎

There was a time when TikTok and Instagram feeds were flooded with videos of people trying to make a cheeky jump using their voice or hitting the right notes to fit a ball in a hole. Influencers were on fire! 🔥

This viral craze helped the game achieve 59.5M total installs since its launch in August, securing its spot at our top of Hypercasual games in December! 📈

While monthly downloads have started to decline, could a new mini-game be the key to saving the day? Stay tuned! 🤫

Check the app’s page yourself: https://appmagic.rocks/google-play/mini-games-calm-and-relax/com.uc.minigame.relax?utm_source=AMTelegram

Panthia Lite: Magical Merge Showing Promise with $2M Monthly Revenue 🚀

Launched in November 2023, this merge puzzle game takes players into a fantasy-stylized world, seemingly inspired from Gardenscapes with its engaging story and decoration elements.

Since early 2024, the game has been scaling rapidly, gaining momentum throughout the year. With over $12M in IAP net revenue to date and a new monthly benchmark of $2M, its growth shows no signs of slowing down 💸

The game has found a strong audience among female players, who make up 87% of its player base—a trend that aligns with the broader puzzle and Merge-3 subgenre 🧩

When will Panthia Lite reach its peak? Can’t wait to find out! 😉

Have a look at app’s page:https://appmagic.rocks/google-play/panthia%28r%29-lite-magical-merge/com.orcas.panthia.island.fairyscapes?utm_source=AMTelegram

Merge-3 Games With Complex Meta in 2024 💫

This year the grossing leaderboard sees a familiar champion: Merge Dragons! continues its reign, outpacing its closest competitors by nearly 50% 🚀

Alice’s Dream, however, isn’t just a dream this year. It secures the second spot with $3M average monthly revenue 🐰

There’s only one newcomer in the top 10 by installs—Panthia Life, which we covered in a previous post. This game has made a striking leap, growing steadily and reaching $2.4M in monthly revenue in December 💣

Have a look at the top: https://appmagic.rocks/top-charts/apps?tag=243782&aggregation=year&utm_source=AMTelegram

Block Blast! Is On Fire, Reaching 25M Monthly Installs 🔥

This year’s breakout leader, Block Blast!, which dethroned Candy Crush Saga in last year’s Top Free rankings, isn’t just holding its ground in 2024—it’s gaining even more momentum. Since September, the game has been boosting its install numbers, now hitting 25M montly installs 🔝

The game combines nostalgic charm with modern appeal. It’s a Tetris-inspired puzzle where players strategically fit blocks into a grid to clear lines. Just thinking about it gives us all the feels 🥹

Will Block Blast continue its confident growth into the new year? We’re leaning towards “yes”, what about you? 😉

Have a look at the game’s page: https://appmagic.rocks/google-play/block-blast-/com.block.juggle? utm_source=AMTelegram

Converting Players to Payers With Growth Offers 📈

💡 How the feature works:
Growth Offer is a monetization feature offering a paid list of tasks where rewards are tied to specific progress milestones in the game. As players advance through the game, they unlock valuable rewards.

📈 Effect on metrics:

— In Coin Master, the feature increased revenue by 2.8% compared to the same days the previous week, showing a small positive effect.
Event details

— In Toon Blast, a similar feature boosted revenue by 1.6% over the previous week.
Event details

— In Gossip Harbor, the feature appeared once in September, showing a moderate impact. We’re continuing to monitor its performance for further insights.
Event details

📜 How it started:
The concept of this feature is inspired by RPG and strategy games with progression mechanics, like Clash of Clans and Summoners War. It also appeared as the “Growth Fund” in Whiteout Survival in April 2024.

✅ Why it’s important:

— Such offers might be a good way to experiment with converting players to their first purchase. With a low price and high perceived value, it lowers the entry barrier.

— Players who buy the deal experience FOMO due to the sunk costs effect, encouraging them to engage more actively and spend resources. This often creates an energy deficit, pushing players toward additional purchases to complete their goals.

Merge Prison Hits $1.3M Monthly Revenue 💥

This year’s breakout hit in the Merge-2 with complex meta genre, Merge Prison, continues to actively boost its revenue number, already exceeding $1M monthly income mark!

The game’s female prison theme draws comparisons to Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black, while its meta gameplay resembles an Escape Room puzzle, bringing a fresh twist to the genre 🍊

The game has already climbed to the 12th position in the rankings. Will it break into the top 10 next year?

Have a look at the game’s dashboard: https://appmagic.rocks/google-play/merge-prison-hidden-puzzle/com.starring.prisonbreak?utm_source=AMTelegram