Casual Gaming in 2024: Insights for Developers Eyeing Success

2023 proved to be equally challenging for the mobile market as its predecessor, as user spending dipped by approximately 3.5%, following the declining trend observed in 2022.

Despite this, key genres remained relatively unaffected, with download rates maintaining stability. Revenues decline was unevenly distributed across genres, with some experiencing more pronounced impacts while others thrived. Additionally, there was a noticeable decrease in both the quantity and success rate of new releases. AppMagic aimed to answer the following questions:

• When releasing a game in 2024, which genre should I choose to make the most of it?
• How do I operate an existing project in order to maintain and increase earnings?

Countries and Genres Examined For the Research

The study primarily delves into the performance of the mobile games market across Tier-1 West countries, encompassing nations such as the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, France, and Germany.

To ensure representative sampling, it compares games within top-level subgenres, utilizing an extensive genre classification system comprising over 300 categories. The analysis excludes smaller casual genres, focusing solely on those that amassed a minimum revenue of $10 million in 2023. Consequently, the study examines 24 casual genres and their year-over-year trends.

Highlights from the AppMagic’s Research

• The growth of the niche indicates intense competition for acquiring new users, as evident in the genre’s fluctuating top grossing ranking throughout the year.
• In highly competitive genres, maintaining earnings requires continuous monitoring of competitors’ updates and in-game events.
• The Match 3D genre displays a notable success rate and robust revenue growth trends. Despite its success, the genre remains relatively unsaturated, allowing new releases to penetrate the market and achieve top grossing ranks.
• The Idle Tycoon genre maintains a favorable risk/reward ratio, although not yielding the highest rewards. A considerable portion of the genre’s revenue is generated through diverse LiveOps monetization mechanisms.

Check out: State of Mobile Gaming 2024